Odd Question: How do you feel about couple's with Downs Syndrome having children?

[Brampton_Boy]

A friend of mind introduced me to the show "Down for Love", which is a Netflix series that explores people with Down Syndrome (and other cognitive impairments) finding love. It's a fascinating and quite moving show, but in one of the episodes, they talk about a couple with downs syndrome starting their own family.

My initial reaction was that this would be a bad idea - taking care of a child requires significant emotional and financial resources and child rearing seems beyond the scope of their intellectual capacity. My friend thought I was a monster and said that people with Down Syndrome should have the same opportunities as anyone else. While I can understand the emotional aspect of that argument, the realist in me says that it puts a child at a significant disadvantage to be raised by parents with Downs.

What say you Mayberry?

Tangential question - how do you feel about people with who don't suffer from Downs dating those that do? One of the examples on the show was an autistic teenager who was intellectually advanced (but socially awkward) paired with a girl with downs syndrome. That also raised some red flags for me.

 

[Osculater]

I guess as long it is not hereditary and the families help out

 

[Osculater]

A friend of mind introduced me to the show "Down for Love", which is a Netflix series that explores people with Down Syndrome (and other cognitive impairments) finding love. It's a fascinating and quite moving show, but in one of the episodes, they talk about a couple with downs syndrome starting their own family.

My initial reaction was that this would be a bad idea - taking care of a child requires significant emotional and financial resources and child rearing seems beyond the scope of their intellectual capacity. My friend thought I was a monster and said that people with Down Syndrome should have the same opportunities as anyone else. While I can understand the emotional aspect of that argument, the realist in me says that it puts a child at a significant disadvantage to be raised by parents with Downs.

What say you Mayberry?

Tangential question - how do you feel about people with who don't suffer from Downs dating those that do? One of the examples on the show was an autistic teenager who was intellectually advanced (but socially awkward) paired with a girl with downs syndrome. That also raised some red flags for me.

Did the girl with downs at least had a nice body?

 

[subtlySteve]

A friend of mind introduced me to the show "Down for Love", which is a Netflix series that explores people with Down Syndrome (and other cognitive impairments) finding love. It's a fascinating and quite moving show, but in one of the episodes, they talk about a couple with downs syndrome starting their own family.

My initial reaction was that this would be a bad idea - taking care of a child requires significant emotional and financial resources and child rearing seems beyond the scope of their intellectual capacity. My friend thought I was a monster and said that people with Down Syndrome should have the same opportunities as anyone else. While I can understand the emotional aspect of that argument, the realist in me says that it puts a child at a significant disadvantage to be raised by parents with Downs.

What say you Mayberry?

It's understandable that some might have concerns about individuals with Down syndrome starting their own families, given the complex emotional, financial, and intellectual demands of raising a child. However, it's essential to recognize that people with Down syndrome, like everyone else, have a range of abilities, strengths, and support networks.

Rather than making assumptions based on perceived limitations, it's essential to consider each person's unique circumstances, abilities, and aspirations.

As long as they've got the love, the resources, and the support, they should have the chance to make that choice for themselves.

Tangential question - how do you feel about people with who don't suffer from Downs dating those that do? One of the examples on the show was an autistic teenager who was intellectually advanced (but socially awkward) paired with a girl with downs syndrome. That also raised some red flags for me.

If the relationship is based on mutual respect, consent, and genuine affection, I support it regardless of the cognitive abilities of the individuals involved.

 

[Bob Gray]

It's a fair question. But ultimately, there's not a lot that's worse for a child than never having existed. Barring some kind terrible abuse, which I don't see coming from DS parents, it's hard to say "no, you can't have children" to a couple that's ready and willing to love and raise them. That's even beside the conversation of how you'd enforce such a scenario.

That said, I know absolutely nothing about how children of parents with DS turn out, statistically speaking. I don't even know the likelihood of them having a child with DS. So there's a lot of unknowns for me, but ultimately forcing a couple to not have children against their will is too big a step to take against peopes freedoms without some kind of compelling reason(s).

 

[Sweater of AV]

If manlets can have kids together then surely people with Down syndrome can as well.

 

[Brampton_Boy]

It's understandable that some might have concerns about individuals with Down syndrome starting their own families, given the complex emotional, financial, and intellectual demands of raising a child. However, it's essential to recognize that people with Down syndrome, like everyone else, have a range of abilities, strengths, and support networks.

Rather than making assumptions based on perceived limitations, it's essential to consider each person's unique circumstances, abilities, and aspirations.

As long as they've got the love, the resources, and the support, they should have the chance to make that choice for themselves.



If the relationship is based on mutual respect, consent, and genuine affection, I support it regardless of the cognitive abilities of the individuals involved.

Thank you for this well thought out post. One of the things I learned from the show is that people who have Downs can exist on a broad spectrum of ability (intellectual and physical). One of the girls was a voracious reader and spoke eloquently, while another boy was much more limited in his verbal and linguistic capabilities.

 

[Shaun K]

Im down with it

 

[nostradumbass]

I think males with down syndrome are infertile, and only women with down syndrome can have kids.

Not sure about the other questions. Depending on the severity, I don't know that some could even get a marriage license, so presumably getting one pregnant might be illegal too for a normal person.

 

[Long Dark Blues]

 

[Bacco]

Even before wonder about further complex thing like downs having sons, would say world should be fixed to made their life decent to begin with

 

[bandicoot]

Let them bang, bro

 

[zapataxiv]

it sounds needed
the WR has a high turnover rate

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

It’s a complex question. On the one hand parenting is a fucking huge responsibility. On the other, I cannot think of a more fundamental human right than to have a family. From a purely biological perspective the purpose of life is to procreate.


At the end of the day we don’t stop addicts and the mentally ill from having children, and if the state needs to step in and remove the children from a dangerous situation then so be it. Apply the same standards to the mentally disabled. If they objectively can’t take care of the children then the children need to be removed.

 

[Roop Holstry]

I’m 100 percent OK with it. If people stopped this sort of thing from happening I would have never been born

 

[MDoza]

Seems like a terrible idea to have people who can’t live independently being responsible for taking care of someone else.

 

[blaseblase]

It's a fair question. But ultimately, there's not a lot that's worse for a child than never having existed.

This is a very silly statement. Technically every sperm cell that you don't deposit into a woman could be a child that never existed. And even if you ejaculate into a woman and get her pregnant there's 100 million sperm that didnt make it.

 

[StonedLemur]

A friend of mind introduced me to the show "Down for Love", which is a Netflix series that explores people with Down Syndrome (and other cognitive impairments) finding love. It's a fascinating and quite moving show, but in one of the episodes, they talk about a couple with downs syndrome starting their own family.

My initial reaction was that this would be a bad idea - taking care of a child requires significant emotional and financial resources and child rearing seems beyond the scope of their intellectual capacity. My friend thought I was a monster and said that people with Down Syndrome should have the same opportunities as anyone else. While I can understand the emotional aspect of that argument, the realist in me says that it puts a child at a significant disadvantage to be raised by parents with Downs.

What say you Mayberry?

Tangential question - how do you feel about people with who don't suffer from Downs dating those that do? One of the examples on the show was an autistic teenager who was intellectually advanced (but socially awkward) paired with a girl with downs syndrome. That also raised some red flags for me.

Shit, they can't be worse parents than some of the absolute trash parents that are out there sir.

 

[Bob Gray]

This is a very silly statement. Technically every sperm cell that you don't deposit into a woman could be a child that never existed. And even if you ejaculate into a woman and get her pregnant there's 100 million sperm that didnt make it.

Ok.

 

[My name is]

I'd rather this than seeing 2 year old boys in a dress