Friday, April 8, 2011

Birth Control & Families



WOW.
So for some reason the ideas about having a baby have become something entirely different than the realities of having one.

For the record, women, having a baby does not make the following impossible or even improbable:
a)buying a house
b)finding a husband (besides, having a long term relationship with someone you wouldn't want to father your children isn't usually the best idea in the first place)
c)going on vacation
d)earning a degree

In fact, in my experience, having children has led me to many more opportunities and friendships than I would have had otherwise.

Being a mother is unlike any other calling, job, education, learning experience, or joy you will ever feel. It is hard. It is time-consuming. It is so worth it! I feel like the pennies I pay are nothing compared to the millions I receive in return.

At first this commercial didn't even strike me as awful. I just kinda thought, what a lame Ad. The more I thought about it, the more i realized: this commercial is very disturbing.

I am definitely not against birth control. I believe that planning a family is very important, and will benefit everyone involved. I also believe if you are not of age or with someone you don't wish to spend your life with, birth control is a very appealing option. I can attest that the pill is only 99% effective even if it is taken as directed. I have 2 children to prove that 1%.

However, this commercial and others like it tend to lean towards selfishness and avoiding things like... consequences and responsibility. I am very aware that attitudes like the ones presented in this ad affect teens and young adults. I only wish they knew this was false advertising. Birth control will not always stop you from having a baby. It will not make you happy and successful. It will not make your relationships more stable or more fun. If you choose not to have kids because you are afraid you will miss out on life, you are sorely mistaken in this idea!

2 comments:

  1. Okay so this post is amazing! Here's why: the commercial got me really upset when I first saw it, I told Mitch (my husband) almost all the same things that you'd said! It's so nice to know that there are other people out there who also understood the underlying message as well and the lack of emphasis on the family!

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  2. I agree. I think if more women really thought about these kind of messages, they would feel the same way as well. Thanks for the support Serretta.

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