Many couples dream of getting a lot of kids. What could be better than a huge friendly company of family people? But the problems of large families stop, if not all, then many. What kind of help can parents expect from the state, and is it worth waiting for outside support? What are the forms and methods for solving the problems of large families?
The concept
Large families are considered families in which three or more children have not reached the age of majority. Stepsons, stepdaughters and adopted children are also included in this concept. The statistics of 2017 suggests that in Russia there are about 1 million 250 thousand large families. Unfortunately, such data are not at all encouraging, because all the experts say that they are at risk. The chance of becoming a criminal in a child from a large family is 2-2.5 times higher than that of a born in an average cell of society. In addition, the difficult financial situation only increases the percentage of offenders every year. We will try to understand the main problems of modern large families.
Material security
In a large family and its basic problems, money plays an important role. After the birth of a child, any woman has the right to maternity leave. But if the children appear with a difference of 1-5 years, then it is likely that such a mother will not come to work soon or never at all. All worries about security fall on father's shoulders. A family with three children can still count on a pretty decent living for one salary. But only a very wealthy person can dress, shoe and learn 5-10 children. Therefore, the lion's share of large families falls on the layer of society with a low standard of living. The average family has only 1.15 children.
Some are counting on a monthly child allowance. But these payments are so miserable that the child does not have enough even for bread. Children have to go out with outstretched hand. It’s not accepted to feel sorry for such families, and you can often hear the following phrases: “They gave birth, now bring them up yourself”, “Poverty is born”, “You had to think before breeding in such numbers.” Modern society has forgotten that large families are the pillar of the state. The appearance of a second child in the family is already a rarity. The decisive factor was and remains the issue of material support.
Due to the fact that incomes in large families are extremely low, there are problems with providing the most necessary items: clothes, shoes, school supplies. Kids are not able to attend kindergarten, and most families with many families cannot afford summer vacations.
Housing problem of large families
It would seem that the state should support its citizens and encourage their desire for the birth of children. There are programs to improve housing conditions, subsidies are provided, but all this is done in order of priority. Money for these needs are taken from the regional budget. Some regions will have to wait 20 years or more. But far from everyone can get this housing.
Improvement of living conditions is possible for those families whose house or apartment has an area less than that in this region. No less important factor will be the financial situation. The family should be recognized as poor and not able to acquire housing on their own. If the income exceeds the cost of living, a refusal will be received. The exception is families who do not have any property at all. The status of a poor family and the lack of housing will have to be confirmed every year.
If in villages and villages the picture still does not look so pessimistic, then in cities the problem has already reached enormous proportions. The scale of housing construction is declining; there is no way to buy an apartment using our own funds. Families with a large number of minor children are forced to huddle in a small amount of square meters. Young children are constrained in their movements, which can lead to passivity in the development of a child’s personality. Often the lack of personal space is reflected in the internal moods in the family. Frequent scandals and conflicts also affect the psychological state of children.
Social side
As a rule, large families for a more comfortable stay create their own social circle. Sometimes this is even a closed society - only relatives interact with each other. Children in such families avoid contact with peers, preferring to spend time at home, while the rest of the children receive the necessary social communication skills. The reason for this behavior lies in the banal unwillingness to face ridicule and bullying. Old or outdated clothes, lack of toys, expensive phones, pocket money - all this can become a reason for the manifestation of negativity on the part of children from more prosperous children.
Parents suffer no less. For the most part, society does not approve or understand such a way of life. The state is not able to solve the social problems of large families. It all depends on society. Mothers with many children face condemnation and misunderstanding of their position in life. Instead of support and friendly participation, they get perplexed looks and frank contempt. This is due to the fact that in recent decades, women have become increasingly interested in careers and the development of their own potential. The overwhelming majority nevertheless fulfills the main purpose, but practically no one wants to give birth again or start a large family.
