The world's worst reason for pregnancy

Jeanne Sager, a blogger for the Stir, claims that Katie Holmes has offered the world's worst reason for pregnancy. What is this horrible reason? In Katie Holmes words, "Suri would love a brother or sister to play with. I think it would be good for her. It’s hard to say no to her." Why is this a horrible reason? Because Sager has chosen to have only one child and has this line of logic thrown in her face quite often when people find out she has only one child.

Sager has every reason to be upset about being questioned by friends and strangers alike about her decision to have one child, especially since the supposed desires of that one child are being used against her. She and her husband made a decision based on real and viable reasons: a happy one child childhood, problems in pregnancy, money issues.

Sager has no justification for turning around and critiquing other people's reasoning for their decisions regarding children. My wife and I wanted to give our daughter a sibling. We thought that was important, despite a tight financial reality and a rough experience with pregnancy. We also both wanted at least two children and my wife wanted one boy and one girl. So there were other reasons, as I am sure there are in the case of Katie Holmes. I doubt she is procuring a baby for her daughter in the way that she would procure a toy, as Sager alleges. Also, while Sager is right that kids don't have to bear the responsibilities of additional children, they certainly are impacted by the decision and their interests ought to be considered. And again, no one is letting a little girl make this decision.

What Sager does her is create a straw man, a wildly exaggerated argument, in order to attack a celebrity who makes an easy target because of her husband and his antics and religion. She is taking the anger she has regarding how her decision has been viewed, and working it out by attacking someone else and their decision. She isn't evil for doing it. Most of us have done it. It's often difficult for all of us to get past our own insecurities and be objective. It is, however, worth trying to do.