having children ... NOT

The other side of the coin ... or, perhaps rather, the point at which heads and tails intermingle and wonder is no longer a bright and shining star but rather a dust storm with bright spots or a bit of wheat within the undeniable chaff. Having children is, if you listen to the whispers, a "blessing" that, ipso facto, cannot be gainsaid in social settings. There is no room for "but," and yet any parent who has taken the trouble to be a parent has slammed into the "but" wall. Rituals shudder where "buts" assert themselves. And yet, without the "buts," how honest could anything be? Is ritual more important than honesty? I don't know.

French author Corinne Maier has two children but can't wait for the youngest to leave home, saying they have left her "exhausted and bankrupt".

Her attack on "idealising parenthood" struck a chord with many mothers and fathers around the world. Here are some of their comments - followed by the responses from others who completely disagreed.

Perhaps some TED talker will come up with an oleaginous, one-size-fits-all approach to all this, but I have a feeling that the bottom line is simply learning to live with the I-don't-knows. Good, bad, having kids, not having kids ... it's nice to air the laundry, I think.

PS. And associatively there is a study:

The regular use of Caesarean sections is having an impact on human evolution, say scientists.

More mothers now need surgery to deliver a baby due to their narrow pelvis size, according to a study.
Researchers estimate cases where the baby cannot fit down the birth canal have increased from 30 in 1,000 in the 1960s to 36 in 1,000 births today.