I recently saw part of a programme about women who leave their children. It was written and presented by some stupid bint of a journalist (a journalist? She writes for The Sun - that's not a journalist, that's just someone who makes indecipherable scratches in the dirt) whom I cannot stand anyway, and who strikes me as entirely being 'holier than thou'.
Anyway, from the half of the programme that I saw, the general jist of her beliefs, and that of her friends (which of course means every single woman in society believes the same) is that women who leave their children are evil, selfish cunts. Of course.
Apart from when they got a sociologist on to talk about it, the general consensus was that women who leave their children deserve to die. They're sub-human. They don't deserve any sympathy, or help, or even understanding. Nope, of course not, as according to 'mothers' they have comitted the original and worst sin.
There was no exception to their rule. It didn't matter if a woman left out of illness (mental or physical), abuse, or because it was the best/only option. Whatever the reason, these women are the epitome of selfishness. Of course, if a woman is mentally or physically ill, then the best thing for her to do is to stay with her kids and make them ill. It's a great idea for a severely depressed or suicidal mother to stay with her children. It's a great idea for a woman who abuses her children or husband to stay in the family home. It's a great idea that when a marriage dissolves and a woman leaves her husband but has nowhere to live, she drags her kids from pillar to post. Yeah. All of that is a great idea.
Throughout everything that was being said, there were undertones of it being socially acceptable that men leave families. That it was normal, or "just one of those things". Really? It's socially acceptable now? Why isn't it socially acceptable for a woman to do so? They are no more of a parent than their father is. It's a 50/50 split you know. Oh, but of course, it isn't. Just because a woman gave birth, society seems to think that women have a better, more worthwhile, more important bond with their children. That the relationship with the mother is more important in general than with the father. That's some fucked up logic there, Society.
There was no acceptance that some women were not supposed to be Mothers, but did, unfortunately fall for Society's disgusting enthusiasm for parenthood. Or those women who ended up pregnant through little fault of their own. And those women who had little choice but to cave into pressure from other factions. Or perhaps the worst taboo - those women who simply do not love their children. No, because those women don't exist. Parenthood is entirely sweetness and light. Pull the other one.
This stupid journalist bitch had such a patronising tone throughout too. I just wanted to smack her. I realised eventually that she, and the brigade of narrow-minded witches whose opinions she took as Gospel, are the same women who jump upon women that choose to be childfree. In their opinion, we would be just as selfish and those who leave their children. I'm sure some weird-ass fundies would say that we're abandoning our unborn children by not having them. Oh, please. If I had made the mistake of having children I would probably leave them, for their own good.
I'm not even sure why I'm writing this. I guess I was just pissed off by it. And by how they put across Society as a whole being the same as their narrow-minded opinions. Well open your damn mind, Society, we're not all like that. I can see perfectly valid reasons for women leaving. Sometimes it is the best option. And as much as you, Society, might like to believe that all women love and adore their children, I can assure you that some do not. Those women are not deplorable, evil or selfish. What they don't need is some two bit, pathetic journalist from the worst tabloid in the UK giving them less of a reason to live. Just because it's different to your choice, doesn't mean that it's wrong.
This is Shalonda Fuller. She's one of the youngest Fuller kids, and I left her until now because I hadn't played her much.
Janie didn't approve of Shalonda finding a man herself, but Shalonda was headstrong.
She was headstrong and confident enough to propose for herself. She rather enjoyed spiting her parents.
Nathen had no family, so they married with only the Fullers there. Nathen also didn't have a house, so Bobby Fuller had to buy one for them and help Shalonda to move in.
At the wedding reception, one of the Fuller boys informs some people that he never wants children and thinks that it's a horrible concept. Woohoo! Childfree Sims!
Of course, in order to get married, Shalonda had to be pregnant.
At first, I was going to force her into a life of servitude and slavery. However, I later softened.
Nathen was at work when she went into labour.
Some stranger looks in...she had a girl named Nina, by the way.
Shortly after Nina was born, Shalonda decided that she never wanted another kid, and began to look in the newspaper for jobs. With Nathen being of the knowledge aspiration and in the Business career, Shalonda wanted something just as worthwhile. She was looking for journalism jobs for when Nina went to school. Yes...you read that right, Shalonda was going against everything she had been taught, and was sending her kid to school.
They seemed to be quite in love.
Enough in love to ignore their kitchen when it was on fire.
Yay, Nina becomes a toddler!
Like a number of other families in the neighbourhood, they were subject to a break-in.
Nathen was very disturbed by it. However, I'm more disturbed by the fact that he looks so darn ugly.
He set fire to the cooker again. Seriously dude.
Nina became a child. With all of the attention lavished upon her, she seemed to be a happy child.
They were a NORMAL family. Nina went to school while Nathen and Shalonda went to work.
