Children Are Our Everything - Research Paper Example

Children are our everything “Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” Elizabeth Stone One of the most common questions, faced by the new parents is the dilemma whether or not; they are capable to provide total care to the newly born. Taking on the responsibility of a newly born child, is a huge ordeal, since the changes and the challenges encountered in the process, are known to be the most crucial and inherent aspects of parenting. Children need love, time as well as financial support, and the parents are required to provide for it, in order to ensure their safe and healthy upbringing. Over and above the general anxieties, that parents face while raising a child, there are various other crucial considerations and challenges such as ensuring as safe and healthy environment for the child; providing for their physical and emotional needs; planning for their future and education. The economical, social as well as moral standards of living have undergone significant changes over the years, resulting in a drastic and simultaneous change in parenting. Parents today are left with very little time due to increased working hours, and the changing employment market. Furthermore, the advent of consumerism has also played a key role in bringing about a sea change in the manner in which children are raised. This paper on ‘A bad time to raise a child’ analyzes and explores the various anxieties and issues faced by the parents while raising their children, and discuss the impact and consequences of the same on the children. Changes in social structures: The manner, in which people earn and live, is largely dependent on the social structures of their respective countries. These social structures tend to change over time, and have a direct and significant impact on the economic activities, thus ultimately resulting in a widespread change in various parts of our social lives (Dutta, and Jackson, 2003; Calvo´-Armengol, 2004). The introduction of new and state of the art technology and its seamless assimilation within businesses, have made them globally interdependent. Businesses have become more efficient and the employment structures have now expanded to include ‘work-from-home’ jobs, thus resulting in longer working hours (Ellen, and Loewy, 2010). Such changes have posed unique challenges for parents, and more so for single parents. There has been extensive research, on the subject with regard to exploring the impact of long working hours on parenting. It has been observed that, the complex work schedules of parents in recent times, has resulted in a negative relationship between parents and their children. A survey focused on studying the children's reaction towards their parents working hours, revealed that a significant majority of children were upset about their parents working long hours and complained about them coming home with a bad mood due to work stress (Burke, Cooper, 2008). Change in cost and standard of living: There have been significant changes in the economic status globally. Also, the recent global economic downturn has increased the financial burden of families, who are now forced to seek employment, in a highly competitive marketplace. The job market has drastically changed due to such recent changes, thereby leading to changes in the cost and standard of living of individuals. The tax burdens have further added to the high cost of living, since individuals as well as families are now required to spend more on healthcare and taxes, thus compelling them to work longer hours, and leaving them with very little time to spend with their children. It has already been established through research that longer working hours tend to result in high stress among the employees, and distorts their social ties and relationships. Working parents are burdened with providing for their families, and coping with the excessively high cost of living, are posed with a unique challenge of educating their children and ensuring a safe and secure future. In order to provide for their families, it is often observed that parents sometimes are compelled to opt for two jobs at a time. This leaves them with very little time for their spouse and children, thus completely disturbing their social lives. The new social structure and fast paced lives have also led to the trend of nuclear families. Nowadays, children do not have the opportunity to live with their grandparents. The children are mostly left in the care of nannies – an occupation which is predominantly for teens. This leaves the children in the care of teens who do not have any special knowledge to care for the children, thus raising serious questions regarding the moral impact of the same on the children being cared for. This leaves them with very little time to interact with their parents, thus resulting poor parent-child relationship and lack of trust and positive influence on the part of the child (Moen, Roehling, 2005). Consumerist culture: The 21st century is marked by the excessive penetration of consumerist culture whereby parents are seen giving more importance to providing materialistic comforts and luxuries to their children, rather than spending and devoting personal time and fostering better relationships with them. The consumerism culture has played a key role in distorting social ties, and has a significant impact on the parent-child relationship. Children today, demand hi-tech toys and gadgets at a very young age, such as Nintendo, latest iPad, and other similar gadgets and have more affinity towards designer labels than spending quality time with their parents. The parents on the other hand, are busy with their jobs, and seen spending less time at home with their families. This has further added fuel to the consumerist culture, leading to passing of a wrong message to children, who are forced to believe in materialism more than moral values. The society, in general, has totally shifted its focus from values to achievement of materialistic possessions, and come to define happiness in terms of financial rather than moral or ethical gains (Pugh, 2009). Materialism is also known to be one of the key causes of clashes between parents and the children. According to Kasser (2002) families these days mostly value money, work and their materialist possessions, and are keen to follow and idolize the consumerism culture, whereby most of their time is devoted in making money, and chasing their materialistic dreams, as opposed to spending quality time with their families. The same behavior is then reinforced on the children, who imbibe the values passed on by their parents, thus resulting in discord between the parent-child relationships in the long run. Kasser (2002) stated that "Materialism and consumerism are associated with unhappiness because desire for more and more possessions forces us into a more frantic pace of life, causing stress, strain, and neglected relationships" (cited in Holden, 2009; pp.267). Conclusion: We are living in a rapidly shrinking world, where the geographical boundaries are blurred each passing day. Modern technology has benefitted mankind in more ways than one, but it has also resulted in a serious distortion of economic, social, political as well as ethnical aspects of our lives. Parents and children are drifting apart, due to technological influences as well as job pressures, making it difficult to foster healthier and positive parent-child relationships. Parenting in contemporary times, is a highly complex and tedious responsibility and the pressures of coping with the burdens of employment and balancing social relationships is highly tedious. The lack of availability of time on the part of the parents, is a critical issue faced in modern times, thus making it a bad time to raise children. However, by making subtle changes in lifestyles; imparting good ethical and moral values through a strict schedule might prove to be helpful for prospective parents to share the responsibility of raising a child, despite all odds. References: Burke, R. J., Cooper, C. L., (2008). The long work hours culture: Causes, consequences and choices. Emerald Group Publishing, Pp. 175-177 Calvo´-Armengol, A., (2004). Job contact networks. Journal of Economic Theory, 115 (1): pp. 191-206 Dutta, B., Jackson, M. O., (2003). Networks and groups: Models of strategic formation. Springer Publication Ellen, M. G., Loewy, D., (2010). Business communication: Process & product. Cengage Learning Publication, pp. 81-83 Kasser, (2002). cited in Holden, G. W., (2009). Parenting: A dynamic perspective. SAGE Publication. Moen, P., Roehling, P., (2005). The career mystique: Cracks in the American dream. Rowman & Littlefield Publication, pp. 31-33 Pugh, A. J., (2009). Longing and belonging: Parents, children and consumer culture. University of California Press. Read More