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like being significantly intellectually and/or physically disabled and disfigured, and not having any children of the same gender?
I hope it's not too controversial to ask this question. I apologise if it offends anyone in any way. I still think its better to correct than criticise.
I should mention that I still don't have any children yet, in fact I'm still a virgin, as well as an only child, just in case anyone thinks that I'm not developing normal parental instincts in any way, which I feel all people are deserving of from their family.
Still, I've always dreamed of being able to be very proud of my family, like being able to be proud to show off, and free of major worry.
Judging by the numbers and diversity of users here, I should probably expect the sight of people who have such children or family members to meet this page.
This is a thought that I've had ever since I could start thinking really, and it seems to have affected people throughout history as well.
How would you feel about having children and (new) family members like close nephews, nieces, cousins etc. who fell short of normal expectations, like being significantly intellectually and/or physically disabled and disfigured, siamese twins, and not having any children of the same gender? I think having them being just physically disabled or disfigured without being cognitively can still get by, but being intellectually disabled is probably the most challenging. Of course it's no one's fault for how it turns out for how someone is born, rarely I think.
The latter condition, not having any children of the same gender, probably doesn't fit the category of "falling short of normal expectations", I just included it because I thought it was related, and is probably the least severe or disappointing condition mentioned, but I'd like to admit that if I didn't ever have any children of the same sex, that I'd be lying if I wasn't minimally disappointed somewhere inside me, not out of any sort of prejudice or non-love of the children and opposite gender, but I always imagined myself having boys and doing boyish things with them, much like when I was growing up myself, and leave mom to do girly things with daughters. Can others of both genders relate as well? Do females imagine doing feminine things with daughters? As well as the issue of being able to pass on our last name, not to mention that, while I'm not certain, my impression is that females growing up tend to be more complicated and have more emotional issues and stuff than boys do, something I'm not sure I'd be able to relate to or understand. My understanding is that what gender our children will turn out to be is a 50-50 chance. My impression is that I'm not the only one who feels this way, historically as well as presently.
The thing is that while rates me be relatively low, it's still very possible for any of us. We have much more choice in who our partners are, in contrast, how our children will turn out is much more of a lottery, if not completely, just as it was for who are parents are. How is technology to predict and choose conditions for our children nowadays? Improving I hope. Even if we have children and family members who turn out to be normal, what happens to them in life is also another big gamble and lottery, just not as much at the mercy of nature as being born, but they could likewise get into accidents and illnesses and disable and/or disfigure them, physically as well as cognitively.
What do you think? If you found yourself or a close family member or friend there, how would you feel, and what would you do? What options and remedies are available nowadays?
How did people think about and respond to these issues historically?
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