Dan Wilbur
Some people don’t want kids. The polite thing to do is not ask why. If you’re friendly enough with them, they might volunteer the information.
If, however, you’re desperate to know why someone wouldn’t, many people have offered their opinions on Reddit and Twitter.
Not that we don’t love genuine answers to this question, but I’ve also taken the time to find some happy non-parents who tweeted funny things about their choice. Hope it lightens the mood.
Here are the answers to the question: “People who don’t ever want to have kids, why?”:
1. “Just not for me.”
“I just have no desire. I don’t hate kids, I love my nieces and nephews and have a great time being an influential part of their life. However, that means that I also see how difficult and stressful it is to raise kids. I understand that people really love it and it’s worth it to them, but that’s just not me.” –I_have_stuffs_to_add
2. Seems accurate.
3. Ending the cycle.
“In psych class we learned about a study where they separated monkeys from their mothers at birth. The monkeys grew to be anxious and twitchy. When those monkeys had their own kids, the mothers didn’t know how to care for them. I was raised horribly so I don’t know how to raise someone well. My parents had children even though their parents abused them. My grandparents’ parents probably also abused them. I’m just cutting off the cycle.” –Spencer2091
4. Passing genes.
“The gene thing in particular hits me hard. I have an incurable autoimmune disease, and there’s at least a 20% chance I pass the disease I have on to my children, and not to mention the possibility of an even more severe autoimmune disease like lupus. I don’t think I’d ever be able to forgive myself if I passed that on to a child, especially with how much I struggle with my own disease. It’s one of the issues that bothers me most about whether I want to have kids or not.” –casswie
5. What I tell myself too.
6. Freedom and money.
“My husband and I would probably be pretty good parents and we’re in a good spot financially, but we feel complete with each other. We have fun together and want to spend the rest of our lives without the responsibility and stress of kids.” –billieaspen515
7. The best reason I’ve read.
8. It doesn’t seem right.
“I don’t trust myself to be unselfish enough to be everything that I believe a child deserves. I sometimes catch myself thinking that children might be nice; but until I’m sure of myself, financially stable and in a steady relationship a child is unlikely to be in the picture.” –vixterlkirby
9. Ironic job or not so ironic?
“As someone who wants to become an elementary school teacher, people are often shocked to find out I don’t want children. But the reason is simple: they cost a LOT of money, they take op a lot of free time and space and I have terrible genes.” –PearFickle
10. Yes.
11. Don’t feel like it.
“You know how some people want kids so bad, they suffer mentally and emotionally from not having them or knowing they can’t have them? How people say they feel hormonal, wanting kids real bad, they can’t control it? Their ovaries are exploding? Baby fever? Or any other colloquialism about wanting to have a baby real soon?
Never had that. People kept telling me that as I’d grow older, would reach my 30s, find my soulmate, my friends start having children, etc., I would start to have that feeling.” –ChibiSailorMercury
12. We already have kids around.
13. If there were an easier way to physically have them.
“I don’t want to give birth and go through all that.. Adoption is a long process and a lot of money that I don’t have.” –SinisterKiss_
14. That’s the real rite of passage.
15. Excellent reasoning.
16. Welp.
“I have kids and never wanted kids.
If you don’t want kids. Please don’t have kids.” –B-Town-MusicMan
17. The right way to talk about it.
h/t Reddit: r/AskReddit
