parenting license
By mejluvya
@mejluvya (213)
United States
July 12, 2007 8:41am CST
Do you think parenting should require a license? I mean you cannot drive a car until you take a class and pass a written and driving test as well as an eye exam. But there are no requirements to take care of another human life? Do you think if we were required to pass a test and get a license to be a parent, would it change the way the world is today? Would it lower the crime rate?Make it less populated? What are your opinions?
3 people like this
11 responses
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
13 Jul 07
I agree. It would be great... and it would change the world for the better.
However it is impossible. Parenting is a 24/7 job which cannot be learned in a classroom. Parenting is an integral part of your life. The mistakes occurs according to your moods and your everyday problems. That's how your kids learn to become like you. They watch your every move... and whatever you do... they believe that if you do it... it must be the right thing to do... even if it is totally wrong.
Kids learn right from wrong from their parents... and if the parents are wrong to start with... the kids think that wrong is right.
Furthermore... how do you tell a pregnant woman that she needs a license if she want to have her kid...
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
13 Jul 07
Life is not that simple.
There is still a very large portion of women, married or not, who fall pregnant by accident.
I asked my mother recently why she did had 5 children. She replied that we were all "accidents". I was not impressed.
Your license would only work for those people who are planning to have children. And those who plan it are usually responsible parents.
If you could control women from getting pregnant... you would see the birth rate falling dramatically... even without a license. And that would be a great thing to control our world population... which is growing at an alarming rate.
1 person likes this
@mejluvya (213)
• United States
14 Jul 07
You are so very right about our growing population. And although I would never call my children accidents, I was on birth control when I became pregnant with my second and third son. Two different types of birth control in fact. After my first son was born I started taking the pill, but became pregnant, and after my second son was born I started recieving the depo-provera shot, but became pregnant again. So I do agree that alot of the times a woman gets pregnant that it may not have been planned.
@mejluvya (213)
• United States
13 Jul 07
That is a good question. What if you told the pregnant woman before she got pregnant? would she still try or say the heck with it? You are right kids do learn right from wrong from their parents but not every kid turns out like their parents though. Also everyone's focusing on mom's but what about the dad's? Shouldn't they be required to at least pass a parenting class before they have kids?
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
12 Jul 07
I think it would be good to require people to pass a test to become a parent. But even in doing that, I'm sure that there would still be some idiots that shouldn't have kids that would pass the test. Just like there are idiots out on the road that shouldn't have a license. I think it would probably affect the population some. And it might even lower the crime rate some, because less kids would be coming from broken homes or abusive parents. I just wonder if they could make the test show potential abusers or molesters.
@roniroxas (10559)
• Philippines
13 Jul 07
this is not applicable to everybody. my sister is married for 6 years already and if she would take that what you so called license she will really pass with flying colors. but what if they pass but couldnt bear a child? then the license has no use. being a parent cant be based on license just like driving. it takes years to be a good parent and experience as well.
@mejluvya (213)
• United States
13 Jul 07
You're right, it does take years to become a good parent and figure out what works and what doesn't and I think it is really sad that there are people who really want to have children and can't, people who would probably be great parents, but then there are people who have babies and don't even care about them.
@mikeyr6000le (2123)
• United States
13 Jul 07
Yes, yes,yes, many times over YES. People need that, it would not only benifit the adults but would help the would be kids when they are born.
1 person likes this
@meljessxena (2315)
• Australia
13 Jul 07
i think just for education wise, a course should be done even if its just for about 4 nights in total giving the parents information about how bring children up etc, because some people just have no idea.
1 person likes this
@monkeywriter (2004)
• United States
13 Jul 07
YES I DO! My parents raised me and my sister wrong. They are not great parents at all. We truly think they should have never married, either of them. And defantly not had kids. Not physical abuse but verbal affected us both. It scares me for future things for me, for her. Marriage hasnt happened for either of us. I fear sometimes but trust God for this still. For getting married and having kids. I dont want my kids to be around my parents. Constant mood swings and such. Defantly not normal and such. Its how they are, and their parents were too. I hate it. I wish they wouldnt have had kids. I wish we had different parents. Gods helping to heal me but still its not easy. So a license? GREAT IDEA!
