Childfree by Choice #2

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I feel like the only thing I’ve contributed to this thread is memes about being child free.
Here’s another one I relate to 😂

I have a cat and I love him so much, but honestly it drives me insane when he wakes me up at silly times and when he meows non stop for attention, but doesn’t want attention😂 there’s no way I could cope with a kid when I find a cat this hard!
 
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My goddaughter is starting to push boundaries, although she seems to have clocked that I'm not going to tolerate any nonsense from her, I'm also associated with going out for ice cream, she seems smart enough to work it out 😁
 
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All my MIL goes on about is her nieces children that she sometimes babysits for, they are the devils children 🙄 fed up of hearing about them but she won’t be getting the grandchildren she obviously wants from me 😅 thank god I have a BIL and SIL who wants kids lol
 
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I've managed to wrangle out of my husband's friends birthday party for their baby (citing: staying with elderly relatives). They've been a bit passive-aggressive towards me ever since we met, so hanging out with them whilst they talk endlessly about their kid isn't in my top ten (hell, it's not even in my top fifty. I'd put it behind going to IKEA or having my leg amputated). My husband isn't keen either, but they're his friends, so he gets to grin and bear it while I hang out with my grandmother 🥰
 
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I got the "maybe you'll change your mind" bingo dab the other day from a work colleague. She also decided to deep dive with "but won't your mother be disappointed?" too. Way to project your own feelings? My Mum has a lot of vintage soap operas to watch and is quite content thanks.
I just said that my Mum would prefer me to be mentally well instead. I also cited "environmental worries" but didn't go all in on that one because the colleague's pre-teen daughter was there and if I was her age now I would be permanently freaking out anyway.
 
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I was thrilled last week when my mum conceded she understands why I don't want children.

I know she was upset when I originally told her, I think she was worried I would regret it. But over lunch last week she admitted to me she sees my point. Honestly made me feel so relieved.
 
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I got the "maybe you'll change your mind" bingo dab the other day from a work colleague. She also decided to deep dive with "but won't your mother be disappointed?" too. Way to project your own feelings? My Mum has a lot of vintage soap operas to watch and is quite content thanks.
I just said that my Mum would prefer me to be mentally well instead. I also cited "environmental worries" but didn't go all in on that one because the colleague's pre-teen daughter was there and if I was her age now I would be permanently freaking out anyway.
This is why I love working with men all day. No one talks questions me or is impolite about it. Well, probably because most of them leave the childcare to their partners. Or have full time nannies when they make over 50k.
 
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This is why I love working with men all day. No one talks questions me or is impolite about it. Well, probably because most of them leave the childcare to their partners. Or have full time nannies when they make over 50k.
I had to completely start ignoring one of my male colleagues, he would constantly say stuff like "oh come on you know you want kids you're just saying you don't", so they do it too just not to the extent of women.
 
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The only work colleague who judged my choice to not have kids was a man. I was only 16/17, I said I don’t want kids, and he said I was selfish!
I now work in an environment which is almost all women, and no one gives a crap if I’m having kids or not, they’re all just really nice people. I know I’m very lucky in that respect though.
 
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I've just realised I think I'm the only person in the local branch of my organisation who doesn't have children in some way. For the first time in my life I'm the youngest of my colleagues (I'm used to working wth a lot of students and apprentices) so I think that is probably the difference.
One of my old apprentices used to say I was a 'cool Mum type' which he didn't intend as an insult (probably)
I was 32 and he was 19.



My current work is very different and it's related to social care so dominated by women. She did make me laugh because she sad 'Don't you like kids then?'
I work WITH kids 😂*
*I like them but only between 9-5 and when they aren't in my house.
 
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People keep asking me why I don’t want kids. I used to say “why would I?”, and now I answer with “why did you WANT them?”.
 