Such women can be understood, because in such a difficult time it is not easy to raise one child to his feet. But this does not mean that you need to condemn those who decide to have a large family. According to statistics, already out of 100 women of childbearing age, 25 refuse to give birth to children at all and want to devote their lives only to their needs. Therefore, a mother who decides to give birth to more than one child should not cause condemnation, but society’s approval.
Health
This is one of the main problems of large families in Russia. Health is directly dependent on immunity, which simply cannot be strong due to a lack of good nutrition. In large families, products such as fish, fruits, vegetables, meat rarely appear on the table or are completely absent. If one child gets the flu or another viral disease, then the whole family is likely to get sick. Living on a small amount of square meters contributes to this. And if you consider that the time of infection can be different for everyone, then the disease can settle in the family for several weeks or even months!
Units are addressed to the hospital for help. Families with many children prefer home treatment. The doctor’s call is postponed until the moment the situation becomes critical. Since there is no money for high-quality antibiotics, grandmother's recipes are used. Often the result of such procedures is hospitalization and even disability of the child.
Infectious childhood diseases are also of great danger to the mother herself. Especially if at this moment she is in the process of bearing the next baby. For example, rubella can lead to an emergency abortion. There is a small plus - if one baby gets measles or chickenpox, then everyone else will get infected and get sick at the same time.
Intestinal infections are also the main problem of large families - if one gets sick, the whole family will be forced to go through this test. It is necessary to monitor the hygiene of all children and control the quality and shelf life of products. Toys brought from the street must be treated with detergent.
It is no secret that children from such families are prone to bad habits. By contacting the wrong company, they start smoking and drinking alcohol early. Now both of these bad habits are successfully replacing drugs. From an early age, they already begin to sniff glue and smoke weed, and later switch to heavier drugs and mixtures. This problem of large families in the Russian Federation leads to an increase in the number of juvenile delinquents. It is practically impossible to keep such teenagers under control: even if they end up in juvenile colonies, they leave them already seasoned criminals and continue to lead a marginal lifestyle.
Education
This is another of the main problems of large families in Russia. Parents are not able to give pre-school education and prepare the child for the educational process due to lack of funds. Often children do not even attend kindergartens and have limited spiritual and cultural development. This leads to gaps in knowledge and a low level of education.
Another problem is the lack of a personal place to study in the house. A large number of children and a lack of square meters practically make it impossible to retire and sit at textbooks. Noise, din and other factors also do not contribute to homework. Even if the child quickly remembers everything and understands what the teacher is talking about, then at home he does not have the opportunity to consolidate the material he has learned.
Graduation from high school does not at all mean that higher education will follow. To enter the budget department, you need to have very good exam results or a decent amount of money. As a rule, the child has neither one nor the other. The problems of large families and ways to solve them in the field of education fall on the shoulders of a specialist in social work. The work of such people brings tangible results, since in recent years, attention to the needs of the child has increased significantly. Timely intervention of specialists can give children not only a chance to get a good education, but also avoid many problems in the future.
Employment
This is an urgent problem for large families. Getting a job with several underage children is almost impossible. Even if you have a lot of experience and the right level of education. The main reason for the refusal may be the employer's concerns about regular care leave. Even assurances that the spouse is sitting at home and will provide proper care to the children will not help. Everyone understands that the employee has the right to take a sick leave, and no one wants to take risks.
According to statistics, 48% of large families have an income below the subsistence level. 31% of the able-bodied have no work and are not even looking for it. Rare and insignificant assistance from the state does not cover all needs. Flexible working hours are rare for enterprises in the Russian Federation. Mothers with many children can hardly get a job - such workers are undesirable in any field of activity.
Legal and legal issues
Despite the fact that large families are aware that the state is obliged to help them solve problems, the bulk do not understand what actions are required on their part. For years, they have been trying to cope with difficulties on their own due to insufficient information. Of course, the state cannot take on the full solution of the problems of large families, but it is quite capable of significantly improving the standard of living.
