do you think people on welfare are. . .

The thing is, not all people on welfare sit around and don't work. The ones who are lazy and taking advantage of it do, but the people who really need it tend to be out looking for work or networking in hopes of a job or doing *something*. If they're physically able to, of course. Or at the very least, they'll be doing what another stay at home mom or dad does - keeping the house and taking care of the kids while their spouse is working or looking for work. The ones who abuse welfare would be raising their kids poorly anyway.

I think that you are correctly noticing a trend, but identifying the wrong cause. I think that the welfare system itself is highly flawed and encourages this vicious cycle. People go on welfare when they are hard on luck right? Most likely they don't have a job and have children to raise. But how are they going to get a job if the money they are getting from welfare is only enough to feed the family and give them a roof? They can't put their children in childcare or afford babysitters until they have an established job that they can depend on. Also, the welfare system doesn't help with people who need more education to get a job or people who's job doesn't pay well enough to support their family. Let's say you could get a job that pays $20,000/year or you could not work and get $30,000/year from the welfare system. What would you do? Then since the parents aren't able to get out of the welfare system, they don't see the benefit of education because they don't have access to it and the jobs they can get aren't going to cut it. So the kids grow up in an environment where ways to do something for free are valued over a quality education. The kids never get the education that they need to succeed and then end up in the welfare system like their parents. So the welfare parents may not be setting a good example, but I think the actual problem lies within the welfare system.

Not everyone on welfare sits around and does nothing. I don't know about where you are from, but I know here if you are a single person in reciept of welfare you have to go to information sessions, work classes ETC before they will hand you a welfare check. However with that said if you have kids, you have up until your youngest child turns 3 to just sit around on welfare, then they make you go back to work. However some people just sit there and keep having kid after kid so they don't have to work, and to me personally that is truly sad. But you can't tell a person not to have kids, and you can't take away their right to procreate. So here we have all these kids sitting on welfare. Personally I have been on welfare . I HATED IT. I hated having to report to someone every month just for the little bit of money they give you. I hated the fact that they only give you a small amount of money each month to live off of, and if something happens like a high hydro bill or phone bill, they won't help you. So you end up having to find other means to feed your kids. I haven't been on welfare in now almost 3 years, and unless something major happens, I will NEVER go back to it. Ever. But for those people who raise kids on the system, I think sometimes it can make those kids lazy but some kids (like myself) would rather have a different life. Me, i'd rather NOT raise my kids on welfare, and I have shown this to them by letting go of the system. I think they need to re vamp their rules and regulations as well, they let far too many people have the money when they don't need it. I mean what irks me is those people who walk into the welfare office with a ton of kids, and gold on every finger. If you can afford that much gold, you can get off your butt to work.

for those not aware of the law, unless a person is classified as disabled, When President Clinton was in office he instituted the " Back To Work Program" women after having a child must return to work by the time the child is 12 months old. They can only continue getting welfare if they are earning no more than $1.00 above minimum wage. The welfare acts as a supplement for food stamps or medical. This law was enacted to prevent what you are describing. Unless the woman decides to become a baby manufacturing machine pumping ot a kid each year, she will have to return to work. Either way the program is set up to monitor through the IRS how much the welfare applicant is earning and immediately cut them off at the month they earn more than $1.00 over min wage. In addition if they are overpayed, they must then re-pay welfare the amount. So I hope I explained that the laws have chaged where women can no longer just sit around on welfare unless they are classified as disabled.

I understand what you mean. There are many mothers and fathers relying on Welfare to help them through. Not all of them are sittng around collecting money and help out of need. Alot of them are just hanging out all day and making babies so they can. Those are the type of people that make it difficult for those that are really in need. I think it's fine for a single mother to remain on welfare when her child is young and she is trying to help herself and child in the meantime to better their life. But I would like to something about the abusers.

No, my parents have been on benefits (welfare) most of mu life because they have arthritis and are unable to work. As soon as I was old enough to get a paper round, and then a part time job I was encouraged to do so. I had to pay my way through university when I did my degree as they were unable to support me and now I am re-training as a operating department practitioner so I can work in making people better. It doesnt make children think it is an easy life - and my parents dont sit around either, my dad is currently studying a law degree and my mum did a history degree when i was at secondary school. I dont see how you can be happy to benefits, I was made redundant a few months ago (before I went back to university) and the amount of money they expect you to live on whilst paying all your bills is so low that you are living nothing but a life of stress and depression, the only people I can see who are genuinely comfortable living on benefits are those more than likely cheating the system.

I think sometimes children who see their parents just sitting around and living on welfare realize that is not how they want to live. I mean stay at home moms are different they do a lot of work around the house and errands during the day, take care of children and so much more.

No, I don't think that. If you have children, assuming you are looking after them properly, you are not sitting around doing nothing all day, as is so often assumed. I know there are some people who bring their children up that way and their children follow suit because they think it is easy but they are the ones whose parents really have sat around doing nothing and not brought up their kids properly. Just because you go to work, doesn't mean your kids will anyway. I am at home with my kids, they see all the things I do, but their dad goes to work and doesn't do anything at home, so to them, he doesn't do anything. If you bring your children up properly, they will understand about getting a job. It's as simple as that. I mean, if there are two parents in the family then there is no reason for one not to work, but if you are a single parent (assuming you are a good parent of course) it's better that you are at home with your kids. You can't do that and work so if you are a single parent and you want to look after your own children then how else can you do it?

