We talk a lot about the importance of children as a society—we talk about education and “family values”—but how many times have you been barked at in public because your child was tantruming or had someone give you a dirty look as you moved too slowly in the bank line because you were corralling a your children? Are we hypocrites or sending different messages as a society in regard to how we feel as a collective about children?
After all, we are the society who used to have “children should be seen and not heard;” we are also the society with the “kids table” at holidays and public events that separate children and families from the “adult” activities. Meanwhile, politicians and right-wing activists talk about the importance of “the family.” We seem to love the “idea” of children—as long as they are not running, yelling, crying and actually being children anywhere where we might have to actually see them or make accommodation.
We don’t want to hear or see children misbehave in the grocery store and yet what is a parent to do when he or she needs to get the food to feed those children? We definitely don’t want to see or have to put up with the awkward loudness of teenagers, but we don’t provide for many activities, places or programs specifically geared toward the adolescent. How many times have I read articles of opinions saying that children have no place at weddings, funerals, the “regular” church service, restaurants, stores, concerts, etc.? And yet, there is so much pressure on newly partnered individuals to “have a baby” or “become a family.” Why?
I cannot help but wonder why our society is so schizophrenic when it comes to children—do we love them or not? Are we all about the family values and children or do we really just pay a great deal of lip service to children and hope that we don’t actually have to come in contact with any?
See Also: Creating Child-Friendly Homes