31 Reasons We Need a License for Parenting
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You need a license to fish. You need a license to wed.You need a license to drive...to erect a fence...and to practice law. You need one to sell liquor...run a hot dog cart...practice medicine...breed dogs.But you don't need a license to have kids?Granted, we all have our bad days, but.......
18 Comments
logansquaredancer said:
Some of those pics are pretty frightening. Here's two documentaries made by Chicago high school students: one is about teens taking responsibility as parents and the other is about dealing with absent parents.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm-uXpsSeLU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzBfY1ouVxw
Jackie Tithof Steere said:
Thanks for the links...I'll check them out. And, thanks for reading and commenting!
brownsauce said:
LOL, Don't tell me about my kids! = http://bit.ly/bqreem
Jackie Tithof Steere said:
Thanks for this. I read it and it is very funny!
Jackie Tithof Steere said:
Here is a comment from my friend Laura (it's edited so that it does not get rejected from all its links...I did not delete any of her opinion):
"Hi Jax,
I’m too lazy to log into your blog to leave a comment so I’ll just email you.
'Sarah Palin...Talk about messed up priorities...choosing super demanding work over family. If I don't watch myself and get off this computer more often, one of my kids might wind up knocked up, too.'
Let’s add Michelle Obama to the list of women that chose super demanding work. And of course let’s not forget Hillary Clinton.
These 3 women are all bad parents because they chose to have super demanding work AND (not OVER) family. How come the last 2 women didn’t make your list?
fem·i·nism
noun
1. the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men."
Jackie Tithof Steere said:
In the name of feminism, of which I am a great supporter, I should have also included Sarah Palin's husband. I suppose she was more on my mind with the recent news of her infamous Facebook post--the one where she is holding a pistol and threatening senators and their states, inciting violence and all.
The reason I didn't include Hilary Clinton is that her child is thriving, as are Michele Obama's children. Ms. Obama didn't apply for her job...her spouse was elected president. Ms. Clinton has gone on record as saying she could NEVER have run for such a demanding position while her child was young.
It's my own personal opinion that whenever possible one parent, woman or man, should be home with their children. I didn't mean to imply otherwise.
As always, I enjoy discussing our different opinions. I so appreciate you reading and commenting, you know I do!
lauragee said:
LauraGee has officially signed up with ChicagoNow.
I too have issues with Sarah Palin, however, I don’t think it is fair to blame her teen’s pregnancy on the fact that the mom works.
Just curious how you know that Malia, Sasha, and Chelsea are thriving? Could they have problems that the public isn’t aware of? Maybe Malia has nightmares about secret service agents or crazy Palins shooting her dad and she can’t sleep a wink and has to see a doctor? Maybe Sasha is sick of the spotlight and tells her dad to Go F*ck Himself and is smoking pot? Maybe Chelsea got pregnant at 16 but had a secret abortion? Would any of these things be shared with the public? I think not. Every family has problems, the Palins just happened to have a problem that couldn’t be hidden.
Mr. and Mrs. Obama both applied for their jobs as President and First Lady, neither of them were forced into their roles. And before Mr. Obama was elected President, Michelle chose to have various high positions (check Wikipedia for details) as a Princeton educated attorney. I don’t recall Barack staying home with the kids.
Was Hillary saying she couldn’t have been the Secretary of State when her child was little? Didn’t Hillary still work when Chelsea was little, not as Secretary of State, but in high positions as a Yale educated attorney? Again, see Wikipedia for detail. I don’t recall Bill staying home with Chelsea.
I respect your personal opinion about a parent staying home, and I am glad it works for you and your family. It does sound however, that you are judging other families for having different family structures than your own. Research continue to show it is the quality of parenting that matters, and not whether or not a parent stayed home. I can name numerous stay-at-home local parents that are abusive, drunk, or just completely uninvolved with their kids. Haven’t we both seen this in our community work?
Keep on bloggin’!
Jackie Tithof Steere said:
This is true, my friend. Plus, nowadays it seems all families, including my own, are a bit on the dysfunctional side. I know I certainly have my own "days." Maybe Palin is a perfectly wonderful parent, it just doesn't seem so to me...and maybe that's a little political jab, and who the heck am I to judge, being that I'm so-not-an-expert of anything. Overall, 'twas meant to be a bit silly, if such a subject can be even slightly so. But, this subject of parenting opens up a whole new universe. And that's what this whole blog site is about...opening up things for discussion. Thanks for sharing. I am very glad you are all signed up.
lauragee said:
Yes, was meant to be a bit silly, the pictures made me LMAO! Then I googled "bad parenting pictures" and spent a good 10 minutes laughing at more. It was also fun to think "well I can't be that bad, I've never done THAT to my kid!"
