Kids: Aha!

[Evicious]

For years I've pondered why the idea of being around small children holds zero appeal for me, and today I finally came to an understanding on the matter:

Children, in my experience, are the human equivalent of those yappy little anklebiter dogs. You can't fault other people for having them; sometimes they're more cute and entertaining than they are annoying, but it's always such a relief when the visit is over regardless of their behavior during.

[MrHyde]

YES! Now, if only we could make everybody else understand this and not go all "wait 10 years and see" on you…

[Jennifer]

I like well behaved kids in small doses but I generally do need a nap after a couple of hours. I get the wait and see a lot since I am damn near 30. I am also told that it is different when it is your kid. My mother says that that isn't true though, she didn't want kids before she had them and doesn't like being around children now. Maybe it is genetic?

[Evicious]

I like well behaved kids in small doses but I generally do need a nap after a couple of hours. I get the wait and see a lot since I am damn near 30. I am also told that it is different when it is your kid. My mother says that that isn't true though, she didn't want kids before she had them and doesn't like being around children now. Maybe it is genetic?

Personally, I think people fall into one of three categories: those that choose to have kids, those that have kids without conciously choosing to, and those that choose not to have kids. Regarding the first two, it's been my experience that they either end up genuinely enjoying the responsibility, or genuinely regretting it - I've yet to meet anyone that just kinda shrugs and goes, "Oh, well, it's not too bad... not too good, maybe, but still... not too bad." Either they hate being a parent or they can't believe they were ever happy in life before they became one.

Which is absolutely inconcievable to me, since I fall in the third category.

[Evicious]

YES! Now, if only we could make everybody else understand this and not go all "wait 10 years and see" on you…

I like giving people this as a response to that kind of snarky remark:

"How about I adopt a kid now and YOU raise it for the next 10 years - y'know, at which point I'll have changed my mind like you said, so I'll just take over from there and we won't have wasted any time arguing your opinion about my future mindset?"

[GoGo]

..

[Atalan]

I like well behaved kids in small doses but I generally do need a nap after a couple of hours. I get the wait and see a lot since I am damn near 30. I am also told that it is different when it is your kid. My mother says that that isn't true though, she didn't want kids before she had them and doesn't like being around children now. Maybe it is genetic?

I'm not sure not wanting kids can be genetic...

[ThePuma]

^ I have the same reasons for not having kids. I think a lot of people have kids for very wrong reasons. I have never thought to myself "you need to have kids." My parents accept it, I just wish all of my friends would. They drive me nuts about it. My new favorite saying from them is "such and such said she never wanted kids, and now she has one. She is a great mom and loves it." Who effing cares, she is not me. She seems super happy with all her bitchy comments she posts on Facebook.

I do love kids though. I've taught preschool for almost 4 years now. This job is the best birth control ever.

[LessJos]

I am right there with you guys. Never wanted any, don't want one now (I am 36) and I don't think that's going to change.

[EightDigit]

Agreed.

Every once in a great while I look at my nephews and think "Damn, I should have had one", but then reality asserts itself and I remember I barely have enough patience to maintain a relationship with a significant other, let alone a small human entirely dependent upon me for everything for up to 18 years.

Drive on, all you parents. Good on ya. But yeah, not so much for me.

[zendup]

I do want children, but I have never been one to think that someone who doesn't want children is a bad person. I've heard a lot of people tell someone who doesn't want children that they are selfish and immature about life. I think the exact opposite. I think it shows great maturity when someone realizes they don't want children and then they carry that out by never having any. What good does it bring to the world when you see people with children who obviously never wanted them? There are far too many abused children who are put through hell, and the "excuse" is always that the parent(s) never wanted children but had them anyway because they felt it was what they were "supposed" to do.

By no means am I implying that people who don't want kids will all abuse their children if they ever had any! I hope I didn't put that wrongly.

My point is that it is incredibly wise and unselfish to not have kids if you don't want them!

