In Anticipation of Max or Shaedyn
by Anton Kelly
In about eight weeks little Max or Shaedyn will arrive in this world and change the lives my wife and I share forever. Our first baby has been a long time in the planning and much fun in the making, and as it grows by the day so too does our excitement. Tempering my own anticipation are the concerns that only a father can have. I hope I will be a good Dad.
The prospect of becoming a father has seen me take stock of the world in which my child will live. It is a world where religious fundamentalists seek to wipe out western culture, and where what seems to be an ever-growing tide of socialism would have people believe that they do not exist for themselves, but for others. It is a world in which governments to varying degrees have long since overstepped their legitimate functions, to interfere with and regulate nearly every aspect of life.
As with any parent, the health and education of my child will be of utmost importance to me. Despite the fact that I want to take absolute responsibility for my child, the government believes the health and education of my child is its responsibility. New Zealand's health and education systems are funded by taxes taken by force. The public health system is an underfunded shambles which routinely denies people vital healthcare, and my wife and I have taken out private medical insurance to ensure our child's health needs will be adequately met. The public education system is also in a dire mess. Unfortunately my child will probably not get the private education I want for him as, unlike with health care, we cannot afford to pay twice.
The discipline of my child is another area in which the government would interfere. Calls to outlaw the smacking of children are increasing in this country and it is only a matter of time before the law is changed. I would like to think I can raise my child without raising a hand against him, but I am a realist. Children cannot be always be reasoned with, and the occasional smack is going to be inevitable.
I believe it is up to me how I raise my child, not the government. I will do a better job. Although there are many factors in the world that I have little or no control over, I will do my best to guide my child through the opening phases of his life. I will try to give him the best possible start by playing with him and teaching him as much as I can from the very day he is born. When the time comes for him to go to school I will endeavour to combat the negative effects of our sub-standard education system by teaching him to question everything and to think for himself. Above all I will teach him that his highest purpose in life is his own happiness.
I have no way of knowing what kind of adult my child will turn out to be, but I take on the challenge willingly. The world is a great place filled with wonderful things and I am looking forward to experiencing it again through a child’s eyes. In a way I will be reliving my own childhood the way it should have been.
I am looking forward to being the person Max or Shaedyn calls Dad.
Discuss this Article (11 messages)
|