Jackie Tithof Steere said:
LOL. Found myself doing the same. :)
VelvetJinxx said:
It would hurt my soul for someone to criticize my parenting . .. BUT! I'll be 2-faced and mention Pamela Anderson. Is she ever home?
Jackie Tithof Steere said:
Good addition. I know, it would hurt me, too, though I do a pretty good job of it all by myself. :) Don't worry, most of these people are public figures and are quite used to hearing an earful. Par for the course, I suppose. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Jenny Milk said:
certain people should NOT be allowed to procreate. There should be a cap on the number of children people have (their are poor women out there who take advantage of the system and pop out more kids for the tax money).
It makes me angry to see teens and irresponsible people bearing kids.
They act like it's no big deal.
There should be a license. And a parenting class.
People need to take this more seriously.
Kids grow up to be killers, psychopaths, etc...and how do we think they got there?
PARTLY because of bad parenting (but mostly just bad genes)
love this post.
Jackie Tithof Steere said:
Thanks! Yes, it opens a lot of dialogue. I do really like your idea of a parenting class. If not for 10,000 books and magazines (and now blogs) on the subject, I'd have been a complete failure. I know a lot of people don't like to read...that's where the class fits in. Agree...parenting should be taken seriously, while still having fun with it. I used to be such a perfectionist and kids knocked that right out of me. Parenting is the most important thing I'll ever do and, personally, I don't want to screw it up. I think Jackie Kennedy is quoted as saying something like...if you bungle your kids nothing else in life much matters. But, women also have to have a balance that leaves them fulfilled. Thanks for reading and commenting. LOVE your blog.
Jenny Milk said:
you should do a post about the mess-ups mommies make while parenting.
like funny things that have happened while raising kids
Jackie Tithof Steere said:
That's a great idea...I know I can contribute a lot of personal mess ups to that post. Thanks!
Nicole Harbin said:
I know this is an old blog but I just read it. Jack, remember when mom would drive us to school (ONLY when it rained mind you) and roll up all the windows & smoke? YUCK. TERRIBLE. And I'm a smoker (outside only of course) :)
And I guess I'm compelled to say this. Todd & I both work outside the home. Every waking moment besides being at work is spent with our family, probably a little out of guilt but mostly because we we actualy love hanging out with them and I sincerely hope that it is quality of time vs. quantity of time. But I will never forget your encouraging words when I called your crying when I went back to work full time. You said "Nick, you are doing this for your family, the kids will know that and they will be fine." Some people may not know you the way that I do (because you are my big sissy) but like I said, I'll never forget those words. I sure wish I didn't have to work (and am quite jealous of those who don't have to) but I do feel my kids are healthy, well adjusted and have pretty good social skills because of it.
And as for Palin, Obama & Clinton? I'm reading "Game Change" right now and very reluctantly (and really, did she have a choice?) Michelle gave her approval for her husband to run. She seems pretty adamant on being at home with her daughters. Clinton? I seriously don't know how she does all she does. I know that I couldn't and would never want to do all that and be away from home---even back when Chelsea was young. Some people just do. I guess Chelsea is the only one who can answer if she got enough time/love from her mother. We do live in a society with such a double standard (men working v. women working). Palin? Well I haven't gotten that far in the book yet but just from past media coverage of her, I know (again) I couldn't and wouldn't want to have so much going on with my career that I couldn't concentrate on my home. I would seriously go crazy. Probably why she stepped down.
Jackie Tithof Steere said:
Nick, I'm so glad you commented. I would love to read "Game Change." I'll check it out for vacation. On political women, I think you're being generous to Palin. Now, I don't know the woman personally, but it seems to me she quit so that she could pursue more lucrative opportunities that also give her more face time. I believe it's all about ego for her...and I think that would be fine if those 5 kids were grown and gone, because obviously she didn't have to work at the outset, she just chose to. Let me say that I am all for working when necessary...I've had to go back full time when my hubby was out of work and didn't feel a bit of guilt. And, I'm not saying it should always be the woman giving up things...men can also stay home if they can financially.
I just really wonder if most women work because they must or if they just need something inside them fulfilled. (Working on what will certainly be a controversial piece on that very subject.) Or, as Aunt Judy once said, because young couples get themselves into trouble financially before they have kids and then are locked into that two-income model because of it.
I totally stand by you. You are completely unselfish and totally focused on your family. And you did what was best for your family. That's to be wholeheartedly respected, sista!
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