What is your biggest long-range concern for your child(ren)?
"I think `fixing' the world in which we're raising our kids. Sometimes it all seems overwhelming, but if everybody does just a little bit, it all helps. Like using cloth diapers instead of disposables, seems maybe insignificant, but it all adds up in the long run."
"Education! With the way our schools are teaching children today, I wonder if they learn anything. Everyone says that the children are our future. But no one wants to pay for it. Why cut teaching jobs instead of administrative."
"My biggest worry is that I may not be there to raise my children myself (accident, illness, etc.) I am also concerned about the condition of our planet, and how we will leave it to our children and their children. That is why I do everything I can to help, one just being this diaper service."
"I want my daughter to grow up as a compassionate person. I want her to understand the people of the world - rich and poor, all colors and cultures, men and women, young and old - are basically the same and all have dignity and worth. I want her to see the world as a whole."
"To always be able to talk and keep a great relationship with my kids. I hope they will always feel comfortable and be able to discuss and ask questions about important subjects such as sex, AIDS, drugs, etc. I want them to always know how much they are loved."
"The environment concerns me. I hope and pray my grandchildren will have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe. We all need to work on recycling and stop toxic pollutants. Because once it's gone, we can never get it back."
"That my son isn't one of the statistics (children stolen, molested, killed...). That he has the time to grow, experience life and enjoy it - and hopefully, give me grandchildren."
"Naturally I hope they will have a clean and safe environment to live in. So hopefully, we as parents will set an example by respecting
`Mother Earth' and help to clean it up."
"That he will be happy and safe. I feel very stressed by the increase in crime and violence
in our country and the increasing assault on our environment. If things continue at this rate it will be difficult for most people to live happy and comfortable lives."
"Certainly the condition of the world and our future as a civilization concerns me in this nuclear age. But for my child, personally, I want to raise her to realize her potential, to be strong, independent, loving and happy."
"That she go for her dreams. And they get everything they can out of life."
"Well, I'm an older parent (40) so I'm worried about my being here when he needs me. If not, I'd like to know that he is financially secure, has a safe environment to live in and has the knowledge to better himself and help others should the need arise."
"That they see goodness as being the most valuable thing in life. That is; that they see being forgiving, kind, honest and loving as being more important than money, popularity, etc."
"Being forced to grow up too fast in this busy world of ours. I'd like her to be able to play and have that carefree childhood I had and all children deserve. Drugs and health are also concerns I have."
"Worrying about what the next life crisis will be."
"Education. Society is changing so fast that just a basic family foundation is not going to be enough. Adapting to new ways and facing job layoffs and closures will effect the next generation."
"That I can instill in them (by example) the ability to think on their own and establish a healthy outlook and be able to talk to me about things that bother them or that make them happy - or anything."
"Their safety in this crazy world. I hate to be afraid to let them out of my sight and to have to teach them to not trust people."
"My concern it that when they reach teenage years that they will be able to confide in me and we'll have a mutual trust and love. The teens are hard years and I want them to know I'm there for them. So we need a good relationship now and hope it continues."
"Their own happiness no matter what they choose to do."
"Safety. It concerns me that there are `Inhuman' beings that take advantage of and threaten children."
"Right now, to teach them the skills to keep them safe, to build a very positive self-esteem in each one that will not allow anyone or anything to harm them. My greatest hope is that some day, we can return to more innocent times where children are safe from drugs and potential molesters or abusers. But for now I do a delicate dance between trying to maintain some innocence in them and yet give them the power to assess situations and help themselves."
"Keeping him safe from drugs and social problems. He's going to have to deal with AIDS and crack addicted peers being born right now."
"To have the opportunity to discover who she is and what she wants to do with her life. To live as a well adjusted person who can think for herself and accomplish her goals."
"That they grow up competent, self-assured, strong in believing and standing up for what is wrong and right. I think it will take these qualities to overcome the negative pressures from drugs and to have concern for the world and for people around them."
"Our Earth! Will we have enough resources and beauty for them to enjoy? I believe every day is Earth Day!"
"I want them to have wonderful self-esteem and the notion that they can do anything they want to. I hope we can give them that."
"Adequate schooling. With current public school financial/administrative problems, will my children receive a good education?"
"That they find fulfilling interests and satisfying relationships. Also, I hope that we haven't destroyed this planet with war and pollution."
"Helping them develop a sense of self that is strong and clear about what is best for them yet also a balance of sensitivity to other people who are affected by their decisions and actions."
"Drugs. I wish they never existed."
"The world that we are leaving them. It is going downhill fast and it scares us that the crime and morals and pollution are getting worse."
"Being happy with who they are and responsible for the choices they make."
"I am concerned about sending my children to school, with the drug problems. I also worry about them being around undisciplined children."
"Because society says that morals and values are personal, it's going to cause problems for my children, who are being raised with Christian perspectives (Lutheran, not fanatical). when they reach their high school age, they will be in the minority. Many things which society sees as `gray' with no right or wrong, (yet leaning heavily toward wrong) will be black and white for us and thus set them up for ridicule. Can I help them build the strength to withstand this?"
"Besides the hope he doesn't become a criminal. The environment, and what the world is going to be like in 20 years. Also the cost of education, college tuition is getting outrageous. The way we treat him now is going to matter a hundred years from now, so we are giving him all the love and patience we can in preparation for the future."
