Woman in India gives birth to 23rd child

[kevinsgirl]

The article doesn’t give enough information to make the determination that this certain mental capacity is ‘excusable’.

What is the proposed criteria for when they “should” use NFP? What is your definition of providing sufficiently? House and car and three squares?

It is inexcusable to not remember your children’s names. This could be a misrepresentation, granted. But assuming this really did happen, I don’t consider it a positive sign of parenting.

Providing sufficiently? Let’s start with clothing. I’m not talking designer clothes…I’m talking the minimum… And one of the children in the picture is naked and doesn’t meet that minimum.

I’m glad this family was blessed with so many beautiful souls. I’m just saying that I don’t know if I’d make them the poster child for the ideal family.

 

[Celeste88]

I was a little saddened to read this because you have to realize how much poverty there is in India. Do they give an account as to what the father does for a living and how he can support the children? A lot of the people are so poor they live in the streets and resort to begging for a living.

 

[mapleoak]

It is inexcusable to not remember your children’s names. This could be a misrepresentation, granted. But assuming this really did happen, I don’t consider it a positive sign of parenting.

There are a number of medical conditions which can hamper a person’s memory in this very manner. Are we saying such people should not have children?

Providing sufficiently? Let’s start with clothing. I’m not talking designer clothes…I’m talking the minimum… And one of the children in the picture is naked and doesn’t meet that minimum.

In other words, this couple sinned by not using NFP to limit their family size. They should have made sure they had (fill in the blank) before having more children. Maybe the government should have imposed a limit on them.

 

[mapleoak]

I do not see it as an excellent example of openness to life if the bride is 9.

Based on American standards of living?

Now, granted, that could be incorrect, but if we assume the article to have at least the facts straight, the ages alone are disturbing.

Maybe I missed it, but I don’t recall seeing where the article specified how far apart each child was spaced nor how many were twins, etc. We could possibly place her around age 14 years for the first child.

 

[Benedictus]

Based on American standards of living?

9 is too young anywhere.

 

[tamccrackine]

This family is from India so why are people demanding a U.S. version of “standard of living” onto this family? Who cares if one (or a few) of the children are naked in the picture? That’s part of their culture.

Arranged marriages/betrothals also happen in their culture so it’s not surprising that the “possible” age of the mama at marriage might be 9. And for alot of girls, that’s when they get their first menses so it’s not like it’s biologically impossible to get pregnant at that age. A little odd for our way of thinking, but not impossible.

I’ve only got three (about to have a fourth) children and heaven’s for Betsy there are times when I actually have to think of my children’s names. And don’t let me say a name when I’m angry because about a good 95% of the time, I’ll mess it up! The father is in his 50’s… my own father is in his 50’s and he NEVER can get his own grandkids names straight and he’s only got 8 grandchildren.

Many countries are starting to sink into either a zero or negative growth rate. It’s nice to see a family like this that will help to counter that.

 

[mapleoak]

This family is from India so why are people demanding a U.S. version of “standard of living” onto this family? Who cares if one (or a few) of the children are naked in the picture? That’s part of their culture.

Arranged marriages/betrothals also happen in their culture so it’s not surprising that the “possible” age of the mama at marriage might be 9. And for alot of girls, that’s when they get their first menses so it’s not like it’s biologically impossible to get pregnant at that age. A little odd for our way of thinking, but not impossible.

I’ve only got three (about to have a fourth) children and heaven’s for Betsy there are times when I actually have to think of my children’s names. And don’t let me say a name when I’m angry because about a good 95% of the time, I’ll mess it up! The father is in his 50’s… my own father is in his 50’s and he NEVER can get his own grandkids names straight and he’s only got 8 grandchildren.

Many countries are starting to sink into either a zero or negative growth rate. It’s nice to see a family like this that will help to counter that.

Well said. I just take these kind of stories to heart as my father came from a family of 15 and my grandmother from a family of 17. In my grandmother’s case, she was one of the last siblings to be born into a communist country where her parents did not so much as OWN anything, let alone a house, etc. Nor did they meet with the approval of the government very well. If it weren’t for hers and her mother’s self sacrifice in spite of poverty, I know I surely wouldn’t be here today. Much of the time they were on the run and had no roof over their head. My grandmother also spent time in a concentration camp.
I truly wonder the people who like to point out how foolish people are who have large families. Maybe they should submit photos and have others pass judgement as to whether they have enough ‘stuff’ to justify the number of children they have. I think it would be wise to look more charitably upon this selfless couple as an example of Christlike love. Christ remember also owned not a thing, but gave all He had.

 

[lizzielou]

I can’t believe that someone is seriously defending the practice of arranging a marriage for a 9 year old girl, with her potentially getting pregnant at this age. I’m all for trying to understand cultural differences and all…but yikes!

 

[Linda_Marie]

There’s nothing wrong in a traditional society with kids being expected to take care of their parents. That is the way they do things. That is how our own ancestors did things.
The alternative is for the parents to never stop working,or **to live off of social security, or be sent to nursing homes. **

I am pretty sure that for those in rural India, there is no social security nor are there nursing homes available for the poor. When you get old and no longer able to look after yourself, your family takes care of you or you die.

This is something we used to do - look after our olds. Now we pack them off to nursing homes, sight out of mind and convince both them and us that is is ‘better’ this way.

About the unclothed child, it is the practice in these areas for children who are not potty trained to go naked. Sometimes they wear a (short) shirt if the weather is cool. So it is quite common to see a bunch of naked kids running around playing. It certainly saves on the laundry. If you have to take your dirty clothes to the river and beat them on a rock, you’d probably want to give dirty diapers a miss too.

 

[Liberanosamalo]

Though I wonder if they’d have been as gung-ho to have so many kids if they had all been daughters!

Then they would have had to pay to marry them off!

 

[anthony022071]

I am pretty sure that for those in rural India, there is no social security nor are there nursing homes available for the poor.

I know – and it’s just as well for their traditional values that they don’t have social security and nursing homes. If they had those things,the burden of responsibility would pass from families to government institutions. It would actually lead to more callousness.

When you get old and no longer able to look after yourself, your family takes care of you or you die.

This is something we used to do - look after our olds. Now we pack them off to nursing homes, sight out of mind and convince both them and us that is is ‘better’ this way.

True. We have a more “hygenic” way of dealing with our poor and weak. We let certified professionals care for them.