You may notice that Shalonda is not with Nathen here. This is the postman (or is it Postsim?). She almost WooHooed with him, but at the last moment, sense took over...she couldn't risk her family, marriage and home like that.
One day, Shalonda found out that she was pregnant. After a discussion with Nathen, they decided the best thing she could do was take the morning after pill. He didn't want anymore children either.
With promotions on the horizon, Shalonda got a new look by dumping that crappy and frumpy Quiverfull dress, and getting a sexy little black number.
I really like this family, they're a nice unit, and I will certainly play them more.
When I left the Jewson family last time, they had just had some twins, and had virtually zero money. Let's see where they are.
Florence - makings of an art thief here. Shame that her taste in art is pretty poor.
Seaton becomes an adult. She looks happy for now.
Some kid or another becomes a toddler. I think it must be Flotilla.
I guess this is Fritella becoming a toddler.
This is most definately Florence becoming a teenager.
And I believe this is Fritz. With a name like that, do you think he will try to invade anywhere?
And now, after some hard times, Flotilla becomes a child.
I believe this is Fred becoming a teenager.
And this will be Fergus.
This is Fritz. When all of his older siblings became teenagers, they got Romance/Knowledge/Money aspirations, but will he?
And I guess this must be Fritella.
Florence was introduced to a guy named David Brown. He was in fact the Father of one's of Seaton's sibling's Husband's.
Now that the money troubles were over, due to Noah's ability to work all of the hours that "God" sends him, they had enough money to eat properly now. However, at least one of the teens wanted to destroy the kitchen.
Seaton, having not been pregnant for a while, was feeling a little unwell. Her youngest kid was now a child and she was somewhat yearning for another baby.
Yeah, she's pregnant indeed.
With Noah at work, she had only her two sons for support.
She had a single child, whom I named Felch. *Snort*.
Fritella enjoyed a little punishment every now and then. She quite liked standing out in the hail.
In another raft of birthdays, Fritella became a teenager. At least one of them had to look this...slutty, I suppose.
Fritz becomes a teenager too, but a freaking ugly one. Comparing him to all of the other kids he has a much wider mouth and is generally uglier. Mutations I guess. Plus, while his siblings got more worldly aspirations, Fritz was obviously a Republican at heart, and he has a Family aspiration...oh dear.
Age is catching up with these two. One of them copes better with that than the other.
Bobby retires, much to Janie's annoyance and Bobby's own elation...can't you tell by the look on his face? Janie is pissed about it because she can no longer have Jonathan round.
Nothing stopped Janie trying just...one...more...time.
I think this might be Sharon, and I cannot remember why I took a picture of her...maybe it was the dress that I thought was quite sweet.
Janie finally becomes an elder. She'd fought it for long enough. She could do with a bit of a tit lift I think - that bra seems to be awfully low.
Now this is much more sensible for a woman her age.
Bobby's dodderyness got them into a bit of trouble.
Burglar! How rude.
One of the kids, probably Sigmund or something was devastated by the burglar. He just cried, and cried, and cried.
Here Sacha introduces his Mother to Mariam Carerra. Mariam is in fact the mother of Josea.
Janie wasn't pleased about Sacha seeing Mariam, but he continued anyway.
He even proposed.
Shondelle became a teenager. Now is when it starts to get interesting.
Shondelle had decided to shun what all of the other kids had done. She went out on the town and met people. She refused point blank to have anything to do with any of the people that her parents tried to set her up with.
So, she met this nice guy who was called Stephan Wheeler. She secretly brought him home and made a meal for him.
Must be Sigmund becoming a teenager.
Shondelle went out with Stephan again one day. They had truly hit it off.
They couldn't keep their hands off each other...even in public.
Oh dear, this kind of activity leads to a few problems.
Despite there only being one bathroom, Shondelle managed to keep the pregnancy a secret. The last thing she could have would be her parents knowing about it.
Of course, it was getting more difficult to hide, but she persevered. She looks strangely happy about it all - I cannot for the life of me think why.
Back with the Fuller Family again. We're getting closer to where I am playing.
Janie seemed to suffer some harsh consequences from spending so much time in the sun.
I believe that this is Shalonda becoming a teenager.
Despite her parents' protestations about them arranging someone for her to meet, she in fact found her perfect guy on the street in front of the house.
Please...in front of the children! Janie was desperately trying to get pregnant just one...last...time...
Shalonda proposed to her guy, Nathen.
Shalonda moved into her own home with the help of her Father. Nathen didn't have anywhere to live (being a townie and all), therefore Shalonda had to provide the house.
Sacha (I think) becomes a toddler.
As does Shondelle. All of these kids look so similar - it's painful.
