The Joys of Parenthood Reconsidered

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In “The Joys of Parenthood Reconsidered,” Simon talks about how parents go through depression more than childless adults do. Society in America believes that an adult cannot be happy unless they eventually have children because it creates a purpose to life. Men and women are now having children at older ages but the majority (eighty percent) of adults are eventually having kids. We encourage people who cannot have children to go through in vitro fertilization or to adopt, but why do they need to have a child? Can’t they be happy without any children? Studies show that adults living with young children experience more negative emotions like depression, anxiety, anger, etc., than adults do that do not live with young children. “Parents' other social statuses - particularly their marital, employment, and socioeconomic status - influence the association between parenthood and mental health (page 43).” I feel like that is an obvious thing – obviously a single parent, parents with lower education and household income, and unemployed parents will report higher levels of depression because society makes them feel they are not fit to be a parent or they are not doing it the right way. Stress is a big result in having children – mostly because of the high financial cost of raising children. Also, dealing with parenthood and paid work outside the home adds to the stress. Martin notes that sociologists have found that heterosexism and homophobia have been social problems in America as well as heteronormativity. Parents teach their children to understand themselves through the heteronormative big picture. As we have learned before, heterosexuality is socially constructed as well as hegemonic. Many gay, lesbian, and bisexual identities start from early temperament or distinctive desires. The big question that Martin faces is how are certain sexual and romantic relationships

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