As expected, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announcing their third child has inspired other parents – and not in good ways. The exploding media around the growing Royal family is causing a “three is the new two” frenzy, despite some parents’ warnings and others openly admitting they can’t raise that many kids well:
“There is also a tendency to loosen the reins and lower standards with each subsequent child. I remember when my youngest was two, I discovered he didn’t know any nursery rhymes — because we just hadn’t had time to teach him.”
There has also been a massive outcry to lift the two child limit on some public assistance benefits, although the premise of those arguments is that children in families getting assistance are already struggling. Kate and William seem to have exacerbated the problem.
Could other celebrities do better?
What if instead of having a third child by surrogate, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian had adopted one of the many infants or children waiting for a home in Los Angeles, which has a struggling foster care system filled with needy kids?
What if other celebrities step forward and say: “Parenting is not about making more people who look like us – it’s about leading by example to make sure that every baby is raised with the things they need and deserve. I want all children – not just my own – to live in a better world.”
Instead of modeling bigger families, perhaps one or two celebrities will have the courage to lead by example. For the past month, Having Kids has been asking celebrities to do just that. We want them to adopt the Fair Start model and publicly state: “We are planning a smaller family so we can maximize the child’s love, time, attention, and resources.”
Does this sound good to you? You don’t have to be a celebrity to make the case for smaller families and a fair start for every child! You could be our next Featured Family. Please contact us today.