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I've just got to the bit in June where someone asked about getting their tubes tied - I managed to get it done on the NHS in my late 20s, which I'm immensely grateful for and I don't think would happen now, I'd get fobbed off with a Mirena. I started asking my GP at around 23 for a referral, got refused, kept asking every six months when I had to go back to see him to get my prescription for the pill, and after four or five years of this the GP who took over from him when he retired got fed up enough to refer me. I then saw two different gynaecologists, who weren't very happy about the idea and eventually said that if I'd agree to attend a couple of sessions with a psychiatrist for evaluation then they'd do it if he agreed. So off I went to the psych, who had somehow got the idea that I wanted my entire womb and ovaries removed, so I spent most of the first session explaining that wasn't the case, and then in the second session he said he wanted to hypnotise me to see if there was some lingering childhood trauma that meant I didn't want kids. He failed to put me in a trance and was so annoyed by this that he sat on my notes for six months, refusing to hand them back to the gynacology side of things. In the end I wrote a really annoyed letter to the Primary Care Trust in charge, which ended with 'I understand that everyone is concerned about me making a life-changing decision at a relatively young age. But a 17-year-old getting pregnant and deciding to keep her baby is also a life-changing decision at a relatively young age and she doesn't have to work her way through two GPs, two gynaecologists and a psychiatrist to be allowed to make that decision.' I had an invitation for a pre-op assessment four weeks later. Best thing I ever did.
So shocked. Can I just ask what decade this happened it sounds so old fashioned...and tbh a bit handmaideny.

Sorry you had to go through that
 
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So shocked. Can I just ask what decade this happened it sounds so old fashioned...and tbh a bit handmaideny.

Sorry you had to go through that
I had the operation in 2003, I think.

The GP was *very* old-fashioned. "What happens if you leave your husband and meet someone else who wants children?" Well if he wants children, he's not the right man for me. "I want you to make an appointment to see me again and bring your husband so I can ask him what he thinks about this." To his credit, (now ex) husband came along, said, 'Her body, her choice,' and backed me all the way. "What's wrong with staying on the pill?" It makes me feel lousy and I've gained three stone. (Coils really weren't a thing back then unless you'd had kids.)
 
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Oh hello my people 👋

Having turned 40 this year - I now get to answer the “do you not want kids”question with I think that ship has sailed 😉

my only regret is growing apart from some friends when they have babies.
 
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I had a baby at nearly 41, having never intended to, and never felt that I would change my mind. Dont judge (😂) my husband wanted one (several) and I decided to leave it to fate. Got pregnant faster than Shergar out of his trap.

She’s 18 now. I love her madly and we are great mates. But I never wanted a second (made it a deal breaker for our marriage, to be honest) because I HATED the baby and toddler years.

I guess what I’m saying is, don’t believe anyone who says you’ll change your mind. You probably won’t. Even now, much as I love my daughter, I absolutely know I could have had a lovely, though different, life child-free.
 
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It’s very much a jokey answer, plenty of my friends are having babies at 40 and both my SILs had baby’s post 40.

I’m very happy child free, and been together with my hubby 20 years so I don’t think I will change mind :)
 
It’s very much a jokey answer, plenty of my friends are having babies at 40 and both my SILs had baby’s post 40.

I’m very happy child free, and been together with my hubby 20 years so I don’t think I will change mind :)
Oh yeah, my comment wasn’t directed at you, it was meant widely to everyone on the thread
 
I always find the ‘what if you change your mind?’ question so weird anyway…what if I do? Then I’ll have a baby if I decide I want one, or if I can’t have a baby I’d try to adopt, and if none of that works then I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. This isn’t like a decision you’re forced to make and then you’re bound to for the rest of your life. Actually, having a baby is the choice that you’re pretty much stuck with! I’d be terrified to have a baby not being 100% sure and then end up wishing I hadn’t, but people with kids don’t seem to even consider that.
 
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I always find the ‘what if you change your mind?’ question so weird anyway…what if I do? Then I’ll have a baby if I decide I want one, or if I can’t have a baby I’d try to adopt, and if none of that works then I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. This isn’t like a decision you’re forced to make and then you’re bound to for the rest of your life. Actually, having a baby is the choice that you’re pretty much stuck with! I’d be terrified to have a baby not being 100% sure and then end up wishing I hadn’t, but people with kids don’t seem to even consider that.
I agree. If I change my mind and want a baby and it's too late, I'll just have to live with it like people have to live with their choices every day. I don't see the problem.
 
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Yes, it is so weird that people act as if you can't have a child later. We have so many options. It would be even easier to simply date a single father.
 
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