Should there be a test or course that a person must pass before they can become a parent?
Must Pass
Yes, there should be a test or course that a person must pass before they can become a parent. So many young parents now days are not prepared for the stress that comes with having a child. Their lives change so quickly and they go from having a lot of freedom to having their days and nights spent caring for the demands of a new infant. There are so many stories in the news any more about infants and toddlers being abused, some dying. Prospective and new parents should be required to go through a parenting course where a life-like crying doll goes home with them for a week. The doll’s body would record the date and time for any slapping, hitting, or shaking, which would result in failing and having to repeat the course.
Posted by: AnonymousYes and no.
Checks on criminal records and psychological exams for things such as (Dementia, schizophrenia, etc..) Or anything that can lead to the parent being harmful to the child should be required. But nothing based on personality, intelligence or anything regarding personal behavior, which would be completely biased on unfair to those who are part of the minority in society.
Posted by: imnota4These children are the future.
Every nation is made up of it's citizens. From the rich down to the poor. Having education, an organized test, or courses for adults to pass before having the responsibility of a child could enhance many of the harsh rates we have among the first world countries. It is true, humans have the natural right to procreate, but now that procreation really isn't an issue and most of the time is unwanted, why not regulate it and have well raised children? The courses could focus on money management, time management, and necessary child needs. They should be preparing the soon to be parents (both spouses, not just the "mother) on what is to come, from social issues to diaper changing. With this, many harmful influences during childhood and infancy could be avoided. There have been researches that child neglect and abuse have been rooted to criminals; almost every criminal in prison has suffered from one of the two, or others involving early life abuse. Driving is a responsibility, a job is a responsibility, and a person's life is a HUGE responsibility and should be taken very seriously. Parents who can not reproduce and have to go through adoption get tested, why not actual parents?
Posted by: AnonymousThere definitely should be.
Because we are having more and more teen pregnancies, they need to be educated. There's nothing worse than a parent not knowing what to do with their child. It's also reassuring that you are able to have a course to learn. There are so many cases of abuse etc. I'd love to see courses. It may start a new idea about children. No more tiger moms who just treat their children like money makers who need to do well in school, or pets that were just an 'accident'. Family might just become a happier place to be in now.
Posted by: Anonymous
Did Your Parents Have To Pass A Test?
Our parents before us didn't have to pass a test, and yet the majority of human beings are good willed and can make sound decisions. Our different circumstances in life, our different points of view on how a child should be parented make us who we are. Having a child is a personal decision that should remain between a mother and their child. Having to pass a class to become a parent is like having to pass a course to be a woman or a man - it's unnatural.
What needs to be done is follow up. New parents should be given support and followups to make sure that children are safe and taken care of.
There are options like adoption for unplanned pregnancies in most countries.
You can not tackle the problem of mistreated children by restricting who can and can not have kids. There's a whole cycle out there fueled by war and poverty. Tackle the cycle as a whole.
Besides, who gets to make this test? Who gets to decide who's fit to procreate? How do we know the tests won't be misused to get rid of what supremacists think are "accident races".
Sometimes a child from a not so great background grows up to be a person who has the hindsight to change the world.
Give humanity a chance.Posted by: ShushNo, there is no way to have a test fair and complete enough to make such decisions.
In the US, we can barely agree on what to teach kids in school and how testing should be applied to see if a student should graduate high school. How could we ever hope to have a test that is objective, balanced and complete enough to measure if a person is suitable to be a parent.
Posted by: Anonymous