[Evicious]

I do want children, but I have never been one to think that someone who doesn't want children is a bad person. I've heard a lot of people tell someone who doesn't want children that they are selfish and immature about life. I think the exact opposite. I think it shows great maturity when someone realizes they don't want children and then they carry that out by never having any. What good does it bring to the world when you see people with children who obviously never wanted them? There are far too many abused children who are put through hell, and the "excuse" is always that the parent(s) never wanted children but had them anyway because they felt it was what they were "supposed" to do.

By no means am I implying that people who don't want kids will all abuse their children if they ever had any! I hope I didn't put that wrongly.

My point is that it is incredibly wise and unselfish to not have kids if you don't want them!

Holy sh*t snacks... where do you live? I need to send you the Intelligent, Logical Human Being Award!

[shortstuff]

Holy sh*t snacks... where do you live? I need to send you the Intelligent, Logical Human Being Award!

Don't worry it's already on it's way

[Georges]

Children, in my experience, are the human equivalent of those yappy little anklebiter dogs.

Sadly, no one will go along with my claim to be allergic to children.

[Zima]

I'm only 24(and MALE), but I'm quite torn on the matter. I use "but" because I expect many 24 year old males aren't really thinking about it.

On one hand, I feel like I have some good genes to pass on. This is not bragging by any means, as I have questioned my own genetic potential on many occasions, but I believe there's *some* good in there. I'm also the only child that resulted from all four of my grandparents, so no kids would be the end of that whole bloodline, which is odd to think about. On the other hand, there's plenty of other people who share my exact genetic advantages and disadvantages.

Then there's the selfishness aspect. I want an "old fashioned" marriage with a loving wife one day. She'll likely want kids. I'll likely want to have kids with her - I've caught myself thinking such thoughts when I was in my last serious relationship. Also, I suspect life could get lonely as all hell when you're 70, all relatives have passed away, and you have no family of your own. Perhaps adopting would resolve the issue of selfishness, which is something I have considered as well.

Lastly, there's the question of my own parenting abilities. Little kids annoy and scare me at the same time - annoy because they're loud and obnoxious, and scare because they're irrational and lack the moral decency of adults. Not to mention the fact that my father and his father before him were not particularly great at the whole "being a dad" thing, either.

Anyway, it's good to see that if I decide to not have kids, I'm not alone. To be honest, I can't stand the fact that so many people are popping out babies without a second thought because "it's what you do".

[Evicious]

I'm only 24(and MALE), but I'm quite torn on the matter. I use "but" because I expect many 24 year old males aren't really thinking about it.

On one hand, I feel like I have some good genes to pass on. This is not bragging by any means, as I have questioned my own genetic potential on many occasions, but I believe there's *some* good in there. I'm also the only child that resulted from all four of my grandparents, so no kids would be the end of that whole bloodline, which is odd to think about. On the other hand, there's plenty of other people who share my exact genetic advantages and disadvantages.

Then there's the selfishness aspect. I want an "old fashioned" marriage with a loving wife one day. She'll likely want kids. I'll likely want to have kids with her - I've caught myself thinking such thoughts when I was in my last serious relationship. Also, I suspect life could get lonely as all hell when you're 70, all relatives have passed away, and you have no family of your own. Perhaps adopting would resolve the issue of selfishness, which is something I have considered as well.

Lastly, there's the question of my own parenting abilities. Little kids annoy and scare me at the same time - annoy because they're loud and obnoxious, and scare because they're irrational and lack the moral decency of adults. Not to mention the fact that my father and his father before him were not particularly great at the whole "being a dad" thing, either.

Anyway, it's good to see that if I decide to not have kids, I'm not alone. To be honest, I can't stand the fact that so many people are popping out babies without a second thought because "it's what you do".

TBH, I think it's people like you who probably SHOULD have kids - you've considered your potential contribution to the gene pool, and you grasp the basics of what parenting would likely entail. It's the people (like you said) who just keep popping out babies because "it's what you do" that I feel ought to be castrated/spayed - or at least made to obtain a license from the state based on some kind of aptitude test (the scholastic kind, not the highschool-backseat-of-the-car kind).

