Homeless Birth Averages
November 17, 2008 | Filed under Politics
Leading on from my earlier contemplation about those who are willing to live on government benefits, I’ve been thinking about something else: why do disadvantaged people seem to have more children than the national average? It’s not an issue of getting access to birth control options, as the benefits of socialised medicine in Australia means that you get free visits to the doctor to pick up $5 prescriptions for a month’s worth of birth control pills.
There was recently an article on homelessness in Melbourne, and a mother of four was interviewed. Three years earlier, she had been forced to sell her home after getting into financial trouble, and since then, she and her children had lived in progressively worse housing, and were currently in temporary charity housing. Her partner had a mental disorder and was unable to work, but she stated that she was consistently searching for jobs to get her family out of their situation.
Hard-luck stories I can understand, as my family history is rife with it. What I can’t understand is how a couple with ample access to free (or close to free) birth control options (and no religious objections to the concept of pre/post-conception birth control) could make the decision to continue having children when neither are in paid employment, when they’re in serious financial trouble, and when they have no roof over their heads.
Three years ago they had sold their home. Months later, she conceived her third son. A year ago, she had her fourth child. During that entire time, the entire family was homeless and jobless, with the situation destined to get progressively worse as they have more mouths to feed and less time to commit to finding a permanent job. How can anyone with any sort of conscience bring a child into the world when they can’t even put a roof over their own head?
I’m the last person to suggest that every child should be given the silver spoon treatment, but I do believe that there are certain material basics that a potential parent should be able to provide before actively bringing a child into the world:
- Adequate shelter (a rented, or owned home in reasonably good nick. The child needn’t necessarily have a room of their own, so the living area needn’t be enormous, as long as it’s hygenic.)
- Adequate nutrition (at least five serves of veggies a day, as well as requisite dairy, etc.)
- Adequate clothing (to keep warm/cool at appropriate times – kids clothing is inexpensive if you shop second-hand)
- Adequate access to public services (schooling/education, healthcare, etc)
If you can’t provide these material basics, then you really shouldn’t be actively conceiving children. Get your own life sorted before you drag any additional dependents into the situation.
15 Responses to Homeless Birth Averages
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Don’t quote me on this one, but I think people who birth heaps of kids and who are in a lower socio-economic bracket, also tend to start having kids when they’re young, I’m guessing around their mid-late teens.
If that’s true, you have to factor in immaturity into the equation. It might seem like the most obvious thing in the world to a mature person to take birth control but maybe not when you’re a not very smart teen. I think many of these people have children for very selfish and IMO inane reasons. Rather than thinking about kids as a huge responsibility, they might be focusing on how “cute” babies are, how fun it would be to dress them up and buy them things, how they (ironically) would appear more mature with a child, how they’ll get unconditional love from another human being, presumably. It might also be an influence if people around them have kids early too.
It’s an interesting topic to look into, but I definitely think there’s some correlations going on that goes beyond having a conscience about having kids.
Belinda on November 17, 2008 #
A friend of mine went to school, where girls started getting pregnant around 5th form. Apparently it’s all down to laziness- they can’t be bothered with birth-control or damage-control.
Also, in some cultures it comes down to the parents thinking that more kids = more hands = more income in the future.
I don’t agree with either, but they may be possible reasons behind the constant conceiving.
Bee on November 17, 2008 #
I think when your situation is shit and you have no hope for your life, having a child that will love you unconditionally for the first few years of its life probably seems like a good thing to do.
Plus, certainly over here, your benefits increase as you pop out more sprogs.
Personally don’t understand it, and those 2 ^ are just theories. :|
Jem on November 17, 2008 #
I would assume things like the baby bonus would play a role, as well as the unconditional love as others have said.
Also, if you were a charity with a shelter, would you offer a place to a woman with four children or a woman who is by herself? Having children opens lots of doors for someone who feels like they have no options. It’s very sad.
