Re: "Family values"

[Katha Pollitt <kpollitt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Celia, I completely agree that benefits should not be tied to family
status, or families period. And here's another reason why. It's all very
well to talk about children being so socially important, etc, but if
parents get more benefits than childless people  that breeds resentment.
Lots of childless people feel put=upon when they are asked to rearrange
their schedules or take on extra work to accomodate a parent colleague,
because it's never going to be their turn to be accomodated.  Lots of
childless people see children as a chosen burden, and wonder why it
should be accomodated more than other relationships or passions. I know
childless people who are really annoyed at the parents they work with.
Of course there are arguments against this view of childraising as a
kind of socially-sanctioned hobby, but it seems to me the best way round
is to offer everybody a list of benefits from which to choose. Raising a
child should be accomodated, but so should other kinds of relationships
-- and interests, too. Like continuing education etc.
  I read somewhere than 20 percent of women of childbearing-age are not
going to have children.