Childfree by Choice #12 I care about my life, not my death.

[Smca53]

I once had to call in first thing in the morning and take a half days holiday to take my cat to the vet after he'd been hit by a car. My manager berated me for it for weeks, how you can't take holidays at such short notice! She was a childfree cat owner like myself as well but zero empathy.

Edited to add: i work alone in a role where me taking that half day had no impact on anyone else at the company or a customer.

Honestly, even if it did have some impact on customer or company, that’s clearly justified time off (although I don’t think you should have even had to take annual leave for it but that’s another conversation/issue).

Hope your little one was ok

 

[Chandler Bing]

Honestly, even if it did have some impact on customer or company, that’s clearly justified time off (although I don’t think you should have even had to take annual leave for it but that’s another conversation/issue).

Hope your little one was ok

Ah thank you! He had a rough couple of weeks at the time, but he was super lucky no broken bones or anything. He was 3 or 4 at the time, and he's a fat, happy, spoiled old man now living his best senior kitty life

 

[whoareyouu]

I was kindly awoken this morning by someone’s tribe of kids shouting and carrying on outside at 6:30AM this morning. There’s just no need!

 

[DCICassieStuart]

I've just come out of Lidl and am afraid to report that I've turned into a snappy old lady (at 44)
Two kids (about 7 and 8 so old enough to know better) were kicking 2 footballs down an aisle and almost knocked over an elderly lady with a walking stick.
She looked too scared to say anything, I usually don't but I'm having a bad day and snapped at them "It's not a playground!" with an evil look.
They looked wary of me (especially when they encountered me at the next checkout) but not wary enough to stop them doing it again.

The lady thanked me and said that she's afraid to say anything to kids these days in case their parents snap the head off her.
If the parents (both of whom were there) had tried it with me today, they would have got an earful!

When did that become okay? To take footballs into a supermarket and just kick them around the place?

 

[Libbie]

I've just come out of Lidl and am afraid to report that I've turned into a snappy old lady (at 44)
Two kids (about 7 and 8 so old enough to know better) were kicking 2 footballs down an aisle and almost knocked over an elderly lady with a walking stick.
She looked too scared to say anything, I usually don't but I'm having a bad day and snapped at them "It's not a playground!" with an evil look.
They looked wary of me (especially when they encountered me at the next checkout) but not wary enough to stop them doing it again.

The lady thanked me and said that she's afraid to say anything to kids these days in case their parents snap the head off her.
If the parents (both of whom were there) had tried it with me today, they would have got an earful!

When did that become okay? To take footballs into a supermarket and just kick them around the place?

Good for you! Those sodding scooters seem to be the in thing to take shopping here (probably to keep them quiet), I’m beyond sick of them! Parents just don’t care, unless it stops them doing as they please of course!

 

[DCICassieStuart]

Good for you! Those sodding scooters seem to be the in thing to take shopping here (probably to keep them quiet), I’m beyond sick of them! Parents just don’t care, unless it stops them doing as they please of course!

Yes, they're another thing I've seen in supermarkets. Absolutely ridiculous and completely unsafe

 

[JE172]

 

[Princesst]

I've just come out of Lidl and am afraid to report that I've turned into a snappy old lady (at 44)
Two kids (about 7 and 8 so old enough to know better) were kicking 2 footballs down an aisle and almost knocked over an elderly lady with a walking stick.
She looked too scared to say anything, I usually don't but I'm having a bad day and snapped at them "It's not a playground!" with an evil look.
They looked wary of me (especially when they encountered me at the next checkout) but not wary enough to stop them doing it again.

The lady thanked me and said that she's afraid to say anything to kids these days in case their parents snap the head off her.
If the parents (both of whom were there) had tried it with me today, they would have got an earful!

When did that become okay? To take footballs into a supermarket and just kick them around the place?

Really wish shops would take a stand at this type of thing and let people know it won’t be tolerated. Instead a blind eye seems to be turned against anything when it comes to kids behaving in a way that negatively affects others. Our nearest big supermarket has only one working door for both in and out which creates a massive bottle neck. The other day a kid darted right across all the people going out to hide behind the electric door. The old man in front of me stopped dead instantly as the dad chased the kid over in front of him and I nearly rammed him with my trolley and then also me and everyone behind getting rammed too like a pile up situation as we’re in a bottle neck . I swore a bit quite loudly just out of shock of nearly putting an old man in hospital The dad did apologise and was like “I’ve told him about running off” but if your kid can’t behave then stop bringing him to the supermarket as a whole family outing!

 

[whoareyouu]

Really wish shops would take a stand at this type of thing and let people know it won’t be tolerated. Instead a blind eye seems to be turned against anything when it comes to kids behaving in a way that negatively affects others. Our nearest big supermarket has only one working door for both in and out which creates a massive bottle neck. The other day a kid darted right across all the people going out to hide behind the electric door. The old man in front of me stopped dead instantly as the dad chased the kid over in front of him and I nearly rammed him with my trolley and then also me and everyone behind getting rammed too like a pile up situation as we’re in a bottle neck . I swore a bit quite loudly just out of shock of nearly putting an old man in hospital The dad did apologise and was like “I’ve told him about running off” but if your kid can’t behave then stop bringing him to the supermarket as a whole family outing!

It was never a family outing for us and if we did go somewhere and we didn’t behave we knew about it and weren’t allowed to go again until we could behave.

