Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

People asking women when they will have children

  • 30-09-2015 9:26pm
    #1
    whatismyname
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,707 ✭✭✭


    Thought this was a share, although no doubt you may have already seen it.
    A Facebook message urging people not to plague women with questions about when they will have children has gone viral.

    Emily Bingham, a freelance writer based in Michigan, called on people to stop probing women about their fertility, warning that comments from friends, family or strangers can be upsetting when a woman's circumstances are not known.

    The post has been shared nearly 40,000 times, with scores of people applauding what she has said.

    Beneath an image of an ultrasound scan Ms Bingham wrote: “This is just a friendly P.S.A. that people's reproductive and procreative plans and decisions are none of your business. NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.”
    “Before you ask the young married couple that has been together for seemingly forever when they are finally gonna start a family ... before you ask the parents of an only-child toddler when a Little Brother or Little Sister will be in the works ... before you ask a single 30-something if/when s/he plans on having children because, you know, clock's ticking ... just stop.”

    “You don't know who is struggling with infertility or grieving a miscarriage or dealing with health issues. You don't know who is having relationship problems or is under a lot of stress or the timing just isn't right.”

    “You don't know who is on the fence about having kids or having more kids. You don't know who has decided it's not for them right now, or not for them ever.”

    “You don't know how your seemingly innocent question might cause someone grief, pain, stress or frustration… from my own experiences and hearing about many friends' experiences -- it more than likely does.”

    More at http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/womans-facebook-rant-against-people-who-ask-women-when-they-will-have-children-goes-viral-a6670596.html

    I definitely agree.

    No doubt people's intentions are almost always harmless, but you never know what people may be going through, or the reasons they may not yet be having children.

    If the person was planning to have kids, or was pregnant, and wanted you to know, I'm sure they would be telling you.

    I also feel similarly about often being asked if I've met a men yet. This was by one particular relative every time I saw her. 'Eh, no, still haven't managed that one. Thanks so much for the reminder. I'll be sure to let you know when I do. That's if you don't ask me first'.

    Yep, people's intentions no doubt almost always good, but we never know what may be going on behind the scenes.

    I first came across the above, when it was shared by a friend who had very recently announced that she is pregnant. She shared it with the words 'very true'.

    It's not something that I would have ever even thought of asking her (yep, none of my business), but if she and her husband were having problems conceiving (or any other of the above) and it was a question she'd been getting asked, it would definitely sadden me, as it's the last thing she would have needed. So, I'm definitely pleased if it got people thinking a bit.


Advertisement