If we’re talking about parental encouragement, there’s another issue. It’s much easier as a parent to admit to having made a mistake in one’s career choice and encourage one’s child to do better than it is for a parent to admit to their child’s face that they made a mistake in their reproductive decision. So if you engage in serious discussion of rational reproductive decisions, some pretty unpleasant conclusions may be forthcoming...
Very good point. Moreover, there is a social norm of not interfering with others’ parenting, except in cases of outright abuse. A parent can’t even point out someone else to their child as an example of bad parenting without committing a socially hostile act.
If we’re talking about parental encouragement, there’s another issue. It’s much easier as a parent to admit to having made a mistake in one’s career choice and encourage one’s child to do better than it is for a parent to admit to their child’s face that they made a mistake in their reproductive decision. So if you engage in serious discussion of rational reproductive decisions, some pretty unpleasant conclusions may be forthcoming...
Very good point. Moreover, there is a social norm of not interfering with others’ parenting, except in cases of outright abuse. A parent can’t even point out someone else to their child as an example of bad parenting without committing a socially hostile act.