Comments on: At least 10 Reasons To Be Childfree http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/ The Interests of a Childfree Brit Living in Toronto Fri, 18 May 2012 03:02:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: RMS http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/comment-page-1/#comment-7929 RMS Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:05:45 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/#comment-7929 I'm glad everyone enjoyed the list! I knew as soon as I read it you would come up with a terrific post about it, Britgirl. My favorite reason: 9) Once they are Born you are Pretty much Stuck with them - yep, no return policy at all. I especially like the line about "if they're ugly or stupid..." It's such a crap shoot, you never know what you'll get. Sure your kid might be one of the great ones, but I'm sure all the parents of the lousy ones thought the same thing. I’m glad everyone enjoyed the list! I knew as soon as I read it you would come up with a terrific post about it, Britgirl. My favorite reason: 9) Once they are Born you are Pretty much Stuck with them – yep, no return policy at all. I especially like the line about “if they’re ugly or stupid…” It’s such a crap shoot, you never know what you’ll get. Sure your kid might be one of the great ones, but I’m sure all the parents of the lousy ones thought the same thing.

]]> By: Feh http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/comment-page-1/#comment-7893 Feh Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:46:32 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/#comment-7893 My main reason for not having children: Once you have them, they're yours forever. You can't ever give them back, and you will never escape. My main reason for not having children:
Once you have them, they’re yours forever. You can’t ever give them back, and you will never escape.

]]> By: Britgirl http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/comment-page-1/#comment-7861 Britgirl Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:18:06 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/#comment-7861 Thanks for these comments... noir - interesting point. I'm not sure it's just children who only have one sibling that form the ungrateful pool, but I've never seen a study on it so who knows? At least you were one of the grateful ones! I do know that (and sadly have seen several of them) that many kids in general are ungrateful...might be because nowadays they have more of a sense of entitlement and many parents can't or don't do much to tell them otherwise. But also, given the need for people to be more far flung than they were before in terms of where they live it isn't always that easy to ensure that the kids grow up with their extended families... assuming they even have one. I have also heard of parents forever telling their kids how grateful they should be to them... with the result that the kids simply got fed up of hearing it and the parents got upset. Christine - "the point being they’re ‘theirs’ and not ‘mine’ so I can just have fun with them…" Precisely :) Phoena - yep, comes with the territory... Merc - I think the want want want mentality is encouraged by the parents. For whatever reason. I know I could not have every single thing I wanted when I was a child... I also know that Gen-Yrs have a very big sense of entitlement - and we're being told we have to be careful how we deal with them... Thanks for these comments… noir – interesting point. I’m not sure it’s just children who only have one sibling that form the ungrateful pool, but I’ve never seen a study on it so who knows? At least you were one of the grateful ones! I do know that (and sadly have seen several of them) that many kids in general are ungrateful…might be because nowadays they have more of a sense of entitlement and many parents can’t or don’t do much to tell them otherwise. But also, given the need for people to be more far flung than they were before in terms of where they live it isn’t always that easy to ensure that the kids grow up with their extended families… assuming they even have one. I have also heard of parents forever telling their kids how grateful they should be to them… with the result that the kids simply got fed up of hearing it and the parents got upset.

Christine – “the point being they’re ‘theirs’ and not ‘mine’ so I can just have fun with them…” Precisely :)

Phoena – yep, comes with the territory…

Merc – I think the want want want mentality is encouraged by the parents. For whatever reason. I know I could not have every single thing I wanted when I was a child… I also know that Gen-Yrs have a very big sense of entitlement – and we’re being told we have to be careful how we deal with them…

]]> By: Christine http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/comment-page-1/#comment-7822 Christine Sun, 12 Aug 2007 04:15:25 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/#comment-7822 I’ve never really thought in terms of reasons myself per se. I just never wanted to have kids when I was younger and as I got older I never experienced the ticking of the clock — not at all, ever. I’m perhaps an anomaly here (perhaps not) but I worked with kids for many years and I like being around them (albeit not for extended periods). But yes, I can relate to some of the reasons such as the engulfing responsibility (I liked it when they went to their homes after I was finished work) of being a parent and of course to the financial implications. I could not maintain the lifestyle I have now (travel, home, etc) … and I do like my life the way it is a lot. I love being childfree and I also love being around kids (less so as I get older, however). Sometimes people who don’t know me well are very surprised to hear I don’t want children because I am so good with theirs….the point being they’re ‘theirs’ and not ‘mine’ so I can just have fun with them…. I’ve never really thought in terms of reasons myself per se. I just never wanted to have kids when I was younger and as I got older I never experienced the ticking of the clock — not at all, ever. I’m perhaps an anomaly here (perhaps not) but I worked with kids for many years and I like being around them (albeit not for extended periods). But yes, I can relate to some of the reasons such as the engulfing responsibility (I liked it when they went to their homes after I was finished work) of being a parent and of course to the financial implications. I could not maintain the lifestyle I have now (travel, home, etc) … and I do like my life the way it is a lot.

