Parenting License

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well he's not comatose!

[OzzyKP]

Thank God for that.

[:) Smiley]

Originally posted by rah
Since too many people would go extreme if something like this was required, there's no way you could do it.

But having free access to HIGHLY recommended classes at junior colleges would probably help a lot of people and their children. But I doubt it would have any affect on crack mamas and other such low lifes like that drunk woman.

I had a nine-week class in high school on parenting, and I'd say it does do something to dissuade people from having kids.

Implementation of a licensing plan would need to go with a comprehensive social services agenda.

Perhaps a compromise could also be made of licensing required until a certain age.

[Theben]

Sorry, I voted after reading the "young & stupid" part. What was this about?

[Theben]

Originally posted by General Ludd
I'm not the one with a kid.

Don't think for a moment we're not grateful.

[Mrs. Tuberski]

For every one in here you guys do know that kids do not come with a book of instructions right??? Parenting is a learnign experinence you never stop truing to figure out what is best for the kids and you. For any one who thinks different well i have to ask how many kids do you have

[JohnT]

One.

[Mrs. Tuberski]

For all of you guys that have kids you know that what is to come has not been written yet. especially if the kiddo is a baby. You as a parent learn with the kids.
my oldest is 14 and good lord I am still learning.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I'm curious to know what you imagine the licensing process would be...

I can think of two kinds of licenses: knowledge-dependent ones (like a real estate licese) and knowledge+skills -based ones (like a drivers license). The latter would be impossible; you can't practice parenting the way you practice driving. And as for the former...well, some of the worst parents I know are the ones who think that reading about child rearing actually prepares you for it.

[:) Smiley]

It could be structured like the architects' license - 3 years of internship.

[Spiffor]

I have actually spent some time thinking about it. And the conclusion of my reflection was that the idea was pure crap.

1. The permit-holding parents won't compensate for the demographic loss. It's not like they'll make any more children than they do already.
Basically, such a permit boils down to a division of labour where some women get pregnant, while others don't. It's absurd from a demographic point of view, and it's absurd from an economic point of view: indeed, the ones most likely to get the permit are middle and upper classes (the lower classes are the ones who suffer the nost from the problems associated with bad parenting), and these middle-upper classes are precisely the ones whose time is most precious, whose pregangncy have the highest opportunity costs.
Trusting these classes to do the reproducive work is completely unsound.

2. Since the pre-industrial and industrial times, there has been a shift, and parenting has gotten much better. While absolute poverty, ignorance, alcoholism, exploited children were common in those times, it is now much rarer. As our societies grow more and more modern, it's likely that the "old" problems of bad parenting will become increasingly rare.
The "new" problems of bad parenting (extreme lack of discipline for example) will come from educational methods, and that can be adressed fairly easily with good parenting courses. As we are in a society where most young parents think of the interest of their child first (the picture was immensely different one or two centuries ago), a good pedagogy should have a significant effect.

3. Last but not least. No matter if you think that reproduciton is a priviledge, most people consider it a right. Everybody would go mental after being sterilised because they failed some test designed by an academic.
I'm surprised that so many people here aren't outraged at the idea that the government can decide for you on such a dramatic part of your individuality. Yanks are supposed to want the government off their backs...