I support the system for a temporary situation and not a permanent situation like some people might use it as.There are times when people may have hard times and need the help until they are able to get on their feet.I support the government in this as a temporary situation and for those who are low income and really need the assistance to help them survive in the world.

I am in Australia and things are a bit different here. I am a single mum and on welfare but I also have a casual job to pay for the extra things in life like clothes etc. The government here makes you report every fortnight what you have earnt and then they decide what you get paid from the pension(welfare) They encourage you back to work once the child is 6 and started school, however my baby is only 21 months old and I have been doing casual work for nearly a year now. Cant afford the extras in life if I dont work. They also encourage study, they give you extra money if you goto TAFE or university as this will help you get a job. Of course there are people who are lazy on the system and just sit around the house drinking, smoking and the kids run wild, but me personally I couldnt do that. Have too much self respect for it.

I, too, share your views on this matter and much more. Although I do not think that government should fail to help its people if need be, I, however, think there ought to be some time limit as to just how long it should assist any one person or family! I also think that government assistance should immediately seize, if a woman who came into the program with just one or two children, bears another child while still on the program and not married! I have heard several female US nationals and residents opt to have children, regardless, and do not care who the father or sperm donor is, just so they can get on welfare. There are several females in the USA who believe life will be much easier for them if they can only have children and get on welfare! Again, I believe the USA welfare is in fact a form of slavery, geared to control and keep taps on the people! Although helpful to some degree, the program truly encourages dependency and inactivity.

As a mother who use to collect welfare, i think there may be some truth to that but that doesn't apply to everyone. i personally did it because i was a young mother of two children on my own. I went back to school and got me a job. welfare helped me do that. they payed for child care, gave me carfare and paid for books. could i have gone to school and paid for these things without welfare, i doubt it. i am grateful they were there for me when i needed it. and now i have moved on

People who need the help aren't sitting on their butts. My best friend is a single mom with 2 small children. Her hubby left her. She works fulltime nights and it barely covers her rent. The SYSTEM gave her $69 in food stamps per month and medical insurance for her kids. Yes, she is getting welfare but she is not sitting on her butt.

My mother is on welfare (not by choice), and the thing it has taught me the most is that I will not rely on the government to feed or clothe me, they do not try to help people at all and I want the be the only person responsible to take care of myself.

i don't know whether I have understood what u are saying correctly..therefore without directly responding to the querry I would say that parents do set an example for the child and the childs learns the most from parents..so I would agree that its necessary that parents create an environment which has more good things than the bad ones..as this would help in all round growth of the child..

Well firstly not everyone that recieves government assistance in one form or another be it food stamps, a check, or just medical coverage are mooching off the government or not working. Some are needing help do to the amount of children they have or the poor economics of where they live and thier education level dictating what kind of job they can do. That said..... I do believe that for some (and sadly there are lots of them) that do bilk the system to thier advantage. I know of one such family. The mother got pregnant everytime the father of the children (not her husband) got out of jail to the tune of 11 times. In the state this family lived as long as you had atleast one child under 5 years old then you didn't have to seek employment.....so she kept popping them out like a pez dispencer gone berserk. She had such a horrible time delivering the last one (because her body was plain worn out) that her doctor performed a tubal ligation....so guess what in two years she has to get a job or lose her benefits. Being on the system does not automatically set your children up for failure it is how you decide to deal with your situation and how you train up your kids. Yes in many instances welfare is a "heridatary" decease but it doesn't have to be. Oh and in many cases the system it self is set up to keep the person on the system by taking away all the assistance all at once instead of gradually weaning them from it.

not everyone is lazy to work who is on welfare. SOme of the people can find a job even though they have a good education This has the same meaning as stay at home mom. I cant not understand your discussion because this make me really mad.

I don't follow that train of thought-children who grow up poor want more than anything not to be poor & I believe most ppl on gov assistance don't want it for themselves either-sometimes ppl get caught up in a bad situation & need help. NOBODY wants to live poor or give the gov free reign to snoop into their personal lives

Sorry this one is slitghtly touchy subject for me. See I was raised by a stay at home mom. She had welfare and medicaid for her three girls. When we were young she tried to work but my dad was off god knows where and it was getting difficult for her to afford daycare or a babysitter. She however taught to work for what we want, always be on time, and try to do for yourself unless absolutely necessary. I do agree that many abuse the system but there are those like my mother who used it for what is was ment for temporary assistance untill you are able to take care of yourself and children. I am appalled at those who abuse it. they're the ones who ruin it for those who really need the assistance and make it more difficult for them to recieve it. In all honesty yes I would love to be a stay at home mom some day however In this day it takes a two incomes survive. I dont expect anything for free and I've worked for everything I have.

Wow, tough topic. I don't see how anyone survives on welfare $ anyway, life is so expensive! Especially if one has children, it can seem more expensive TO work, having to send the kids to daycare, commuting, extra childcare (I remember having that gap in time where my work schedule ended and I knew I'd never make it to the daycare before they closed--so I had to pay someone else to pick the kids and then commute there. It was exhausting.)