Any childfree folks here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I don't want kids" is akin to saying "I never want to fall in love". Can you imagine going through life and never falling in love?
Raising children is a major life experience, if not THE life experience.

I'm sure there are life experiences that others have had that they can't imagine going through life without that you have never & will never experience. The great thing about living in a free society is that there are many different paths to choose from in life because no one path is right for every single person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it ironic that childfree people are posting here and taking over this space with their own thread.

It's pretty hypocritical. Childfree people bitch and bitch and bitch about parents bring children into adults only spaces. You should respect that this board is a space for parents and take your childfree selves elsewhere.

Good lord! As long as childfree people aren't posting on parenting & kid-related threads about how annoying parents &/or children are & how much it must suck to have kids, why do you care if they post here? Despitr its title, many topics on this furum have nothing to do with parenting! If you don't want to read posts about people who don't have kids, the childfree lifestyle, etc then don't read threads with titles like "Any childfree folks here?" as they are obviously no more intended for you than the threads on the General Parenting board are intended for childfree people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I don't want kids" is akin to saying "I never want to fall in love". Can you imagine going through life and never falling in love?
Raising children is a major life experience, if not THE life experience.

Please, it's not the same. It's a ton of f ing work! And usually the mother is stuck with the bill of it. It's not crazy to not want kids! (I have three!)

Love your honesty. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I'm not now, but was for quite awhile (infertile and decided against treatments). I have much love for the childfree. What's your question?

[Anonymous]

Yes, we are child free but not by choice. Could not afford to live in the dc area and have fertility treatments. Tried to get out of DC too, but looks like we are here til retirement and childfree.

[Anonymous]

Every single one of our declared child free friends cracked by their early 40s.

The biggest promoter of hating and never wanting children had two babies quickly at 42 and 43. She is now the mommiest of any of us. Btw, she was pissex when I had my first at 35 (sent me a bottle of wine when I announced my pregnancy$. My husband and I were their travel and party buddies for a decade.

She is appalled about the wine thing when I bring it up now.

We have a cousin that married late-40 to a woman that never wanted kids. They are very happy and appear to ha e zero regrets. They are great Aunt/Uncle.

I never could have imagined ex what being a parent would be like and I am so glad I did not miss out on this experience. But--if I never knew about it (you can't explain in words what it's like to somebody who's never done it) I would still find joy and happiness.

Waiting until my husband and I were both 100% on board has made the journey one of love and zero regret.

[Anonymous]

My husband and I are 43 and childfree by choice. I like kids and am a happy aunt; he does not like kids and is an unhappy uncle.

I can imagine fostering some time in the future, but my husband isn't too happy when I bring it up.

We have friends who also don't have kids - I used to think all of them were childfree intentionally; after seeing how many people go through fertility treatments, I no longer make that assumption.

I have my moments where I wonder if we should have a kid - mostly after I see our nieces and nephews, or friends with little ones. But on the whole, I think we made the right choice for us.

[Anonymous]

Yes, we act like we are childfree intentionally around my family, because criticism, mocking, and gossiping are activities my family enjoys. We are really childfree due to infertility and a just unsure about fostering since we are around 50. Just trying to embrace childfree for now, and move on with our lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we act like we are childfree intentionally around my family, because criticism, mocking, and gossiping are activities my family enjoys. We are really childfree due to infertility and a just unsure about fostering since we are around 50. Just trying to embrace childfree for now, and move on with our lives.

Ugh, how cruel. I'm sorry you're subjected to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it ironic that childfree people are posting here and taking over this space with their own thread.

It's pretty hypocritical. Childfree people bitch and bitch and bitch about parents bring children into adults only spaces. You should respect that this board is a space for parents and take your childfree selves elsewhere.

Jealousy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we act like we are childfree intentionally around my family, because criticism, mocking, and gossiping are activities my family enjoys. We are really childfree due to infertility and a just unsure about fostering since we are around 50. Just trying to embrace childfree for now, and move on with our lives.

Ugh, how cruel. I'm sorry you're subjected to that.

Thanks, appreciate your kindness.

Some of us go with childfree because it's the hand life has dealt us.

[Anonymous]

I have a childfree friend who never wanted children and got her tubes tied in her twenties. I respect any woman who makes her own choice and doesn't criticize people who decide otherwise.

[Anonymous]

I am childfree - pretty much was ambivalent about the entire notion growing up, then when DH was pretty clear that he didn't want kids, I went with that, and never felt a tinge of wanting them, even as my clock ticked to midnight.

One time I when I was in my 30s I was talking with a neighbor of my parents, a woman probably born in the early 1950s who had two sons, and she asked if I thought I would ever have kids, and I said that I doubted it. She immediately replied, "That's so great. I never wanted children."

I never thought of her as a bad mother, and she I'm sure muddled through, but why should anyone who feels that intensely about it be forced to have kids just because society thinks that's what she should do? And why should I have been forced to have kids if it wasn't something that either DH or I had any real interest in?

That said, I've never been militant about it, and really none of my friends have ever made a big deal about it--which probably shows that most of them thought I'd be a lousy mother too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am childfree - pretty much was ambivalent about the entire notion growing up, then when DH was pretty clear that he didn't want kids, I went with that, and never felt a tinge of wanting them, even as my clock ticked to midnight.

One time I when I was in my 30s I was talking with a neighbor of my parents, a woman probably born in the early 1950s who had two sons, and she asked if I thought I would ever have kids, and I said that I doubted it. She immediately replied, "That's so great. I never wanted children."

I never thought of her as a bad mother, and she I'm sure muddled through, but why should anyone who feels that intensely about it be forced to have kids just because society thinks that's what she should do? And why should I have been forced to have kids if it wasn't something that either DH or I had any real interest in?

That said, I've never been militant about it, and really none of my friends have ever made a big deal about it--which probably shows that most of them thought I'd be a lousy mother too.

I like you.

[Anonymous]

Lol at the comment about this being a parenting forum! I forget that when I'm reading through all the crazy posts on here and now I'm concerned about the next generation. I wish more people were childfree in here.

Ok now that I've said that just curious if any of you who are child free have pets? Have always had a pet?