Well, well, well...what have we here? This is Janie in the arms of another man! Janie was attempting to get pregnant with Bobby for (what felt to her) a long time. She thought it was a problem with Bobby. What's the best thing to do then? Get a guy on the side - he'll be able to solve the problem. This is her Son-In-Law, Jonathan Lloyd, married to Serena. Despite a lot of trying, she never got pregnant. However, she wouldn't accept that perhaps the problem lie within her uterus. After 13 kids...what do you honestly expect?
Sigmund, the now and forever youngest of the Fuller children, becomes a toddler.
September becomes a teenager..
Janie meets Josea Carerra with the intention of introducing her to September.
Which of course, she does.
They fall in love...
They get engaged and celebrate over a nice meal.
Haunted by her inability to have anymore children, Janie was finding life difficult to cope with and was constantly plagued by nightmares. Maybe she was also scared of her past infidelity getting found out?
Bobby...you're looking a little old now. The starters of the Fuller Dynasty are now entering their dotage, their twilight years. It's all downhill from now.
Sacha becomes a child.
And it would appear that Shondelle has too...she's an interesting case.
This is Sigmund becoming a child...They grow up so fast!
Shondelle is most definately an interesting case indeed.
I thought that we should drop back in on the Fuller Family to see how they are getting on.
Following on from the last entry about these guys. Janie had just had a miscarriage after giving birth to her 10th child. She's pregnant again.
The first close call.
A bald kid becomes a toddler, I think it's Sharon.
The second close call. It's almost as though this kid just doesn't want to be born into this family. I can understand why.
Now I believe that this is genuinely September becoming a child.
So far, so good. This kid obviously has no idea what it's getting into.
I think that this is Serena - I'm only going by the hairstyle.
End of the pregnancy, and she's still almost losing it in the third close call.
Comparing bumps with one of her many children, I think this might be Seaton. Is it something to be proud of if you're up the duff at the same time as your eldest child?
Serena meets a young man who she quite likes the look of. After he mother admitted to having seen them from upstairs, Serena got quite a talking to...he's not the right sort of guy.
Time for the latest addition. It's like a heigh line-up in this picture.
Twins? I have no idea which ones these are then! However, now that I think about it, they may be Shondelle and Sacha.
Despite all of these children (what is it, 12 now?) Janie still wasn't happy, and that was promptly pregnant again.
The first close call of this pregnancy. Perhaps the dirt in your house doesn't help?
And perhaps the late nights add to the problem?
Things settled down for a while.
They now had enough moolah from Bobby's job that they could purchase a pond. The kids were desperate to start fishing for their dinner.
It was all still going well. Janie looked happy for the first time in a while.
That was until she went into labour. She had a kid named Sigmund. Would this be her last?
She decided that as she wasn't pregnant for the first summer in a while, she would play with her kids for a bit. However, she managed to get heatstroke. Not good woman, not good. Be more careful next time!
This is Rickard Bleen and he's in the business of wanting a wife. Age is no consequence.
He's old enough to be balding.
He gleefully meets Bobby Fuller (I know Bobby is an elder here, and isn't in his own story).
He's introduced to Sharon, the latest one wanting marrying off.
You've only just met...so you're already talking about the grandchildren that you're going to have with the guy? Slow it down for just a second.
She was very taken by Rickard, even to a point of pouting in a very camp fashion.
He sprung a surprise proposal over a wonderfully romantic meal of a Spam Sandwich.
Of course they were married in front of the Fullers. Sharon choosing to wear a striking red dress...is that appropriate?
Shortly after their wedding, Sharon felt a bit unwell.
She had a miscarriage.
A little while later, she thought that it was happening all over again.
But apparently not.
Rickard has his wife, and now comes the family. Hmm, will it gel?
She had a boy named Damian. I'm doing a quiverfull thing, I can hardly let a family get away without a kid named Damian, can I? I'm going to have to name one Lucifer at some point too.
Damian became and evil devil worshipping toddler.
Rickard took to parenthood quite well. Better than most anyway.
Damian became a child. You may notice that they have no other children, even though by now most other families would have packed theirs with 5 other babies.
However, Sharon was pregnant again.
And it seemed to be going fairly well.
Rickard was again taking to the idea.
However, late one night, Sharon woke up realising that something was terribly wrong.
Yep, she had a miscarriage. I seriously don't know what to do for this girl. She's always well fed, comforted, entertained and rested, there's no reason why she should be having so many miscarriages, she just does. Maybe it's not meant to be?
This is the Carerra Family, which consists of Josea Carerra and September Fuller. September Fuller is not the next oldest child in the family, his sister Shalonda has that honour. However, there's little to post about her, so I haven't bothered yet.
This is Mariam Carerra and her daughter Josea. Mariam just wants her daughter to be happy...blah, blah, blah.
