Why are there so many single moms these days?
I am a single mom and I look around and find exactly what you are desribing. I have thought about the very same thing. I think it is because e.g. woman can get a divorce easier nowadays and don't have to stay with abusive husbands or cheaters. Also it seems that once women have their first child they mature greatly whereas a lot of guys don't really, they keep acting as if there was no more responsibility than before. And why helping around the house, she did it before... why is it such a big deal now. This is not to blame anybody no offense here. And a third thing is that since this is already the next generation where it is easier to get a divorce children don't grow up with argueing and making-up parents anymore so they don't learn how to do it. So when they are growing up they give up faster and don't try as much to keep a relationship as for example children who learned by seeing from their parents. That's pretty much what I think.
Is an F a bad grade?
The concept of failure, or F is terrible. Yes, 64 is not passing, by one point in most USA schools. Yet, when considering where you have come from in terms of ability possible shortcomings and personal obstacles, it might be fabulous. Many American have no idea that the average test score those in medical schools in the USA get on tests is a 50! !! That is failing. Yet, they become doctors. How is that possible? Someone thinks 50 as the average is passable. To me, it explains the dishonesty and corruption and lack of real ability in the USA medical profession. Shame on the AMA!!!
Is everybody out there aware of "cafemom," a site where "Moms Who Circumcise and Are Proud" go to chat...
mykitty61... You are decieving yourself, the point of circumcision in males and females is EXACTLY the same it is social control of individual sexuality, the circumcision of both females and males leaves them reproductionally functional but unfulfilled by intercourse (hence the victims persue release in the form of social status, fetishism, physical and psycological cruelty,) Male circumcision is every bit as cruel as female circumcision and I can't help it if you don't have a foreskin to miss... Would female circumcision be okay if they made sure it only removed 80% of your sexually responsive nerve-endings, like there are in a foreskin? http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/fleiss.html Read this, you might learn something.
What’s the best advice your mom has given you?
"Think big. Dream big. Success is not about the value of your assets or your income--it's about unleashing your full potential to achieve your dreams. Take advantage of your youth and explore everything you possibly can until you find out who you are and what you want. But most importantly, there is no substitute for hard work." - my mom. Easy advice to understand, but very difficult to apply. =P
Why are Indian people so keen to plan their babies in the USA?
I don't think many deliberately travel to the US to have babies here. It just happens for a variety of reasons.As a father I want to stay involved throughout the process. I went to every one of the doctor visits since my wife became pregnant. I helped my wife deliver and held my baby as it came out. I cut his umbilical chord. I helped him sleep in his initial days as my wife was too exhausted from a complicated delivery. I changed most of his diapers and cleaned up the house. If my wife went home to deliver in India, I would have missed all that important parts of our life and do whatever I can do reduce my wife's burden.US system is much easier for the mothers [if the insurance is good]. My employer sponsored health insurance paid for one of the best hospitals in the world with nearly $0 taken off my pocket [I pay the insurance premiums anyway]. The delivery room was more comfortable than a Le Meridian hotel room. In contrast, a recent delivery in Chennai in my family was truly scary [the mother who just delivered was forced to climb three flights of stairs to take a scan].A lot of Indian immigrants to the US are young and rich [relatively]. They make decent salary and thus they settle down to start a family.If you are going to live in the US for a while, it is easier for the kid to be a citizen. Some of the benefits offered by local governments cannot be easily utilized by non-citizens. Even though I would want my son to switch citizenship when we move to India someday, it is his choice.As a minor side benefit, whenever we travel for vacation, we can avoid paying for the kids visas. This can save money and time. When one kid is born in the US, you have to get the other kid (s) in the US as you don't want them to be of different nationalities [a pain to deal with]. Thus, a cousin of mine traveled to the US just to have their daughter here, as the son was already born here before they returned to India.
Are America's single mothers a product of bad parenting or a lack of role models?
There is no flowchart showing "inputs" and "outputs" (latter being "single mother").There is life and there are different ways in which different persons are dealing with it.I've known women who had waited until their 40s to find that one guy they can settle with, and then proceeded with having kids as their biological clock was running out: these women wanted a family, there was no guy around, and they could sustain themselves and their kids alone (financially and emotionally).Is it bad parenting? No. Is it a lack of a role model? No. On the contrary, they had resources (good parenting) and they wanted a family (good role model).Then I knew a woman who was a professional, in her 40s, with a young child. A single mom. Why was she single? Her husband had recently and untimely passed away. She decided not to remarry.Bad parenting? No.Lack of role model? Very doubtful.I also knew a female who never married her son's father - they lived together as a family, and they had common household. Why? She was diagnosed with a terminal illness and did not want financial complications related to treatment (a huge issue in US) to burden her family. It's a personal decision.Bad parenting? Far from it.Lack of role model? Kind of pointless to ask.There are parents who are not emotionally equipped to be parents, and there are plain bad parents, and there are persons who become parents due to bad personal choices. I had not met them but I know that they exist.There are also cases when single moms become single due to abuse, and move away to protect themselves. I hope you're not calling this "bad parenting".You, however, do not appear to know that not all single parenting is bad (for parents and for the kids involved).