Sometimes I wish there was a test that one must pass before they can breed…
Alexandra on November 17, 2008 #
“I think when your situation is shit and you have no hope for your life, having a child that will love you unconditionally for the first few years of its life probably seems like a good thing to do.”
According to what I have studied, this is completely true.
People with low incomes and no/little education seek Children in order to fulfill a need.
The study material I had to read said that they see children as a property, as something they have and love. And possibly as something that will bring money into the house.
Nathan on November 17, 2008 #
They’re brainwashed into not thinking about the fact that children = something more to spend money on. And, after all, who would keep the population stable, if the smart people keep using birth control? ;)
Okay, for seriousness, see everyone else’s answer… but I still think they’re brainwashed.
Stephanie on November 18, 2008 #
“If you can’t provide these material basics, then you really shouldn’t be actively conceiving children. Get your own life sorted before you drag any additional dependents into the situation.”
Agreed, agreed, and agreed. That’s always something I never understood. I mean, if you aren’t financially stable or capable enough to provide for a child’s needs, why on earth would you go off and conceive?
My stepdad’s brother and sister-in-law from the Philippines are both currently unemployed. They have seven kids, and have another one on the way. They wanted us to adopt the latest one once he is born, because they said there’s no way they could afford to feed another child. Umm, yeah. Again, why, why, why would anyone want to conceive a child, when they know they can’t afford it?
(Clearly, my parents said no on the adoption thing. Something about me being enough and being too much to handle as it is :P).
Allee on November 18, 2008 #
Additional benefit payments for each child may have a role.
Maybe there is nothing else in life for them though, I come from a relatively small town and it seems like any girl that doesn’t either move to the city for University or a job, ends up pregnant often in their teens.
Intelligence or lack of it may come into it aswell.
iago on November 18, 2008 #
This frustrates me so much. Especially with the global population already booming, why must you contribute unnecessarily to it? It’s not helping anyone.
Shen-Shen Wu on November 18, 2008 #
Have you seen Idiocracy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1sE1E3z7jU
I agree with Belinda about how many of these people from the lower socioeconomic classes who get pregnant do so at a very early age. They often start having sex at such an early age that by the time sex education is introduced to them, it’s often too late (okay, I’m generalizing based on what I’ve seen).
Felisa on November 18, 2008 #
There isn’t any good reason. This is something I’ve been wondering for awhile and I can’t come up with one solid bit of reason as to why.
Maybe people are just dumb. I made a post about this awhile back, about the carrying capacity of the earth and how Earth can’t support this many people for too much longer.
Rebee on November 18, 2008 #
On the tack of having children in the mid-late teens, one must consider the socioeconomic status and the role of parents in the teen’s life. Understanding that teens of ALL statuses make mistakes, the proportion of young, out-of-wedlock births is definitely higher in the working to lower SECs.
Parents of lower classes tend to be very authoritative (rather than authoritarian) in their approach to child-rearing. They are the boss, the children are under their command, they are raised to be respectable people who follow orders and keep their nose clean, and any toe out of line with be either metaphorically or literally cut off.
As a teenager, some kids feel as though they just have had E-N-O-U-G-H of their parents, feel as though they’ve had enough life experience, and feel ready to assume the responsibilities of adult life, get out from under their parents, and assert some of their own control. And what better way to get out from under parents, and assert the same power they held over you, than becoming one?
I know that all sounds pretty weird, and most would chalk teen pregnancy to a “dumb mistake,” but there is sociological research on this topic, and coming from a poor and rural area, I’ve actually seen this exact scenario play out.
Stephanie on November 18, 2008 #
I really don’t know why some people do what they do. I can only speculate. I have heard instances (at least here in the US) that once people are on welfare they have more children so they can get more money.
I would imagine then that if they are doing that they probably aren’t using the money wisely
Veronica on November 18, 2008 #
I agree wholeheartedly–I mean, to me it seems like it goes without saying. But people REALLY don’t react well to being told that they can’t/shouldn’t have children, even if it’s against common sense.
Jordie on November 19, 2008 #
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