Remember when motherhood wasn’t controversial?

[TitsMcGee]

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/02/16/reme...-controversial/

It doesn’t seem that long ago that motherhood was as American as apple pie, hot dogs, and baseball, and more fun than at least two of the three. Now, though, while some people take it too far, others seem outright offended by human procreation. WNBA star Candace Parker discovered that having a child with her husband has suddenly become a controversial decision for a woman of 22 (via The Corner):

Parker probably figured the news would be non-controversial, given that the fresh-faced Los Angeles Sparks forward and Olympic gold medalist is happily married to Sacramento Kings forward Shelden Williams. Both earn more than enough to support a family: Parker alone reaps millions on and off the court as one of the most celebrated women athletes in the world.

But Parker’s pregnancy was not greeted with the same approval and tolerance that many of today’s child-bearing sexagenarians and single mothers by choice enjoy when they form their families. Instead, Parker was blasted by fans and pundits for becoming a mother at age 22. Critics bemoaned her selfishness in putting maternal ambitions ahead of her team’s 2009 season prospects. Others lamented her foolishness for starting a family when she should be living a strings-free existence oriented around her glamorous career.

Not long ago, a 22-year-old woman was considered plenty old enough to marry and bear children. But in today’s era of prolonged adolescence and commitment phobia, high-achieving women like Parker often face ridicule and scorn for defying the feminist conventional wisdom that marriage and motherhood are second-rate pursuits best delayed until middle age. Young mothers frequently are accused of forfeiting a hard-won feminist privilege: the right to spend their 20s single-mindedly pursuing sexual license, success and self-fulfillment without the hassles of a husband and children.

Colleen Carroll Campbell doesn’t quite note the irony of this observation — that a woman should pursue the procreative act as much as possible during her twenties while avoiding actual procreation like the plague. And plague apparently describes how Parker’s critics see the previously unremarkable event of a young and healthy wife finding herself pregnant. Even the league didn’t exactly buy flowers and candy for the new mom-to-be; the owner of Parker’s team responded, “My first reaction was to just shake my head. We’re inured to this by now so I guess I thought. ‘Oh, yeah, she’s having a baby. Yeah, of course.”

Why “inured”? Another player got pregnant. Two years ago. Apparently, Kathy Goodman still hasn’t gotten over it.

Neither have fans or analysts, either. Some of them complain that Parker has hurt the team by putting her family ahead of her job. No one seems to be making that argument about her husband, however, even though he plays the same sport for the NBA’s Kings, even though he can reasonably expect to take some time off for the birth.

Children used to be considered blessings, especially for young families. Parker and Williams have the resources to build a family, and the desire to do so. It’s healthier for women to have children in their 20s than in their 40s, both for the mother and the children. Have we devalued children so much that a basketball season means more than a new baby and healthy families?

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My mom had sent me this early, thought I would share. Frankly i think it's odd how people are lining up to donate stuff to the octuplet woman, but this chick is getting yelled at for wanting to start a family with her husband.

[StormKnight (1)]

And being better off financially, health wise, and in better age range to keep the baby healthy and pregnancy low risk, as compared to the octuplets' mom. This is a mother that I want to see raise kids.

Putting off childbearing until they feel they are financially able and healthy enough seems reasonable. Better delay a bit and be more secure than not. In the end it is her choice. The fact the rest of the world is against her choice is depressing.

Yes, I can see feminists getting in an uproar, but they forgot something. They wanted to open possibilities of having a career, delaying family, enjoying life WITHOUT discarding the old possibilities (the desire to start a family and having children.) Still a way to go to equality with that, but a lot has been accomplished. Either way, the modern woman is left with more choices, and not the elimination of the choices already there, with the additional choice that the woman can resume career and enjoying life when she feels like it.

The league should take a dose of STFU, wish her a good pregnancy and healthy baby, and let her back when she is ready to return. Given how competitive and driven athletes are, she should bounce back and be on her game with a vengeance.

*sigh* I do not envy women and these pressures. This truly sucks royally.

[Scary Guy]

They're just pissed off that she's having a kid, which is her choice, rather than going for the gold. However while having a kid she's going to miss out on training and it might effect her in the future if she plays again for the team. Again it's her choice though and they should stay the hell out of it, even if it does effect their chances at a gold medal, like those mean anything anyway.

Waiting until middle age is stupid also since after 35 there is a greater chance of birth defects (such as retardation) in the child.

[Msterbeau]

The league should take a dose of STFU, wish her a good pregnancy and healthy baby, and let her back when she is ready to return. Given how competitive and driven athletes are, she should bounce back and be on her game with a vengeance.

And this is one of the reasons I hate celebrity and what Hollywood and sports have become. People are more interested in other peoples lives then managing their own. STFU indeed.

[freydis]

And the octuplet woman isnt being met with approval, not by a long shot. That woman is actually getting death threats.

[Rev.Reverence]

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My mom had sent me this early, thought I would share. Frankly i think it's odd how people are lining up to donate stuff to the octuplet woman, but this chick is getting yelled at for wanting to start a family with her husband.