Ignorance of the law sometimes leads to the fact that people do not even try to get their allowances and subsidies. A large family and problems in its social security are the main sign that parents are not interested in what is rightfully theirs. In order not to fall into such a situation, you need to contact a specialist in social work. He will tell you about all the family benefits that a family needs and will help solve most of the problems. Often, parents do not know that they are legally entitled to receive free hot meals for their children, clothes, shoes, and basic necessities. This is far from all: payments, benefits, allowances, housing improvements, education, medical, legal and psychological assistance. The list is quite extensive and covers many areas of life.
Timely seeking help can not only significantly improve the financial situation, but also solve the problem with housing conditions. Collection of certificates and documents will not take much time. But the sooner the family seeks help, the greater the chance of timely support from the state.
Parenting
Keeping track of even two children can be difficult. But what if the mother has five or even ten in her arms? If the family has 1-2 children, then parents have time to delve into all the problems and needs of the baby. Without close attention, the normal development of the child is almost impossible. Even an experienced teacher will not be able to raise children without giving them enough time.
In such families, the child does not feel like a person - only part of a large team. He will have problems with self-realization, and most likely, in the future he will begin to prove his uniqueness and assert himself by any means available. No less evil is the competition between brothers and sisters. The struggle for the attention of parents is ongoing. It is necessary to send children to kindergarten. For large families, benefits are provided and the cost is reduced to 30% of the total. Considering that the child will receive four meals a day, a good sleep and communication with peers is not such a big fee.
The psychological problems of large families are also of great importance. As a rule, the role of the head is assigned to the pope, and he is considered an indisputable authority. But in a family with many children, a woman often takes on this function. She is always nearby, participates in all conflicts of children and analyzes all situations. Without the proper influence of the father, who is forced to work from morning to night, the boys grow up with biased concepts and will not be able to properly build relationships with women in the future.
Inexplicable but the fact
Studies have confirmed that the higher the level of income in the family, the more often the installation is made for one child. Good living conditions, prestigious work and a full social package do not guarantee that tomorrow will be the same. Families with an average income are much more likely to decide on a second, third or even sixth child. All this is quite simple to explain - everyone has different needs. If in one family the presence of food in the refrigerator and winter clothes in the closet is an adequate standard of living, for others the birth of another child and the refusal of an annual trip abroad or buying a new car is a significant blow to material well-being. People who have every opportunity to create a large and well-to-do family consciously refuse this, choosing in favor of entertainment and excesses.
The exception is completely dysfunctional families. Even experts are not able to understand why an alcoholic mother gives birth to children one after another. She does not seek help from social services, does not respond to the arrival of employees from the guardianship service. For such a woman, having children is just a given. She became pregnant in a drunken stupor and gave birth. There is no money for contraception, there is no desire to interrupt the pregnancy. Children from such families can be seen on the streets of the city. They are dirty, ragged and go in a small flock. At first they ask for alms, and when they mature, they begin to steal. In addition, cases of the birth of an alcoholic mother of sick and disabled children are not uncommon. As a rule, such a child is taken to a baby’s house, and then to a specialized clinic.
Solution of problems
All the difficulties associated with raising a large number of children have been repeatedly expressed in petitions and raised during the discussion in the State Duma. Some issues are being resolved, but not as fast and not in the vein as most Russians would like. The problems of large families and ways to solve them should concern the deputies in the first place, because this is the mainstay of the state. The demographic situation leaves much to be desired, and such issues should always be a priority for consideration!
Based on numerous suggestions to improve the quality of life in large families, several key ones can be identified and ways to address them can be voiced:
- Give children the opportunity to attend circles and sections for free.
- Define the concept of "large parents" and "large families" by law.
- Return the right to an extraordinary receipt of land.
- Provide children with free school uniforms, supplies and textbooks.
- Release one of the children from military service.
- To provide an opportunity to enter on a budgetary basis in higher and secondary vocational educational institutions.
- Free trips for children to summer and winter holiday camps.
- Preferential queue for housing or improving housing conditions.
Even such small changes can bring great benefits to large families and strengthen their position in society.