Childfree by Choice #4

[HoGi]

I used to tell my MIL we had to do the plant, pet rule first before babies. Keep a plant for a year, then keep a pet etc. Now we have a cat I just tell her the cat doesn't want any competition so thats that.

I tell my MIL I'm too busy bringing up one of her kids to have my own

 

[MrsBsDayOff]

My reasons for not having kids, in no particular order:

- No interest in children generally, find them boring.
- Scared of childbirth, and associated effects of pregnancy on body sounds uncomfortable.
- I like doing my own thing, choosing what I want to do, when I want. I love being able to get in my car and go wherever I want for the day/weekend, on my own terms. Children would mess this up.
- My partner doesn't want kids either so I don't feel pressure to have them.

 

[Sheeeet]

This is the only ultrasound result I'd ever want

 

[milkywaymelon]

We have just booked a holiday for next summer, it's an adults only luxury hotel in Greece and I cannot wait I needed to share this with people who will understand my excitement at a kid free pool on holiday

 

[HoGi]

Tax the childless and childfree?

So suggests Paul Morland in todays Sunday Times. He acknowledges this may be unfair on those who cant or wont have children but says that “we all rely on there being a next generation and that everyone should contribute to the cost of that generation” Funny I thought the taxes that I pay already...

www.awwoc.org

Ageing without children responded to that times article ….

I think we should get tax breaks.

We don't take out as much as those with children. No maternity care, no maternity/paternity pay, no child benefits or tax credits, no "free" nursery hours, no school for 13 years, no NHS for antibiotics for ill children..the list is endless.

 

[Sideboard Bob]

Saw this on Twitter

 

[judgejohndeed]

Am I the only one who isn't even bothered by the idea of nobody finding my corpse and it rotting? I'm dead at that point, cats might as well eat me, makes a change from kibble

 

[xxAprilxx]

Happy International Childfree Day

(Didn't realise this was even a thing until about an hour ago)

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

 

[TheRealKatieP]

It’s the language used which annoys me more than anything. I am neither ‘child-free’ (which suggests children are a bad thing) nor ‘childless’ (which makes it sound as if I am missing some vital component). I am merely a person without children. In much the same way as I am a person without Aardvarks.

 

[Ingognito.Queen]

YES.

 

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

 

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

Just been watching David Attenborough’s documentary “A life on our planet”. He basically says that the world is going majorly downhill from 2030 and that the world will be grim by 2080! I was born in the 90’s so that’s cheery! More reasons to not have kids!

he also says that if we stop the population growth, basically by having less kids, we can reverse it. So us childfree folk are doing everyone a favour!

 

[Princesst]

makes it seem like life is meaningless without kids and that you can’t be a family without them. Total crap.

From looking at my friends (who all have kids now apart from me and 1 other who lives the yacht crew life) I genuinely think a lot of people are empty. Either in terrible relationships or just unfilled. They think children then give them purpose, it’s what you’re “meant to do” and it makes you whole. But then they’re still empty after kids but can’t ever admit that. So they become stuck as there’s no going back! Some of my friends sort of hint at feeling it but normally in a passive aggressive way towards me. (“You’re so lucky you have spare money/can go on holiday/can do whatever you want, I CAN’T”)

A colleague of mine with grown up children once said in the office chit chat if she could have her time back again and knew what she knew about her life up to that point, she wouldn’t have had children for a variety of reasons and I really respected her for that but everyone else looked at her like she was the actual devil. There were audible gasps. But to me it sounded like she was just being honest.

Quite often when people refer to being child free as not being a “full” life I just think well your life looks/sounds completely miserable from what you tell me, why on earth would I want that?? whereas I can genuinely say I’m quite content. I never have to use phrases like “I wouldn’t change having little Timmy….. BUT”. There’s no “but” in my life

 

[xxAprilxx]

 

[mcfeez]

I used to tell my MIL we had to do the plant, pet rule first before babies. Keep a plant for a year, then keep a pet etc. Now we have a cat I just tell her the cat doesn't want any competition so thats that.

 

[Ensay]

A few of my colleagues have 'school run' in their calendars (on their WFH days) like it's a meeting. So they swan off about 2:30pm, come back later and then log off at 5pm.

I feel like asking my boss why they're not asked to work later to counterbalance the time they've taken out, but my boss has children and I'd probably be labelled 'difficult'.

Normally it wouldn't bother me much, but recently a colleague asked me to cover a meeting because it clashed with their school run time. I really wanted to say "and why is that my problem?"

 

[GiftedNotFree]

The thing is, I don’t doubt that if you desire children then having them is likely a transformative experience - hopefully for the best! But if you don’t want them, you shouldn’t be made to feel like somehow you’re missing out on this supposed life altering thing. It may be and probably is life altering for you, but it would be an absolute car crash for me. And both situations are valid - one is not better than the other.

 

[drewydrop]

I’m child free by choice for now, do want children one day but I’m not just not ready at the moment (I’m 31).

I can’t stand the pressure, the constant questions, people with children assuming my life is any less fulfilled or successful because I haven’t birthed a child. I don’t think it’s an achievement ? Anybody can be a parent - it doesn’t take any skill, intelligence or hard work to get pregnant. Even the ones with deadbeat partners who fathered their baby think they’re better than childless women!

I feel like my career success is overlooked cause all anyone focuses on for women in the 30s is marriage & children. And don’t get me started in the “you’ll be doing the school run in your 40s” comments from people who had children young and are trying to convince themselves they didn’t give up their 20s because of a child. 🫠

So frustrating and god forbid you’re single with no children I saw this the other day on Instagram.We only seem to celebrate those getting married and having babies, anything else doesn’t seem to compare.

 

[judgejohndeed]

Idk why parents can't get over themselves and accept that if their kids are badly behaved it's annoying to everyone else.