"The world working together and not destroying it with their foolish weapons."
"My biggest long range concern for my child is hoping that he will be able to find his way in our polluted and corrupt world. I hope to raise him to appreciated beauty and not to live excessively and to be part of the solution to the many overwhelming problems of the world."
"I'm concerned about her education. I dropped out of school at 17, got my GED at 19 (when I was pregnant) and now (at 21) am getting into college. I hope I can find ways to make learning fun for her and to always be there for her school plays or concerts. I don't want her to give up her education, because I'm learning now how very important it is!"
"I try and just take one day at a time but I guess It would have to be making sure she gets to do what she dreams of doing."
"I want them to be happy with their lives. I want all of us to be friends."
"That she has intelligence with good common sense. Knowledge means little without good judgement. As an example, I would not only want her to understand what pollution is, but also how it is caused and how we can prevent it."
"My long range concern for my children is that they go to school and learn what they are there to learn. That the teachers won't let them go through and not know how to read or write."
"To keep the communication open between us and keep it good as it is now. We want them to be comfortable to discuss any problems of any kind with us whenever they have them. This we feel will help keep them from getting involved in anything bad for them (drugs, etc.). We know they know and we want it to stay that way - that they are always comfortable talking to us and can always count on us."
"Their safety and happiness in this polluted world. War doesn't seem as prevalent as garbage. I hope we all can learn how to preserve what we have - before it's too late."
"The health of our planet."
"That I can maintain some sense of respect from my children as they grow. I hope I can instill all the positive virtues in his early life that I had in my childhood."
"Education and ecology. That they have the chances that are now slipping through our fingers like sand."
"That he'll know right from wrong and not just follow the in crowd because they're doing it."
"The environment. If we don't take care of our planet, what's the point, there won't be any people to worry about."
"Education. Today's public schools have me concerned. My husband and I are public school educated (kindergarten through grad school) and thus are firm believers in the system but when I see the large class sizes, lower expectations and the poor way teachers are treated, I'm frightened. The one thing I will insist on is the best education I can afford for both my kids."
"The growing disparity between the world's `have's' versus the `have not's'. Also, the perils of living in a society that doesn't really value children."
"My husband and I are really into environmental problems which is why we use cloth diapers. I worry about dirty water, air, holes in the ozone, too much trash, extinction of species, overcrowding, new diseases and increased crime. The American family needs to get back together again and to work on these world wide problems. People can start by recycling."
"Being able to afford college for me and now for my daughter."
"We are poisoning our earth. I worry that much of it cannot be reclaimed."
"Money!"
"That what we are doing now for our children will be positive in their eyes when they start meeting new friends and develiping their own values."
"Help them become positive and productive contributors to their world."
"What will happen to the child (and me) if something should happen to my husband and I (or just him)."
"Of course, the most obvious is `the environment'. I wish we would be a bit more conscious about the world we live in. It's the only one we have, (at least right now anyway) until we are forced off of it or die trying."
"The environment. I worry that by the time my children are grown, the world won't be such a beautiful place. I want them to have clean air and water. I want them to be able to see animals - not look at pictures of extinct ones. I want them to know there is more to life than shopping at the mall - that mindless consumerism is hurting our world."
"There are a lot of things any parent is concerned about such as drugs, the environment, war, college education, etc., but I guess the most important to me is that my child grow up believing in Jesus Christ our lord and savior and continue believing through out his life."
"Drugs and racism. We live in a major metro area and it's scary to think about what our 15 month old will encounter when entering school in a couple years."
"That's difficult because I get more caught up in the day to day struggles than the future. As odd as it may sound - I just want to make sure I'm alive for them, and that they remember me. A mommy friend of mine with twin 3 year old's and a 5 month old died very quickly of cancer this year. I want them to remember me, to have known me because they are so important to me. I don't want them to suffer the loss of their mother."
"Who's going to be there for our children's children? What will they (our children) do with their children? Where will they put them so the mothers can work outside of the home too? Institutions? Will we ever wake up and see the negative messages we are giving our children about motherhood (I'm just a stay-at-home mom, etc.)"
"Keeping communications open when the kids hit the teen and adult years. I have found a wonderful book called, HOW TO TALK SO KIDS WILL LISTEN AND LISTEN SO KIDS WILL TALK. It's wonderful!"
"How to pay for their education. It's frightening to look at the projections for college tuition 18 years from now. A college education should be a fundamental American right, yet the average American family is getting priced right put of the system. Very unsettling!"
"Since I'm having trouble juggling my son, husband, and personal needs not to mention housework, cooking, pets, relatives and friends; how will I ever be able to do it if we have the second child we plan on? Maybe we should only have one child? If we do have another child how could I possible love him as much as my first born?"
"Will our children be safe and drug-free and happy as they grow into their adult life? Will we be able to teach and guide them in the directions that will allow them to be strong enough to make their own decisions. Can we do that and at the same time not be `over' protective? What is over-protective anyway? How do we teach them to be strong, yet warm, loving, caring individuals?"
"Their quality of life. I'm only 30, but as I remember as a child I don't recall worrying about the water we drank, walking around the block or to the store. The problems of social diseases and rampant drugs in schools. Sure there was peer pressure, but nothing like it is today."
( What advice would you most like to give about experiencing life with a new baby?"
Send your advice via E-mail to: Editor - BABY EXPERIENCE ADVICE )
