Page 104 - Health, Population and Environment Education 9

d. Determination of number of children
The married couple needs to plan for the size
of family. Appropriate planning can support in
managing family resources and achieve happiness
in life. Parents need to bear less children. They
must maintain their family size as small as
possible as small family is regarded as happy
family. When the family size is small, even less
amount of income is sufficient to fulfill the needs
of all the family members. Children can be given Fig: 26
better care with small family size. Hence, people
tend to have happiness and improvement of living standard with small family.

e. Birth spacing
Birth spacing is the maintenance of some years of
gap between the birth of two children. It is better
to maintain at least (4 – 5) years gap between the
birth of two children. It is the responsibility of
parents to follow birth spacing if they wish to bear
two or more than two children. When they follow
birth spacing, they can better take care of child.
The child can have more opportunity to have
mothers breast milk. There can be proper growth
and better health of a child. Both the parents have
more time in getting involved in some social and
economic activities. There can be better health
of mother as well. Similarly, mother will have
time for resettlement of reproductive organs. Fig: 27
Moreover, there are less chances of miscarriage
and other complications during pregnancy and delivery time, infections in reproductive
parts with the birth spacing. Parents need to have discussion on use of appropriate kind
of contraceptive devices during birth spacing.

f. Socialization

People need to follow various social norms,
values and activities in society. They cannot avoid
them. They need to adapt with all of them while
living in society. It is the responsibility of parents
to make children follow social norms and values
and support them to socialize. They need to
create environment for their children to mix with
people in society. They should suggest them to go
for picnic, travelling, trekking with their friends. Fig: 28
Parents need to direct their children time and

104 GREEN Environment Population and Health Education Book-9