Speaking of Children : Summary and Questions and Answers

 

Speaking of Children

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Short Introduction of the essay :

This essay is related with population education. It expresses the writer's view that it is better to have only one child, rather than to have several children. When there is only one child, the parents can keep them in control and teach many good things, It is like brainwash.

 But if there are plural children in a family, they start controlling parents. Out of many problems of plural children family, one is that the parents do not  have enough privacy. They don't have enough time to talk to each other. When the author tries to talk to her husband, they are always disturbed by their children. This makes it difficult for them to have a proper understanding between them.

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Summary:

( Question: Does this essay speak in favour or against having many children ? Give reasons.)

The writer of this essay is certainly speaking against plural children family. One child is like an appendage. When there is only one child in a family, it is outnumbered by parents. In other words, parents can control the child very easily.

 But with more than one child, children start controlling the parents. To make it more clear, if there are plural children in a family, they give a lot of problems and troubles to the parents. In this way there is an anti culture there. 

That's not the only point. There are many other advantages of a single child. First of all, parents can brain wash a single child. They can teach the child different good things including a good discipline and manner.

Parents can provide for many things to the child. They can buy many different types of things including clothes, toys etc. which they want for their child.

With two or more children there are always many problems. Rooms are always dirty with their toys, books and other such things thrown and scattered all over the rooms.

 It becomes almost impossible for parents to try the telephone. The telephone is always engaged by the children.  The key boards of the telephone and the piano are always dirty. 

With only child one may very comfortably attend different parties. They can make short holiday programs and and so on. But with plural children such things are impossible. 

Year by year parents are pushed backwards from they lives to theirs'. They can only manage some time for themselves or for their own, only after giving time to the children.

But the most important point is that with plural children there remains almost no privacy between the wife and the husband. They don't get enough time or chance to talk to each other. 

For example, when the writer tries to speak to her husband, or when she wants to be alone with him, she can not do so because they are always interrupted by their children. So now-a-days they telephone each other from their offices. 

When we compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of one child family and plural children family, there is no doubt that there should be only one child in a family. The writer also advocates for one child family.

(A Happy Single Child Family)

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Some important questions and Answers

Question 1: Summarize the main idea of the essay in one paragraph.

Answer:  This essay is related with population education. Here we find the writer giving us the message that there should be only one child in a family. In comparison to plural children family, single child family is always preferable. A single child is never a burden to its parents. It can be reared comfortably and in a better way. With one child the wife and the husband are still free . They can even manage some time for their privacy. Plurality of children, however, is altogether undesirable. It is a constant source of irritation. It is a complete anarchy and a counter culture in family. In such a family parents' personal life is pushed backwards year by year. Thus by giving the advantages of a single child family and the disadvantages of plural children family, the writer wants to say that we should limit our families to a single child.

Question 2: Write an essay on the Position of Women in your society.

Answer : The position of women in our society is very poor and miserable. Mostly people don't like to have a female child at all. They take it to be not less than a curse to have a female child. 

While rearing up children too, parents maintain a double standard. Girls either don't get get chance or get only few chances to go to schools for education. They are supposed to look after the kitchen and run such other errands. 

[Mostly female children are supposed to run errands in the kitchen]

 But male children are given the best food, best clothing and ample chances to read and study. Later as they grow up, female children are kept under strict supervision. They are not allowed any freedom. All the ethical principles are strictly imposed upon them them.

'Girls are other people's property, they have to go one day', is the general conception deeply rooted in the hearts of parents. Though it simply refers to their marriage, but it makes a great difference. Although unconsciously, the conception never lets the parents to own or accept daughters to be someone of their own.

After marriage, too, their situation does not improve. The domineering influence of the husbands and the strict control of the in-laws always follow them. In this way they never become free. Their whole life goes in making their in laws pleased. 

They have no voice at all in any decision making in familial or even in some cases in personal matters too.

In theory our society pays a great respect to women. Women are worshiped on many occasions. But in practice, the position of women is very miserable. 

But now with the spread of education we find that their position is improving. Now we find that the position of women in urban areas has improved a lot. But still in the rural areas we find their position has not much improved. 

Good thing is that even in such areas also people are getting more and more educated and their views about women is changing. Instead of sending female children to kitchen, they have started to send them to schools.

 In this way the position of women will improve still much more in rural areas too.

Question 3: Argue why child spacing may be important for a happy family.

Answer: 

[Birth Spacing is Important]

Child spacing (also known as Birth Spacing) is duration of time between the birth of two children. We can also call it birth interval. 

Previously people didn't use to pay much attention to it, but now they have started to pay attention to it more and more. It is very important for mother, child, and the whole family. 

Research has shown it that a lady's body doesn't become ready for next pregnancy before eighteen or nineteen months of first delivery. If she becomes pregnant before that period, there are high mortality risk both for mothers and new born babies. 

Child spacing gives opportunities for moms to take care of her babies. She has more time to spend with the child, and child gets more attention from mother. Families have more time to bond with each child.

This also helps the family from the economic point of view. Family can have less financial stress. This gives an economic and emotional security to the family. 

Another aspect of child spacing is parents can have more time for each other. They can manage to have some private time to chat with and to share problems and experiences.

"It is easy to add, but difficult to maintain."

In this way child spacing is beneficial for every side.

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