"peso-peso"/Dominican Children to the top

That certainly has to be one of the most interesting threads i have ever read on this board.
When Mary told me about "peso-peso" i didn't have the foggiest idea of what she was talking about.
If we put aside the spat on deleting, what this thread has demonstrated is a very real preocupation for the poorest of the children.
Arcoiris: You mentioned that you work with a less popular group. What did you mean? And you said that you preferred to work directly instead of thru an organization. I can sure understand that!

Look, I have built schools in the countryside out of mud bricks, and 80% of the labor was done by kids. I have farmed and I have taught school at every level. The sum total of my experience is that kids need structure and structure is schooling. that is the long and the short of it.

In this country, as we talk, there must be 100 organizations trying to help the children. The Salesian Fathers have a program for the newspaper boys, Save the Children, CARE, and every missionary group you can shake a stick at is here helping out. Sometimes I think that the parents just sit back and take it all in. The other day at a local supermarket, I found a little boy and his sister on the second floor, where the office is, asking for pesos. I asked where he was from and he answered (Truthfully ? I can't tell you.): La Otra Banda, over 10 kms away!! On one side we have Planned Parenthood and the UN women's organization preaching birth control and on the other we have the Cardenal preaching hell's fire and brimstone against these same programs.....

I used to go to the local printers, the ones that made the school notebooks, and got all the rejects, and destributed them in the rural schools near my farms. Some of the kids didn't like the idea that their notebooks weren't perfect! But most were happy to get them. Now, with globalization, we import almost 100% of the notebooks and nobody gives away anything....

Loved this stream of ideas...hope we see something really interesting here...

HB

Cardenal Lopez Rodriguez is out of touch with reality and too busy "politiquiando". I'd like to continue this discussion Hillbilly, but now I have to finish a paper :-(

Best regards,
Natasha

Think maybe you're right....

We pondered long and hard before tying the cords after 4 Ceasarians....by that time we also had 7 "Hijos de Crianza" and it sort of seemed enough. But the Faith is a hard master and we did have to think about it.

That was 24 years ago, the whole world has changed and still they preach ( and what is worse in my book-exagerate) the evils of planning.

I dispise abortions-especially nowadays with so many other options available-but planning? They (the Church) has to wake up....

HB

Re: Think maybe you're right....

Wow, HB 4 ceaserians, whew! Your wife deserves a medal and then some I was a c-section baby myself and so was my younger sister. I was 8 when she was born, almost a 9 ponder and today a towering 5' 11" 23 year old!!! Mom tied the tubes after that ;-)

I am all for save methods of family planning and family planning education. Funny thing is that hubby and I are starting to "feel" some societal and familial pressures to start a family. When we go to SD, I have to bear the brunt of the questions as to why after two years of marriage we don't have a child yet. Grandmother particularly looks puzzled Since hubby doesn't speak much Spanish, he leaves it to me to do the "explaining" ;-)
I am even more surprised that here in the US there are real pressures too, not just in the DR. We definitely look forward to having children in the future.

Best regards,
Natasha

Re: Think maybe you're right....

Hi Natasha!

I can definitely relate! Our first couple of years after the wedding we were subjected to many looks, inquiries, jokes and ribbing about children. Unlike your husband, I spoke Spanish and had to field these almost as often as my wife did.

My suegra in particular made many hints, but thankfully in her wonderfully humorous, light & diplomatic way. I fully understood her anxiousness -- she was not yet a grandmother at 50+, unheard of in her family. And she so adores children...

My wife's grandmother also tended to ask frequently -- at least once she got over the shock of her favorite granddaughter marrying a gringo and we became friends. She is in her 90's, so of course she was anxious to see the great-grandkids grow before her time is up.

As you know, my wife was 29 when we married and it was fully five years before we had the twins. So by the time we announced the pregnancy to the SD-based family, most of them had long given up on us having children (just as they made the mistake of thinking my wife would never marry once she entered her mid-20's without being engaged!). I must say, though, that Mama had kept the faith!

The Ripleys, by contrast, did not worry about it. They were quite happy that I had finally found the right person for me, and they adored her. Children would be a delightful addition, but it'd not be a tragedy if we chose not to have them. Part of the laid-back attitude probably had something to do with the fact that there were already 3 grandkids. Also, with a doctor in the family that delivered babies, everyone fully understood that starting as "late" as we did could mean that we might not get kids except by adoption...

Don't let anyone rush you, Natasha. As I think you and I have discussed before, I firmly believe in spending the first couple of years in marriage cementing and deepening the bond between husband and wife. You'll need all that mutual understanding and strength once the children do come, and then some!
Best Regards,
Keith

P.S. After the SD-based family got over the wonder of the twins, lobbying by them began (still get inquiries to this day) for more kids! We just smile and say, no thanks, the twins are more than enough for us to handle!

Re: Think maybe you're right....

I HEAR YOU KEITH!!!

You are right, we won't let anyone pressure us, but it's sooooo funny to see them hinting, suggesting, even advicing, oh well. The other day I was talking with my grandmother on the phone and I said that by the time all is said and done we might just have "time" to have one child. She almost fainted. Having one child is worse than having no child at all in her book. "Como le van hacer eso a esa criatura? Siempre se necesita por lo menos a un hermanito o una hermanita." Did you hear that? HOW can you do THAT to your child. Good Lord...LOL! Both of my parents are in their 50's, no grandkids yet and remember, my younger sis is 23 so no kids from her in a LONG time. Guess where their hopes lie? Hubby's parents have two grandchildren so they are a bit more relaxed, but just a bit.

Let me say publicly that you have beautiful children!! They are adorable and they are so well behave may I add. Oni and you have done a great job

Best regards,
Natasha