How do you think about "The One child Policy" ?
By xtmlove
@xtmlove (402)
China
October 8, 2010 9:44am CST
As we known, China has the largest population in the world. In order to control the problems brought by population, the government made a lot of measures. The most important one was called "birth control", it has put into effect many years ago. Most people take a positive attitude towards the one child policy. They think that this policy not only tends to control population growth in this country, but also parents have much time to show concern about the growth of their child both in his life and study. But some people say that it may result in some social problems in the future. What's your opinion on this question?
2 people like this
28 responses
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
9 Oct 10
Hi Xtmlove,
I live in America and from what I've read on this policy, I think it sounds just horrid and cruel. So is it true that if a woman gets pregnant and is carrying a girl, they force her to abort it? If she gets pregnant with a 2nd child she is forced to abort?
@xtmlove (402)
• China
10 Oct 10
Hi. sid
I understand what you said. But the population is very big in our country now. So the government need to take measures to control with it. Besides, some people also can have the second kid for exceptional case. If the family has the only baby, the doctor will advice the parents to take contraceptive method in the future. So you needn't to worry about it.
@Galena (9110)
•
9 Oct 10
in theory the idea is a good one. it may be better if there was an incentive offered, rather than a law dictating it though.
so maybe if parents of more than one child had to pay additional taxes for example, then more people would make the choice to have smaller families.
unfortunately the law as it stands results in people being so desparate for that one child to be a boy that they abandon, abort or murder the girls.
if China had a society where boy children and girl children were of equal value to the parents, the law might work. it may control population, but at a disgusting cost. and what happens further down the line when there are so many more men than women?
I think that higher taxes for parents of additional children would be a fairer system1, and less likely to result in horrible practices that we see happen now.
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
10 Oct 10
I recently read an article on this that stated that there is already a problem with their not being enough women for the number of men. You know how the media is though. I was asked if it were true that they got rid of the girl babies and my question got evaded.
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
8 Oct 10
As much as I think it would be good for the child to get the undivided attention from their parents, I think it is a sad thing. I have a sister who I feed off of a lot and I learn and grow a lot from her. I think having a sister has benefited me greatly and it is one of my prized "possessions". I have received social, mental, emotional, and physical support from her many times.
@crackx (628)
• Belgium
8 Oct 10
At first, I would say that there should be no such thing, because of course some families will have more than just one child, and when another child would receive birth, they can't really go to the town hall since they can't sign another child underneith their name. Even though it is good, so the world wouldn't get overpopulated too easily (if those 1 billion people get kids,....) China could conquer the world easily in some way...
But in any case, I think the negative sides don't surpass the positive, however there are many people suffering from this. Eventually noone ever chose for this, but well, people dream of having a child, not really a number I suppose.
1 person likes this
@RebeccaScarlett (2532)
• Canada
8 Oct 10
I have read some articles in the news saying that there is already a shortage of women due to the male child preference that has been going on for years. There are many young men who cannot find wives.
There are many, many Chinese girls here in Canada who were adopted by Canadians since there were so many abandoned baby girls. For a long time, it was easier to adopt a girl from China than to wait for many years to be approved to adopt a Canadian child, so many families went to China to adopt.
1 person likes this
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
21 Oct 10
The ideal number of number of children for a couple to have are two: a girl and a boy. Then they have each gender a two that can keep company. They will replace the couple when they die in the population of the particular country. In China if every couple had two children the population would stay around the same. They have a problem of over population. Therefore the government of China made the one child policy. It would seem that if it is in place and every couple has just one child over a period of time the population will be halved. However in China at the moment most of the people wish to have a baby boy and many don't like to have a baby girl. It is popular to have a baby boy. If mainly baby boys are born say 80% then there will only be 20% baby girls. It will make it impossible for many men to marry if ladies will be in such short supply. Sometimes a Chinese lady will get pregnant but she already has a child. What is she to do? Abortion would be killing an innocent baby. Adoption to an overseas couple is a possibility for the lady and her baby that wishes to live happily. I have heard rich couples can afford a fee.
@youless (112134)
• Guangzhou, China
9 Oct 10
I am a Chinese, I don't like this One Child Policy. I know over population is a problem, however, one child for a family can also leads to many problems. And the fact is the rich and the very poor people have more than one child. They are not afraid of being punished. So this is very unfair for most people. And having only one child for a family is not good in the long term. Try to imagine the pressure will be so much for the child because he/she is the hope for the whole family. And he/she has to take care of at least four parents when they grow up. Since he/she is only one child, so he/she will be adored so much and parents don't want to see him/her suffer anything. And when he/she grows up, he/she can not be independent. And try to imagine who will allow their children to do some dangerous jobs like policemen, soldiers etc. I think the best is to allow couples to have two children. I think two children will be perfect for a family. At least they can support each other when we are gone.
I love China
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
9 Oct 10
What you mentioned is right. As the only child in a family, he/she needs to take care of four parents after he/she gets married, which certainly is a heavy burden both fanancially and mentally. But the "one child policy" isn't all that bad. If a couple had 2 or more kids, they'll have to work very hard to feed the kids and give them good education. There are too many examples about girls been deprived of the opportunity to receive education due to family financial problems. These are sad examples. We've been taught that everyone was born equal, but the truth is girls always have to make sacrifices so that boys can be educated. Were there only one child, perhaps such a sad thing wouldn't happened.
One Child Policy is actually a double-edged weapon which brings benefits as well as harmful effects.
