Is wanting deaf children cultural/parental?

CJB said:
It breaks my heart to see parents use deafness as a reason not to have more children. Just goes to show people really see deafness as less than hearing.
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Clearly I don't agree with that. I don't want to have more children because I think someone would end up getting left out. Either we would spend all our time with Miss Kat doing "Deaf family" things and the other kid would be left out, or we would end up forgetting to sign all the time, because it is easier, and Miss Kat would be left out.

I know I could not be the best mom I can be with another kid, so the responsible thing is not to have more.
 
CJB said:
It'd be kind of cool if there was a switch at birth program between hearing families with a deaf child and deaf families with a hearing child so the children could get the early language exposure they need. Of course that would divide the Deaf and hearing worlds even more but it would make a lot of childhoods happier too.
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Do you actually think that hearing parents would give up their children jut because they are deaf? That is sick:thumbd:
 
I don't get that. You'll be denying a person the wonderful experience of having Kat for a sister. And you'll be denying Kat the wonderful experience of having a younger sibling. The younger sibling will think that using sign language and being involved in the deaf community is a normal thing for your family. I hope that you reconsider when Kat gets a little older. It may be that you feel that your family is complete, and that's great. I just hope that you don't make the decision based on your daughter's hearing status.
 
sallylou said:
I don't get that. You'll be denying a person the wonderful experience of having Kat for a sister. And you'll be denying Kat the wonderful experience of having a younger sibling. The younger sibling will think that using sign language and being involved in the deaf community is a normal thing for your family. I hope that you reconsider when Kat gets a little older. It may be that you feel that your family is complete, and that's great. I just hope that you don't make the decision based on your daughter's hearing status.
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I do.

My mom wished she got her tubes tied before she met my stepdad. It's not she didn't love my sister... it's just she didn't like the favouritism that my stepdad displayed. (Not that I ever noticed any favouritism going on. O.o)
 
sallylou said:
I don't get that. You'll be denying a person the wonderful experience of having Kat for a sister. And you'll be denying Kat the wonderful experience of having a younger sibling. The younger sibling will think that using sign language and being involved in the deaf community is a normal thing for your family. I hope that you reconsider when Kat gets a little older. It may be that you feel that your family is complete, and that's great. I just hope that you don't make the decision based on your daughter's hearing status.
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:gpost:
 
CJB , this is especially much more difficult now in the era where Science can change just about anything....often at the whim of human's dissatisfactions.....
 
sallylou said:
I agree that eliminating genetic deafness will create more discrimination against the deaf. It's disturbing to hear the message that those of us who are deaf because of genetics need to be eliminated.
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I suggest we model after the Quebecois.

For every hearing kid, we shall produce TEN!

The hearies won't wipe us deafies out!

(Substitute "hearing" references to "English," and "deaf" references to French... and you get the whole mentality of the Quebecois... 150 years ago.)
 
souggy, I think that it's a different situation where there is a step parent. Step parents should accept and love step children as much as their own but that's not always the case.
 
CJB said:
OK I think people missed I was joking.

I was joking.

I wish more parents could accept their children they way they are.
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Oh, yes I missed that joke. I am glad and also wish the parents would accept their children.
 
Bottesini said:
Oh, yes I missed that joke. I am glad and also wish the parents would accept their children.
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All parents should accept their children whatever and whoever they are. :)

As for all this, it is largely the communication issues. The parents are likely to feel inadequate or bad when they feel stuck not able to understand or comfort their own child.
 
firetop said:
All parents should accept their children whatever and whoever they are. :)

As for all this, it is largely the communication issues. The parents are likely to feel inadequate or bad when they feel stuck not able to understand or comfort their own child.
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Sorry, I don't believe that. I am a Deaf child of hearing parents and Deaf grandparents, and a parent of two hearing children.

All generations of my family could understand and comfort their children.
 
sallylou said:
I don't get that. You'll be denying a person the wonderful experience of having Kat for a sister. And you'll be denying Kat the wonderful experience of having a younger sibling. The younger sibling will think that using sign language and being involved in the deaf community is a normal thing for your family. I hope that you reconsider when Kat gets a little older. It may be that you feel that your family is complete, and that's great. I just hope that you don't make the decision based on your daughter's hearing status.
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I agree. some siblings are so awesome to have to each other no matter what if they are hearing or Deaf. I have 4 hearing siblings. I had great childhood with my siblings.
 
The most comforting things to children are nonverbal--breastfeeding, a hug, rocking, a special comfy, etc. You don't have to be able to hear or talk to do any of these things.
 
Bottesini said:
Sorry, I don't believe that. I am a Deaf child of hearing parents and Deaf grandparents, and a parent of two hearing children.

All generations of my family could understand and comfort their children.
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You are blessed for that.

It may be more to the subconscious so it is up to the parent's own actions to decide what to do with this.
 
To me, I don't think having a deaf or hearing child should be important to you as long it's healthy, that is the main priority. But I do know it's the deaf culture that some deaf parents wants for their child!!
 
souggy said:
I think CJB was referring to the immoral debate of switching babies at birth... without the parents knowing about it.

Remind me of a case from Ghost Whisperer that involved kids that were switched without the parents' knowledge, and one of the kids died... and wanted to inform her birth mom.
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still no way, That child is part of me and my husband.

I have heard of hearing parents giving their children up because they are deaf. But I also heard of deaf parents giving their children up because they are hearing.
 
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