This week you get a choice of either option A or B. Make sure you review the revised grading rubric before you post or reply.
Option A: The Choice to Have a Child – A Preview of the Pros and Cons of Parenting
“You saw earlier that there are benefits and costs in having children. The same is true in raising them: “Parenting varies, being enormously satisfying and seemingly easy at times as well as confounding, difficult, and burdensome at other times” . Many parents are happier when taking care of their children than during 15 other common daily activities such as watching TV, cooking, working, and socializing with friends . Parenting, however, does not come naturally. It’s neither instinctive nor innate. Especially with a first child, most of us muddle through by trial and error. Advice on the physical care of a baby can be valuable, but there’s no template that ensures a parent’s smooth passage to parenthood. Transitions, like having a child, involve stress and strain, in addition to joy and excitement.”
Benokraitis, N. V., & Buehler, C. (2018). Marriages and Families (9th ed.). Pearson Education (US). https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9780134736143
Post: Based on your experience and research, how would you explain the joys and tribulations of having a child with a couple who is thinking about having a child or even a second child? Provide a balanced description of what new parents can expect with the birth of a child or second child and the expanded role of parenting. Provide trend data on what many parents experience .