@shaggin (71671)
• United States
9 Oct 10
I think this is sad. I always have thought it was horrible since I heard about it many years ago. I have seen how over populated china is and I understand them wanting to take some measures but it just seems really sad that people who want a big family can only have one child. If I am correct if they get pregnant with a second child they have to abort it. I cannot imagine being forced by the government to abort my baby. It seems so cruel.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
8 Oct 10
I've said jokingly before that people should have to fill out applications to have children, because some people just aren't cut out to be parents. But I'm thankful I live in America where, at least not to date, we don't have any policies telling you how many children you can have.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
8 Oct 10
If regulations worked in a way that only those needing regulations were regulated, then I'd be more willing to fall on the side of more regulations.
Using something common like welfare, for example: this is something in place for the needy, taking money from taxpayers and essentially handing it over to someone else. Hey, good! If someone is needy, I say there's many worse things my tax money can be spent on rather than helping people.
But, while the "thought" is still there, I guess, efficiency becomes a whole other issue.
We find too often that people abuse the system. It seems like those not in need are able to scam the system and get the money while many people in need are tied up in bureaucracy and can't get what's needed.
Once the regulators tangle it up, it becomes nothing but a giant FAIL. Government is the only winner.
Maybe some places in the world can run regulations more efficiently, but in the US it would be a FAIL-fest to try and regulate people actually having children (not that I'd want people's freedoms infringed on, mind you, but hypothetically).
It's a shame kids are born to abusive and neglectful families. It really is. But a lot of people's answer to a lack of personal responsibility is to create a law that basically limits/regulates/punishes everyone because some people can't wise the F up.
For those wishing the United States in particular would pass more laws based on some people's bad choices, they do seem to be coming. Fast food, salt, junk food, soda, etc, are all targeted out in the open, and the "czars'" agenda seems to be to take choice away in news and have a state-controlled media.
We'll have to see how far they'll go with people's choices about their children. I remember some talk a while back about having a government employee check out the living situation of every child or something. Some might see that as a good thing. I see that as a scary thing. How you raise your child has to be in-step with how government wants it done. That's not a world I want to live in.
1 person likes this
@xtmlove (402)
• China
9 Oct 10
I disagree with what you said. Because you don't know the situation in our country(China). In the past, each family of China at least had two to three kids, and the government didn't intervene it all the time. Now we had 1.3 billion of population. It was 3 times as the people in 1949(China was founded). As we known, population problem is a trouble in all over the world. So the measure of our country is necessary to put into practice. What's more, most of people in our country agree with this policy.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
9 Oct 10
Good for China.
I hope that attitude doesn't come to America.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
8 Oct 10
I have heard this before and though it was harsh, but then I look at the number of families that have an abundance of kids that do not really take care of them to it's fullest potential. Let it be because of neglect, ignorance and or lack of finances.
I would imagine a family wanting more than one child will not be happy with this, so what happens if unplanned children are born? What happens there, are they forced to abort and or be rid of the child??
1 person likes this
@sam8pro (376)
• India
9 Oct 10
personally i dont like the entire idea of government or any social organization trying to tell us .. what we should regarding our children ...its extremely personal .. and if the country is having population problem even then it should be just a suggestion not a law ....
@paige4evr (118)
• Estonia
9 Oct 10
I think it was necessary so be it. But it is unnatural. And some people will definately try to trick the goverment. Not to mention I've heard about some people aborting girl babies because of it because you can only have one but they want a boy baby. And that could seriously ruin the balance of boys and girls that they have in the country. So there will be a lot of single chinese men and not so many girls. But I guess it's necessary.
@WilsonStill (28)
• China
13 Oct 10
Most Chinese families are came in for that,they didn't complain much about it.But it seems that the government will permit domestic families have two children next year.
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
9 Oct 10
It is a very effective measure, I believe, at least it has been proved to be so ever since its implementation. The huge number of our population decreased rapidly and people's living standards were gradually improved, which benefited our society as well as families in many ways. In the past, the average family used to have 2 or more kids, which brought a great burden for the parents. They had to work extremely hard to feed their children and raise them. In such a situation, the quality of child-rearing was certainly not good. Many children had no opportunity to receive education. But this situation improved a lot after the implementation of the "one child policy". Parents can spend all their earnings to raise only one child and provide him/her with superior education. As people's general education level is improved, they can contribute more to our society.
@piya84 (2581)
• India
9 Oct 10
@xtm love
Its good thing Chinese government is doing.Our country is suffering from same problem but here i India it isnt possible to apply same majors of one child policy.It is possible there in China as government is communist and only one party controls it.
About social problems.. well if government can apply one child policy successfully they can apply thee child policy compulsory in future as well.So i dont think so its going to create any huge issue in future.
@ivo_shkafov (399)
• Bulgaria
9 Oct 10
Well,It's good,them brothers will become twice their population,if it ain't for this rule.The carpool rule is also a good one.China is a very good country,wish I was chinese.
@ever_purple (522)
• Philippines
9 Oct 10
for me one child is okay but it would be lovely to have at least 2 children i think its funny for your child to grow up if he/she has a sibling. and its more lovely to have more than one child but of course nowadays THE WORLD is more crowded and its hard nowadays to raise a child but i think 2 would be enough. im on two child policy=)
@danielashaira (86)
• Philippines
9 Oct 10
i beg to disagree, the one child policy. it should be depending on the financial status of the family.
@Lizzyxxm (2)
• Belgium
9 Oct 10
Some people may find this ridiculous but in a way we'll all have to deal with this.
If the population keeps growing , it won't help the economic situation much. We'll have to come up with a solution, and I think this one is the best. They just have to find a solution for the 'girl killing' :s