And thus Josea is introduced to the Fuller Family. Despite the red hair, she was deemed a suitable candidate.
Janie leaves them to it.
Good move I assume.
Josea invites Janie and September round for dinner. She prepares a toast.
The following day, she proposes to September. Cardinal sin...the laydee proposing.
Married in front of their families, much like all of the other weddings. A little food, some people dancing like invertebrates, and others wishing that they weren't there.
Of course it wasn't long. The little dude was there at the wedding.
Rushing to his wife's aid. At least he's bothering, and seems to be the only one in the Fuller family to do so.
Twins as a first birth seem to be quite common in this neighbourhood. These two are Bart and Big Bertha. WTF? I don't know.
As if caring for twins wasn't enough of a toll, she's now up da duff again.
Very much up the duff.
I don't know who is stinking here, is it the newly aged toddler, or his Father?
I think this one is Big Bertha. I might have to make her fat.
Time for some more! It was a boy, named Benedict.
Class. Set the kitchen on fire. Yeah!
This might seem insipid, but it's what happens next that's far more interesting, and I'll post that at some point.
This is the Lloyd Family, and Jonathan Lloyd is a very naughty boy. (He's not the Messiah...ad nauseum...).
Meet Jonathan Lloyd. I think he's looking for a woman as an object rather than to make a happy family with.
He has a little cash, and a relatively nice house.
He is introduced to Serena (Sehr-Ain-Ah) Fuller and begins to charm her. You can see how much of a smooth operator he is as he already has a crib in his bedroom. He's making her think that he's a safe bet for the future.
Takes advantage pretty quickly too.
Now that she's in his clutches he proposes to her, knowing that she just cannot say no.
Bit too much sun? At least he looks happy about it.
At their wedding, Janie seems to be quite taken by Jonathan. He must be the neighbourhood heartbreaker.
With only Serena's family present, they got married.
This situation works both ways. Jonathan hasn't only got Serena where he wants her, as an object, Serena also has Jonathan where she wants him, she's pregnant and therefore he is now trapped. Or at least that's what she thinks.
Can't hide it no more.
Giving birth alone. What was that you said about Jonathan being trapped, Serena?
She gives birth to a boy named Jonah.
Jonathan keeps lulling her into a false sense of security. Here he talks to her about how much he is looking forward to having grandchildren. She has no idea what he's really up to.
Serena - ignorance is bliss.
Another impending arrival.
Yeah, what did you think that we believed you had an alien growing in there? Well, in The Sims 2, anything can happen.
Jonathan feigns surprise at the birth. No picture of it, but she had another boy named Jermyn.
Shortly thereafter Jonah becomes a toddler. Still Jonathan is nowhere to be seen. Does she never wonder what he's up to?
Gosh...pregnant for the third time. Have you considered, Serena, that perhaps with every child you have, the further away Jonathan gets, and not the other way around?
This is the Aqueous Family. I got their name from a tub of Aqueous Cream that sits on my desk.
Meet Cally Aqueous. She is a single woman, looking for lurve.
She meets Bobby Fuller.
Who introduces her to, oh, WTF is his name? Solomon - the oldest boy in the family at the time. They seem to get on fairly well.
Doesn't take much to impress a woman by the looks of it. At least not this woman, she seems to be quite taken by sparkly things.
Let's get it together baby...
They weren't even married by this point. How would she fit into her dress?
The Fullers turn up. They will be the only guests as Cally doesn't have any family. You can see the family resemblance here.
How she managed to squeeze herself into that dress we will never know.
I guess the dress was too tight.
I have no idea why she's dressed formally now, but she's look pretty heafty.
A sudden reason to wake up.
She had twins. This family has all the M's, and they are called Mischa and Mitchell.
So one of the kids starts screaming, what does Solomon do? He starts lecturing it. They're newborns you dickwad...they don't understand.
Mitchell becomes a toddler. This type of hair really must run in the Fuller Family.
Mischa joins him.
Cally was quite the doting mother. Unlike most of the other Fuller parents, she taught these two how to walk, talk and use the potty. Most other Fuller grandchildren had to drag themselves up.
Solomon hadn't really taken to fatherhood, and he was less than impressed at Cally's mention of grandchildren. Considering Solomon was still a teenager, it felt to him as though his life was being wished away before his eyes.
Cally was pregnant again, she had managed to keep it secret.
Mmm, a compromising position, yes? Cally and her Father in Law Bobby had been quite close for a while now. He was rather forward with her. One afternoon while Solomon was at work, Cally invited Bobby round. She thought that he might like to see his Grandchildren. He was after something else. This all turned a bit sour.
Very suddenly, Cally had a miscarriage. At this point, she had only Bobby for support.
More on the Aqueous family soon.
