Ignoring Political Correctness in the Name of Prudence

I'm watching Cinderella with my daughter this weekend. For those of you who have been Cinderella-absent for a while, there's a scene where the King is brainstorming a way to get his son - the prince - married. "There's got to be one suitable mother somewhere in my kingdom," he says. The plan they hatch includes the ball, yadda yadda, you know the rest...

Now, the original Disney movie was made in 1950; had that line come out today, it would be seen as completely offensive and there would be calls for boycotts against Disney. Even at a wedding today, are we still allowed to compliment the groom on what a great mother the new bride will be? Maybe, but it's probably more taboo.

If you're going to get married or consider getting married, and you have one iota of a chance of ever wanting to bring up considering having children, and you don't factor in what kind of parent your significant other will be, then you're committing a REALLY bad oversight into your considerations. This is so beyond common sense, it's stunning.

To be fair to the PC crowd, parenting isn't everything, for sure. Skating isn't everything in hockey, either; flour isn't everything in cookies; potatoes aren't everything in a french fry. In marriages where there are kids, parenting is THE major thing (or ought to be), and nothing really comes close.

For those of you who aren't yet married and still considering it, please take a long time to get a good grip on what kind of parent your partner likely will become. It's grossly underemphasized, and you'd do well to spend time thinking about it.