Spendocrat,
Thankyou for giving me a lecture, (eg “Get it? Of course you don't.”)

To help make up my mind regards families, I have looked through much data, including :-

Australian Youth Facts and Stats
http://www.youthfacts.com.au/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=214&op=page
Marriage, Children and Subjective Wellbeing-
http://www.melbourneinstitute.com/hilda/Biblio/cp/conf-p01.pdf
“Does marriage improve the wages of men and women in Australia?”
http://acsr.anu.edu.au/APA2004/papers/7D_Breusch.pdf
“Marriage and mental health “
http://aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/fm2002/fm62/dd.pdf
"When the difference is night and day"
http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/afrc8/parkinson.pdf

These are just a few of the studies I have read through, and as a partial summary:-
-People are easily lead by propaganda
-Never believe anecdotal evidence
-Never believe anything from an organisation that excludes males
-Be highly suspect of someone who calls themselves a feminist
-Be highly suspect of anyone when they talk about “choice”
-Be highly suspect of someone who calls other people lots of names.
-The number of couples with no children are significantly increasing.
-The number of single person households are significantly increasing.
-The present rate of divorce and separation creates an enormous amount of economic and emotional cost to society.
-Much data about de facto relationships and single parent families is being hidden
-Widespread patriarchy in families is a myth.
-Males and fathers are being purposely demonised by certain sections of society
-The Family Court does not carry out required Risk Assessment processes when determining the best interests of the child, or of anybody else.
-Divorced women, or women in single parent families are generally less wealthy, less happy, and less healthy than women in marriage.
-Children are generally better off in married families than in other family types.
-Society is unsustainable with our current family systems, and the longer the delay in doing something about it, the more difficult it is going to become for people in the future.

However the above is a partial summary only of what I think, but it is based on a considerable amount of experience and personal research into it all

ENAJ said
<<it's ..enlightening to see members of the powerful group telling members of the less powerful group that they are happier without power. Its like telling women they are better at doing the boring, low paid jobs because they have such good attention to detail.>>

Point taken Enaj, but I would prefer we didn't see things in terms of 'competitive power relationships', which is the fundamental flaw I believe in our current view of male female relationships.
An assumption in your words suggest that males in 'authority' positions, will always use that for some kind of ego gratifiying dominance.

Timkins has a lot of research suggesting that the current approach has serious failings, as demonstrated by various 'happiness' studies and the levels of marraige breakdown. Personally, I think when you put 2 strong wills in a marraige, both with ideas of leadership, you will have the same result as a footy team with 2 captains. Its not really workable.

But a captain of a team, always has the best interests of the team at heart. The biblical concept of leadership is in fact servanthood.
When Christ took the towell and washed the disciples feet, do you know what he said ?

John 13
12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16

He also said:
11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep

On Husbands and wives, Paul taught consistently with this:

"Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church, and gave himself up for her"

If we followed a sacrificial committment to each other, society would be much healthier and happier.

btw, your comments (enaj and Tim) are always appreciated.

Enaj, spendo, Mahatma,
How do you regard the articles statement on the status perception of children?

I am beginning to believe that it is a symptom of the modern age that people are looking for a ‘status’ – although I see that it is perhaps just in a certain portion of society. Personally, I don’t know of any child-bearing adult (male or female) who considers their children a symbol. But I can see it in some sections, where it is more of an expectation, to be considered part of the ‘successful’ person. Perhaps this is the problem? A definition of success in life?

I have begun to attribute this phenomenon to what I call the ‘merchandising culture’ of today. One thing I have noticed of recent times is that everywhere one looks, one sees advertising for something ‘we need’ – I even saw it vaguely masked on a morning news show as a ‘news article’ but I’m really not surprised.

Having recently made a conscious choice to downsize my material possessions to what I consider basic and, although not always essential, desired for a simple life, it seems that perhaps our culture of marketing is getting out of hand? I understand the rudimentaries of economics but surely more should be given to the intangible, long term strategies that produce contentment, rather than the material, short term.

Just some thoughts…

Reason,
Interesting question, as I said early on, I do think modern parents want their kids to reflect well on their status, hence the headlong rush into expensive private schools. It's almost as important to be a (fill in elite private school here) mum or dad as it is to be a student. You should watch them preening themselves at middle class dinner parties when asked what school their kids go to!
However, I don't think pursuit of status through their kids is exclusive to mums. Dads are just as guilty, and just as human.
Stay at home mothers, however, may be more vulnerable to trying to live their lives (and therefore seeking status) through their kids, because they don't have any other outlet, and, as I keep pointing out, much as we might want mums to be perfect, they ain't, never will be, and will always be just as flawed and human as dads.

Dear old Timkins,
I didn't call anyone names, may I gently suggest to you that my opening was meant as a jocular introduction, following on from the very amusing "talk like a pirate day" posts? Perhaps its not just feminists who find it hard to take a joke.

Most people do consider their children 'symbols' of their 'success'... at least when they are well-dressed and looking adorable, and just got a gold star at school... Those same parents probably try and look the other way when the kid has jumped in a mud puddle and is thowing a tantram in the middle of the supermarket!

This dosn't make them bad parents- it makes them human. We all preen a little bit when something has gone right. For ourselves, or those we love.

And fathers do it just as much as mothers!

more pirate-speak please!

ps - I asked a friend recently if she and her partner planned to have kids. The answer was a very difinitive NO. The reason: it's too hard, too expensive and too much pressure to keep up with everyone else. They didn't want to commit to having to buy the child everything it would need to keep up with the Jones' children.