Friday 25 September 2015

Should elderly people become parents?

In today's society more and more women in their 40s, 50s or even 60s are choosing to give birth to a child. Is this a positive direction for society to be moving in? Some, believe that is pleasure to have a child and does not play an important role how old someone is. However, on the other hand there are a lot of people who believe that elderly people cannot face up to the task of rearing a child. A closer look shows that there are both positive and negative aspects to consider.

On one hand, few would dispute that mature parents can offer the child special advantages. Since they are older and mature, they can take cautious decisions and be well-prepared and well-read before bringing up a child. Being responsible and disciplined enables them to be role models for the child  that the latter can live up to. Having been in difficult situations, the elderly know more about life and they are sage, so the child will pick up their brains and be motivated. Moreover, they will also be financially secure. Thay will be able to pay for the child's extracurricular activities, foreign languages and all the private lessons. Furthermore, they have a lot of time, so they could be committed to the child.

They are also significant disadvantages that have to be considered. To begin with, an elderly couple may not have the considerable amount of energy that is needed for proper upbringing. For example they must get up often at night and play with their son or daughter as much as they can. Problems may also stem from bullying. With an elderly couple for parents, the child may be mocked or daunted by peers. This situation might lead to psychological problems such as dipression, isolation or even rebellion. Of course, the huge generation gap that will exist needs to be pointed out. Not only this will result in lack of communication, but also it will be difficult for the child to bond with the family. Finally, parents may suffer from social judgement or perish shortly and leave the child an orphan.

On balance, I believe the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Elderly parents may be more wise and disciplined, but they must not forget the psychological problems their children might face and the lack of communication between them.


1 comment:

  1. Congratulations to both Eva and Marina on their wonderful post!!! The boys' team must do something really fast, hehe!

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