Parents must teach necessity of family

My daughter was brought up in what I would describe as a stable and loving two parent home. She surrounded herself with friends who had good values. I would describe her life as typical of a child brought up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

I will never forget the day during her sophomore year at a Big Ten college when she called and informed me that she could "sell her eggs for $10,000". (Needless to say I was horrified to realize that such a practice existed.)

Reading your article Monday Dec. 15 entitled "Carrying Someone Else's Baby a Labor of Love" I sadly realized that five years later such a practice is not uncommon.

Now, four years later and a recent college graduate with a good job, my now 24-year-old daughter called me and wanted to know what were the disadvantages of raising a child as a single parent. (She knows that I speak from experience since I am an educator who services 3 to 5 year old children and their families who are often from at-risk backgrounds.)

Recently, the Daily Herald has had articles addressing both issues. For me, my daughter's questions about real life experiences are examples of what we as a society are exposing our children and young adults to.

The moral, ethical and subsequent mental health and tax burdens that these type of experiences place upon our society are difficult to describe in a few words.

Thank you to Mona Charen's editorial Wednesday Dec. 17 entitled "Obama's Example Will Strength Families". I plan to show this to my daughter and I would hope that other concerned and caring parents will show or explain this type of information to their children before it is too late for our society.

Nancy Ellin

Schaumburg