1 person likes this
@mejluvya (213)
• United States
13 Jul 07
I'm sorry that you and your sister had to go through that. You can ask God to help you heal for the rest of your life but healing always starts with forgiveness. You have to find a way to forgive your parents and believe me it's not easy. Thank you so much for your input. The idea seems split between people, it seems that those who had difficult childhoods are totally for a parenting license and those who had good parents are not. And I'll bet those parents who where good and attentive and caring, I'll bet any amount of money that they read books and took classes.
@Gemmygirl1 (2867)
• Australia
12 Jul 07
I don't think sitting a test would do anything but make people feel like they have no rights.
Think of it this way, the test & information you would be given would be on someone elses way of raising a child & as a parent, you like to know you're doing things the way you want them, not the way someone else wants them to be done.
What if you don't agree with the raising techniques being taught in the test?
It just seems like it's a bit much & taking things a little bit far when it comes to raising children.
Maybe in other countries it would work but here in Oz i think it would be a pretty pointless exercise. I also don't think i would go, coz in the test i would answer the questions baased on what i thought was right & would be marked on what someone else thinks is right so i would fail unless i agreed on everything the test writer did.
Maybe it's just best to leave things the way they are, everyone raises kids differently & i think every parent has the right to raise their kids as they see fit not the way someone else sees it as being right!
1 person likes this
@Gemmygirl1 (2867)
• Australia
12 Jul 07
I just wanna add that the reason you need a license to drive a car is because a car is a very large piece of machinery - if you put just anyone behind the wheel you could have some SERIOUS accidents but if you give just anyone a child - you'll find there will be some surprisingly good parents :)
Just because they don't have experience yet doesn't mean they'll do things wrong! It just means you need to try harder to get better :)
1 person likes this
@mejluvya (213)
• United States
12 Jul 07
you have some very good points. The thought actually popped into my head after reading the article rlfinnash posted about the child being left in the car and dying of heat stroke. I hear about something like that happening at least once a year. An accident is one thing very unfortunate and usually unavoidable hence the reason why it's called an accident. But something like that is just blatant irresponsibility. I do agree with you about the test part, that you would be answering questions based on the way you would parent but being judged by someone else who may think totally different. Thank you
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
12 Jul 07
As much as the thought of it is a fairly good one, the problem is, who would decide the passing and failing...By who's standards would a potential parent "pass" and get their license ya know.....My parenting style is VERY different to many parents out there and many parents have issues with how i parent my kids ONLY BECAUSE its not the "norm"...but the fact of the matter is, it works beautifully for the kids and I and they are growing up to be pretty damn great kids...So if I were to take some sort of licensing test, what are the chances that my responses wouldnt be considered acceptable simply becuase i dont follow or believe as the masses do ya know....Also how would the test graders know whether or not a person is answering honestly ya know..
in theory it works but in reality its just not doable IMO
1 person likes this
@Foxxee (3651)
• United States
13 Jul 07
I don't think it would change a thing.
Do you think making someone have a license to parent will make someone a better parent?
Does it make someone a better driver when they have a license? No, you still see crazy drivers around, all over. So I don't think it would do much of a change. I'm pretty sure you will still see bad parents or whatever, even if parents had to have a license to parent a child.
I don't think it will ever happen.
Just my opinion.
1 person likes this
@victoria_trix (59)
• United States
12 Jul 07
I think that there should be some kind of requirement about parenting. Maybe require parents to take parenting classes after the birth of their baby or while they are pregnant. I know when I had my first child I was totally lost with things and now that they are older I still find sometimes I have no idea what to do. They don't give out a handbook for these little critters (hehe) and I do think they should!
1 person likes this
@mejluvya (213)
• United States
13 Jul 07
I think so also. Like alot of people who have commented on this discussion, I agree that there is no ONE way to raise a child. In fact every parenting magazine that I read when I was pregnant with my first child, they all said different things. But if you have some idea of what you're getting into it helps. Parenting classes should definitely be a requirement for new expecting parents.
@carltonsmom (1)
• United States
13 Jul 07
I believe that all new parents should take some kind of parenting course to help them understand children. A license is a little over the top. Every parent makes mistakes, that is part of life. All you can do is do your best raising your children and hope they grow up being good people.