 

[orangehead]

Really wish shops would take a stand at this type of thing and let people know it won’t be tolerated. Instead a blind eye seems to be turned against anything when it comes to kids behaving in a way that negatively affects others. Our nearest big supermarket has only one working door for both in and out which creates a massive bottle neck. The other day a kid darted right across all the people going out to hide behind the electric door. The old man in front of me stopped dead instantly as the dad chased the kid over in front of him and I nearly rammed him with my trolley and then also me and everyone behind getting rammed too like a pile up situation as we’re in a bottle neck . I swore a bit quite loudly just out of shock of nearly putting an old man in hospital The dad did apologise and was like “I’ve told him about running off” but if your kid can’t behave then stop bringing him to the supermarket as a whole family outing!

If you can’t stop your kid running off put them on reins! I can imagine these people are selfish enough to not care about the general public but to not care if their kid is squashed under a truck is very sad for the kid! The kid soon stops bolting because they don’t want to be on reins (I speak from experience as a kid who was very indignant at being treated like a baby and started walking properly so I didn’t need reins ).

 

[ChastityDingle]

I think the family outings to the supermarket got even worse during lockdown.
I can't imagine anywhere more boring for kids anyway. There's definitely no need for the whole family to crowd in.

My local shopping centre has notices up about scooters and any kind of wheelie yokes on shoes not being permitted. It seems to work reasonably well.

 

[JE172]

If you can’t stop your kid running off put them on reins! I can imagine these people are selfish enough to not care about the general public but to not care if their kid is squashed under a truck is very sad for the kid! The kid soon stops bolting because they don’t want to be on reins (I speak from experience as a kid who was very indignant at being treated like a baby and started walking properly so I didn’t need reins ).

Ah yes reins! Me and my brother had to have them back in the 80s and back then they were totally unsafe with the metal buckles and no break free straps, found a photo online of what I’m on about!

 

[OatMatchaLatte]

The scooters are the bane of my life. They're everywhere, and the kids are so inconsiderate on them. I feel really sorry for people who are less agile and unable to jump out of the way quickly. Mind you, there are plenty of adults that behave like total Richards on them, too.

 

[StrawberryBanana90]

My friend has just found out she's pregnant and she immediately said she needs to start booking nursery tours while she's pregnant
Is there really not enough childcare to the point where people have to sign up a child who isn't born yet and won't use the service for another 1-2 years? Childcare and education really seems to be lacking in the UK and it's one of the many reasons I'd never have kids.

 

[ricemittens]

My friend has just found out she's pregnant and she immediately said she needs to start booking nursery tours while she's pregnant
Is there really not enough childcare to the point where people have to sign up a child who isn't born yet and won't use the service for another 1-2 years? Childcare and education really seems to be lacking in the UK and it's one of the many reasons I'd never have kids.

I recently met a woman who has moved into my area from a few hours away, she is a receptionist at a service I use and I always chat to them whilst waiting for my treatment. She has three kids, two in school and one nursery. She was unable to get the two in school into the same school because she didn’t check out very far in advance so does two primary schools a day(10 min drive between) and the younger isn’t in nursery because she can’t get a place, I didn’t realise it was so bad until she told me, another reason to add to my list

 

[Louby@21]

My friend has just found out she's pregnant and she immediately said she needs to start booking nursery tours while she's pregnant
Is there really not enough childcare to the point where people have to sign up a child who isn't born yet and won't use the service for another 1-2 years? Childcare and education really seems to be lacking in the UK and it's one of the many reasons I'd never have kids.

Yeah this was normal 25 years ago when i was a nursery nurse. Places for babies go very quickly. Even back then. Especially with funding ( not enough!) now stretching to younger children.

Many nurseries are actually struggling with the high cost of everything like energy,food wages, the funding not covering costs. Ridiculous considering the high fees but i know a few that have closed . So places even more scarce in some areas

 

[DecemberChild]

Honestly I despair, just been to Tesco near mine for a few things, only to be faced with two primary school age kids, both on scooters, doing the weekly shop with both parents!!! Wheeling up and down each aisle, getting in everyone’s way - including one of the staff who nearly hit them with a roller full of stock (completely the kids fault).
Had the displeasure of meeting them on every aisle and on every single one I heard the Dad saying ‘be careful, watch out, out of people’s way’ - DONT BRING THEM TO A SUPERMARKET ON SCOOTERS THEN!!!!

 

[hmmm_no]

My friend has just found out she's pregnant and she immediately said she needs to start booking nursery tours while she's pregnant
Is there really not enough childcare to the point where people have to sign up a child who isn't born yet and won't use the service for another 1-2 years? Childcare and education really seems to be lacking in the UK and it's one of the many reasons I'd never have kids.

It's really common where I live in the US to try to get on a daycare waiting list as soon as you test positive, if not earlier (like when you start "trying"). And it's soooo expensive, like literally twice my rent. My best friend paid more than she made when she had a baby in. Plus we get 6 or 12 weeks of mat leave and basically no paternity leave. There's zero incentive to reproduce honestly.

 

[Mamacita]

It's really common where I live in the US to try to get on a daycare waiting list as soon as you test positive, if not earlier (like when you start "trying"). And it's soooo expensive, like literally twice my rent. My best friend paid more than she made when she had a baby in. Plus we get 6 or 12 weeks of mat leave and basically no paternity leave. There's zero incentive to reproduce honestly.

It's similar in the UK as far as I know, apart from more maternity leave and you do get funding for some free hours. But full time childcare costs can still easy be more than people's mortgage payments

 

[soph30]

Whoooo caressss