[Atalan]

To be clear, I also want kids. I feel I have some good genes to pass (eyesight in particular, 27 and the need for glasses seems very, very far away). I was also raised by very good parents and so have a good sounding board for raising my own kids as well as practical example of my entire childhood.

[zendup]

Holy sh*t snacks... where do you live? I need to send you the Intelligent, Logical Human Being Award!

haha! I see you're a fellow Louisianan... is that a word? I don't know... I'm not originally from here. I live in Cajun country so everyone refers to themselves as Cajun.

Don't worry it's already on it's way

Thanks! I'll be looking for it in the mail, haha

[RaeVynn]

I raised 6 kids... 2 of my own, 4 of my husband's... and, I fully agree that, while having children can be very rewarding, it is a job that should be chosen, with the full understanding that your life will not be your own, probably ever again. And, like kittens and puppies, babies are cute, but that doesn't mean that the world is better off with unrestricted breeding of them!

I love my kids, please do not get me wrong. I did my level best raising them, to the best of my ability. However, I think every person has the right to decide whether or not they want to take this job. I appreciate the people who do not have children... they are often pouring that creative/productive instinct into arenas that are helpful to humanity.

Being a parent does not make me a better person. I'm just different. I think the better person is the one that decides for themselves how they want to spend their lives, and knows what kind of "job" they are suited for, and lives that life.

anyway, more power to ya!

[SusieBlu]

I don't particularly like young children. I am perfectly suited to be an aunt but a mom not so much. I recognize that some of my reasons are selfish. I want to travel, do new things, and experience life at the fullest.

[Tangent] Human offspring are completely helpless until around age 5. Most other animals are capable of surviving within a few days of birth. [/tangent]

I have a dog and I feel at times that it is holding me back on my desire to explore the world and a dog can easily be kenneled or left alone all day without worry.

I have no desire to have children. That may change one day but there is going to be a lot factors that have to come into place before I even give thought to it. To have children because of some social standard is just not acceptable for me. To do anything because of some social pressure without expending some brain cell on the decision is not acceptable to me.

I am overjoyed for my sister's family and that my niece has a lovely family to grow in. When I am around them I enjoy time with them but full time, not for me. Thankfully, my side of the family never pressured me into have kids.

[leadchipmunk]

Children, in my experience, are the human equivalent of those yappy little anklebiter dogs. You can't fault other people for having them; sometimes they're more cute and entertaining than they are annoying, but it's always such a relief when the visit is over regardless of their behavior during.

I fault every single owner of anklebiters (the dogs that is). Especially chihuahua owners, I absolutely hate those Mexican sewer rats...

Every once in a great while I look at my nephews and think "Damn, I should have had one", but then reality asserts itself and I remember I barely have enough patience to maintain a relationship with a significant other, let alone a small human entirely dependent upon me for everything for up to 18 years.

I have the opposite effect from my niece, I see her and think "Thank God I didn't have one."

My point is that it is incredibly wise and unselfish to not have kids if you don't want them!

Can't agree more. If you know you don't want one, and you are don't, that is so much better than the people having one because "it is the thing to do."

I'm only 24(and MALE), but I'm quite torn on the matter. I use "but" because I expect many 24 year old males aren't really thinking about it.

Male, 22, have actively considered having a kid. I'm still undecided, I keep going back and forth but my pro-kid thoughts are always 1 kid (preferably daughter), but much later in the future when I am in a position where I can properly take care and raise the kid.

I've actually been as far as (at age 21) willing to adopt my girlfriend( at the time)'s daughter and putting my name on the birth certificate of her unborn kid (though it wasn't mine). I absolutely loved taking care of her daughter then, now after we have split, I cannot stand kids. Don't really want anything to do with them and I'm fine with that.

And yes, at my age I have considered the pros and cons. I don't really care about my genetics, I've got some good (strong immune system) and some bad (eyesight could be better). But I know I would be a great father and would raise a (hopefully) good kid. But if I decide to have one, I'm not against adopting (as was evidenced above) or fostering.