Thanx for the sharing!

They're just pissed off that she's having a kid, which is her choice, rather than going for the gold. However while having a kid she's going to miss out on training and it might effect her in the future if she plays again for the team. Again it's her choice though and they should stay the hell out of it, even if it does effect their chances at a gold medal, like those mean anything anyway.

Waiting until middle age is stupid also since after 35 there is a greater chance of birth defects (such as retardation) in the child.

And this is one of the reasons I hate celebrity and what Hollywood and sports have become. People are more interested in other peoples lives then managing their own. STFU indeed.

+1 on both...

And the octuplet woman isnt being met with approval, not by a long shot. That woman is actually getting death threats.

..yup...some will threaten death..(leaving 14 orphans..that'll help <sarcasm)...BUT...there are a whole bunch of peoples..like she said.."LINED UP"...helping makes you feel good..& allot of peoples are LOOKING for a way to feel good...& when you help someone with a "lost soul" (or a fucking idiot)...it makes you feel superior..you get to look down on them.....NOT a very Christian motivation.....but they (mostly) hide under that banner...

[Simon Bar Sinister]

Hopefully, Candace can return to pre-pregnancy form. Ever seen her play? She slam dunks that ball something fierce!

[Az_]

With liberation comes choices and new ways of living. Become part of a group and people feel committed to one another. Decide you wan to take a different path and people can feel betrayed or hurt.

It remains a woman's right to choose their path. But they have to keep in mind that freedom is not just a word. It creates new dynamics in one's life and each of them have to be considered when you take a path.

[TitsMcGee]

And the octuplet woman isnt being met with approval, not by a long shot. That woman is actually getting death threats.

I never said she was being met with approval, I said people were lining up to donate shit to her. I don't view that as approval.

[Onyx]

And this is one of the reasons I hate celebrity and what Hollywood and sports have become. People are more interested in other peoples lives then managing their own. STFU indeed.

So true. It's all so stupid. It must be rough to have the media watching constantly and people criticizing every single thing you do.

I'm thinking some of those reporters who get punched probably pushed those celebrities to their last nerve.

[Msterbeau]

So true. It's all so stupid. It must be rough to have the media watching constantly and people criticizing every single thing you do.

I'm thinking some of those reporters who get punched probably pushed those celebrities to their last nerve.

The irony is that if these people told their "fans" to mind their own business, that would raise a whole other round of ire and controversy from them.

[candyman]

I never said she was being met with approval, I said people were lining up to donate shit to her. I don't view that as approval.

Yeah the donation groups is huge...but I recently found a very large group, that keeps growing, that has found a weakness in the donation. Every donation this woman takes using Paypal costs her $0.03, now that isn't alot but these people are donating $0.01 because they are only out of a penny each time...and its costing that woman money...

But as far as athletes having kids goes they should be able to, along with celebs, have and raise their kids like normal. However, the vast majority of celebs are way too fucked up to even be close to people raising kids. I mean, they are viewed as awsome and god-like so they must be able to rasie kids...yet when it comes down to it they end up abusing drugs...and if it kill them their fans blame it on a "dark" role in a movie. As far as athletes go...its still hard to tell...but I think that they either have to quit or make damn sure that these kids are being raised right. Yet with all the warped views on athletes I really don't think that they should be breeding either. I have know quite a few children of athletes...and while their parents were not "professionals"...ie getting paid to play a kids game...they were hell bent on making their kids just as "good" as they were. I knew one of them to be very happy because they were either doing things they hated and had no other options, or they were doing what they wanted...but their parents had basically cast them out for not following in their footsteps.

My questions are...when did people start raising other peoples children? and when did raising your children to be good and hard workers while letting them decide for themselves turn into...just watch them get older and maybe scold them a few times?

[Homicidalheathen]

The increase in multiple births is linked to the age of the mother (older women frequently have a 'fertility spurt'), improved neo-natal care (more premature babies survive) and fertility treatments.

http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/rai..._multiples.html

if it wasn't ment to happen...nature wouldn't make sure this goes on to assure we pop one out before its too late

[TygerLili]

Wait, so we have a pregnant woman who is 1) a legal adult, 2) married, 3) financially stable enough to raise a child, and 4) actually believes that family is more important than fame and career?

Hats off to her! Screw the media, I hope she has all the kids she wants.

[freydis]

I never said she was being met with approval, I said people were lining up to donate shit to her. I don't view that as approval.

True.

I can see why so many Californians are outraged at her situation.... apparently, a LOT is being funded by the state. She had also spent over a year on disability, and gets money for having "special needs" kids (although, i dont think ADD is special needs, personally. Blindness, CP, autism, stuff like that is special needs....)

[TitsMcGee]

True.

I can see why so many Californians are outraged at her situation.... apparently, a LOT is being funded by the state. She had also spent over a year on disability, and gets money for having "special needs" kids (although, i dont think ADD is special needs, personally. Blindness, CP, autism, stuff like that is special needs....)

The money used to concieve her first 6 kids were from the disability payments she was getting from the state. But there is another post dedicated to that crazy woman.