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Do parents foist their choice to have children on others?
Having a child is a choice that we shouldn’t foist on others. However, that empathy needs to be reciprocated
Being a parent is typically a choice. Even with an unplanned pregnancy, there’s still a choice in the decision to embrace parenthood. That choice is ours as parents and it’s a personal one at that. Insofar as reasonable, our decision to have children therefore shouldn’t be put upon others.
Even as a parent myself, there are instances where I feel parents need to respect that not everyone wants to be impacted by their child. If I’ve gone to an upscale restaurant, that might be a rare date night or a meal with friends or family. I don’t want my meal punctuated by screaming children running around me because their parents didn’t acknowledge it wasn’t a family friendly setting or, more likely, just didn’t care. It isn’t just restaurants either. I can list many places, that clearly aren’t intended for children, where I sympathise with those who feel they should be child-free zones.
Unfortunately, there are some parents who remain nonchalant to this. Yet parents need to have empathy for others without undue restricting of their children being allowed to be children. Conversely, that also needs to be reciprocated by those who aren’t parents.
