Pars Today

Welcome to this week's episode of the series "Iranian Family". Today, numerous married couples have become hesitant in having children, partly due to the surging expenses, and lack of welfare.

Entry to the modern world, and familiarization of people with industrial teachings, especially Western views, set the stage for a change in the lifestyle of some families, such that numerous manifestations of Western lifestyle infiltrated the lives of Muslims; thereby plaguing contemporary families with doubts about having children.

Currently, some couples name surging expenses, and lack of welfare under the current circumstances, as contributing factors to their hesitance in having children. This unwelcome development, in addition to obstruction of the new demographic policies of countries; counters the divine prudence in the world of creation. In the world that we live in, birth and reproduction is one of the laws of nature. This phenomenon takes place in plants, trees, animals and mankind.

The desire of mankind for survival, is only met via giving birth to children. The existing equations in the lives of married couples change with the birth of their children. The birth of a child is the most significant blessing which can be bestowed on a married couple. what is your opinion on this matter? Do you think that married couples who have children are happier than couples who don't, or vice versa? In order to find the answer to this question, let's pay a glance at the importance of children in reinforcement of familial ties.

When we study the reasons behind separation of spouses, one of the related root causes is not having children. Absence of children causes a vacuum in the lives of families, resulting in a lack of interest in married life. Based on a body of studies, carried out in Iran, childless families are highly vulnerable and fragile.

Islamic teachings highly value and cherish children. Based on Islamic narrations, being kind to children is highly rewarded. Such a parental outlook toward children, contributes toward reinforcement of familial bonds.

The well-known researcher, Hoffman, carried out a research on married couples who had children. He concluded that having children contributes to the approval of married couples in the community. He enumerates a number of reasons for having children. Children, through their presence, reinforce the status of adults, especially women, granting them social identity. Furthermore, children, via their activities at school, their neighborhood, and healthy entertainment centers, form a bond between their parents and the community. Children grow up based on the religious beliefs of their parents. In the view of Hoffman, children grant credibility to their parents and end their loneliness. Children also grant joy and happiness to their families. Children develop and grow the merits and qualifications of their parents.

Given that one of the goals of creation is the growth and development of mankind, the terms of children's upbringing play a paramount role. Parents make use of their wisdom and prudence to develop the lives of their children; elevating and growing themselves in the process. Based on a number of studies, the main changes and developments in married couples' characteristic traits take place throughout their parental roles. Hence, parental experience plays a decisive role in the elevation and growth of married couples.

Marriage and having children paves the way for the fulfillment and materialization of the potentials of couples, and leads to emergence of ethical virtues in them. The paternal figures in the family is duty-bound to support his family, which results in his spiritual growth, and patience.

Married men mainly pursue their goals and seek success. They want to be problem-solvers. They look at their job as an integral part of their identity. Meanwhile, women mainly want to belong to somewhere, and to meet the current needs of their lives.

MR/ME