I love being childfree and I also love being around kids (less so as I get older, however). Sometimes people who don’t know me well are very surprised to hear I don’t want children because I am so good with theirs….the point being they’re ‘theirs’ and not ‘mine’ so I can just have fun with them….

]]> By: noir http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/comment-page-1/#comment-7818 noir Sun, 12 Aug 2007 03:45:36 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/#comment-7818 Definitely agreed about number three... but strongly disagree about number ten. I think the "they're ungrateful" is more relevant to children raised in nuclear families, where they have no sense of their place in the world and in history. I am only speaking from personal experience, but growing up in an extended family with lots of contact with my older relatives, I have a strong sense of what they did to make sure that I had a better life than they did. I am so grateful for that. IMO children that only grow up with one sibling to fight with and one or two parents that are overbearing, helicopter, "be exactly like me, but perfect" parents turn out to be ungrateful, me-centered monsters. If I ever have children (I'm not sure if it's right for me), I will make sure that they grow up with their aunts, uncles, cousins, great-aunts, great-uncles, and especially grandparents. That is, if I ever have children. ;-) Definitely agreed about number three… but strongly disagree about number ten. I think the “they’re ungrateful” is more relevant to children raised in nuclear families, where they have no sense of their place in the world and in history. I am only speaking from personal experience, but growing up in an extended family with lots of contact with my older relatives, I have a strong sense of what they did to make sure that I had a better life than they did. I am so grateful for that. IMO children that only grow up with one sibling to fight with and one or two parents that are overbearing, helicopter, “be exactly like me, but perfect” parents turn out to be ungrateful, me-centered monsters. If I ever have children (I’m not sure if it’s right for me), I will make sure that they grow up with their aunts, uncles, cousins, great-aunts, great-uncles, and especially grandparents. That is, if I ever have children. ;-)

]]> By: Phoena http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/comment-page-1/#comment-7794 Phoena Sat, 11 Aug 2007 14:50:34 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/#comment-7794 Thanks for sharing that! The whole list is good, but I'd have to agree most with 1, 6, and 10. I can't stand all the noise kids make! Even if I raised my kids right, I'd have to put up with their ill-behaved bratty friends, and that terrible ungrateful streak kids have would drive me insane. Thanks for sharing that! The whole list is good, but I’d have to agree most with 1, 6, and 10. I can’t stand all the noise kids make! Even if I raised my kids right, I’d have to put up with their ill-behaved bratty friends, and that terrible ungrateful streak kids have would drive me insane.

]]> By: mercurior http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/comment-page-1/#comment-7787 mercurior Sat, 11 Aug 2007 10:57:13 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2007/08/11/at-least-10-reasons-to-be-childfree/#comment-7787 the tv shows, i spent one hellish month with my fiancee, whos father has houseguests.. 3 brats and if i hear dore the explorer once more i am going to go berserk, every bloody morning from 7 am to 1pm, the same damn episodes.. i disagree with 8, a lot of strangers in todays world think its cute, mostly parents, its the childfree or the ones most sympathetic (e.g. older people) who get annoyed. the sexualisation of preteens, thats my big bugbear, 8 year olds wearing thongs, and slut wear, things that even hookers wont wear. whether its done due to the tv teaching them that, or if their parents accept it. the way children today want, want, want, and want some more, they need this doll these trainers (worth 10 times more than my shoes), and they only last 2 mins, then they go begging for another pair and so on, the grasping mentality the tv shows, i spent one hellish month with my fiancee, whos father has houseguests.. 3 brats and if i hear dore the explorer once more i am going to go berserk, every bloody morning from 7 am to 1pm, the same damn episodes..

i disagree with 8, a lot of strangers in todays world think its cute, mostly parents, its the childfree or the ones most sympathetic (e.g. older people) who get annoyed.

the sexualisation of preteens, thats my big bugbear, 8 year olds wearing thongs, and slut wear, things that even hookers wont wear. whether its done due to the tv teaching them that, or if their parents accept it.

the way children today want, want, want, and want some more, they need this doll these trainers (worth 10 times more than my shoes), and they only last 2 mins, then they go begging for another pair and so on, the grasping mentality

]]>