Kids aren’t for everyone. However, those who are childless by choice sure do get a lot of heat for not procreating.
Just like the desire for parenthood, pregnancy, and everything that comes with having a kid, everything that comes with not wanting to have a kid is personal. Unfortunately, both camps are bombarded with invasive questions and unsolicited touching.
One particular invasive question is geared toward one camp, and often done so in a sneering, judgmental manner:
“Why don’t you want kids?”
The answer — a very personal one — is sometimes not accepted, or even challenged by the other person. It’s a question that should be avoided, unless you are on r/AskReddit, where anything goes question-wise and the moderators keep users feeling safe.
Recently, an_iconoclast posed that question to the subreddit. Many childless-by-choice individuals felt comfortable not only sharing their reasons, but engaging with other users. In the past 10 days, the post has gained 27.4K comments and lots of different reasons. Below are 20.
1. Nobody wants the mom from Carrie
A friend told me once that I would probably be like the mom from Carrie and there’s no f**king way I would condemn a child to such a miserable life.
Also, giving birth? F**k that
2. This person is just stingy
I’m stingy. I don’t want something that takes up the majority of my life for the foreseeable future.
Edit- Thanks for all of your inputs folks. I think it’s far too common these days to get the same old “WhAt Do YoU mEaN yOu DoN’t WaNt KiDs?!?!” from people when they ask about others families. I was not brought up in a loving household and I’m not sure I would even know how to be a good parent to a child. I don’t feel bad about not wanting children, nobody should. We’re overpopulating the world like we own it. Hell we can’t even take care of the people alive now. Probably don’t need to keep adding more people to the planet.
3. It’s important to prioritize mental health
I’m too mentally unstable to provide a quality life for any potential kids
4. Already had the free trial
Since I am the oldest I call my experience “the free trial” and to make things short I don’t like it
5. Raising three kids as a kid was good enough
Oldest of four here. I’ve done my time.
6. No shame in being true to who you are
I’m aromantic and self-centered. I would make a terrible partner and a lousy parent.
7. If there’s no want, why do it?
I have never seen a person with children and thought to myself “i want that life”
8. Patience is not infinite
I don’t have the patience to deal with them
9. $$$
Fkin expensive
10. A cat is difficult enough
… I can barely take care of a cat. How do you think I would do with a child?