Growing share of childless adults in U.S. don’t expect to ever have children

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can tell just by reading this supposed mother (and father) forum that a large % of posters are childless and pretending to be parents. A couple of unhinged spinsters just exposed themselves in a random entertainment thread. I feel sorry for them. Motherhood and heirs changes you in profound ways they will NEVER understand.

I’m sorry you are so insecure and have no identity besides being a mom. That must be rough.

—a parent

I actually think parenthood does change some people profoundly, some people are incredibly self-absorbed and lead fairly meaningless party girl/party boy existence until they have kids, then their eyes are opened to how awesome it can be to not be so self-focused to do for someone else. They assume everyone else is like they were pre-kid, totally vapid, it boggles their minds that some people didn't need to become a parent to be a decent human being.

Yup. I've heard people say that they didn't care about anyone else until they had kids, didn't care about what was happening in the world, didn't care about anything really. My reaction to them is "I'm glad you're not a sociopath anymore but most people never were."

+2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can tell just by reading this supposed mother (and father) forum that a large % of posters are childless and pretending to be parents. A couple of unhinged spinsters just exposed themselves in a random entertainment thread. I feel sorry for them. Motherhood and heirs changes you in profound ways they will NEVER understand.

I’m sorry you are so insecure and have no identity besides being a mom. That must be rough.

—a parent

I actually think parenthood does change some people profoundly, some people are incredibly self-absorbed and lead fairly meaningless party girl/party boy existence until they have kids, then their eyes are opened to how awesome it can be to not be so self-focused to do for someone else. They assume everyone else is like they were pre-kid, totally vapid, it boggles their minds that some people didn't need to become a parent to be a decent human being.

Yup. I've heard people say that they didn't care about anyone else until they had kids, didn't care about what was happening in the world, didn't care about anything really. My reaction to them is "I'm glad you're not a sociopath anymore but most people never were."

+2

I was really hoping parenthood would change the personalities of some of my friends. They were b**ches before, they stayed the same after having kids.

[Anonymous]

Sex and the City's Kristin Davis made me think of this thread. She never had kids. Adopted two late in life.

[Anonymous]

Umm, if she became a mom by any of a myriad ways, then she "had kids."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can tell just by reading this supposed mother (and father) forum that a large % of posters are childless and pretending to be parents. A couple of unhinged spinsters just exposed themselves in a random entertainment thread. I feel sorry for them. Motherhood and heirs changes you in profound ways they will NEVER understand.

I’m sorry you are so insecure and have no identity besides being a mom. That must be rough.

—a parent

I actually think parenthood does change some people profoundly, some people are incredibly self-absorbed and lead fairly meaningless party girl/party boy existence until they have kids, then their eyes are opened to how awesome it can be to not be so self-focused to do for someone else. They assume everyone else is like they were pre-kid, totally vapid, it boggles their minds that some people didn't need to become a parent to be a decent human being.

Yup. I've heard people say that they didn't care about anyone else until they had kids, didn't care about what was happening in the world, didn't care about anything really. My reaction to them is "I'm glad you're not a sociopath anymore but most people never were."

+2

I was really hoping parenthood would change the personalities of some of my friends. They were b**ches before, they stayed the same after having kids.

Mothering actually made me a bigger b because I don't have the time and emotional resources to deal with any BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can tell just by reading this supposed mother (and father) forum that a large % of posters are childless and pretending to be parents. A couple of unhinged spinsters just exposed themselves in a random entertainment thread. I feel sorry for them. Motherhood and heirs changes you in profound ways they will NEVER understand.

I’m sorry you are so insecure and have no identity besides being a mom. That must be rough.

—a parent

I actually think parenthood does change some people profoundly, some people are incredibly self-absorbed and lead fairly meaningless party girl/party boy existence until they have kids, then their eyes are opened to how awesome it can be to not be so self-focused to do for someone else. They assume everyone else is like they were pre-kid, totally vapid, it boggles their minds that some people didn't need to become a parent to be a decent human being.

Yup. I've heard people say that they didn't care about anyone else until they had kids, didn't care about what was happening in the world, didn't care about anything really. My reaction to them is "I'm glad you're not a sociopath anymore but most people never were."

+2

I was really hoping parenthood would change the personalities of some of my friends. They were b**ches before, they stayed the same after having kids.

Mothering actually made me a bigger b because I don't have the time and emotional resources to deal with any BS.

It's made my much more myopic and selfish than pre kids. I don't have the bandwidth to deal with as much outside of my own family. Looking around, I don't think I'm alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 older siblings are childless. 38 and 44. The holidays they spend watching Netflix and surfing Reddit. I am sad for them.

I feel the same way honestly. It’s a shallow way to live. I mean I don’t think people should be parents if they don’t want to be, and I’m certainly sympathetic about those who had problems getting pregnant or don’t have a partner and can’t go it alone. It’s not in the cards for everyone. But these people spend all day on frivolous pursuits. They haven’t grown up. They dote on their cats/dogs as though they are people. I don’t think it’s a healthy way for everyone to live.

I have two friends who didn't have children and are single. One spent a good 10 years taking care of her dad who suffered from dementia and is now living with her mother taking care of her. She routinely helps with her nieces and takes them to sports etc.

The other, a male, is also looking after elderly parents. They also spend time watching Netflix, I mean who doesn't these days and one dotes on her two dogs.

They are the least selfish people I know. The way they are taking care of their parents is certainly grown up and not at all frivolous.

Sometimes people build up judgements of others when in actual fact its simply not the case. They may not have had children but they give way more than I see others giving. They are also much happier than some of my parent friends. They have a wide friendship circle. I would say their life is not less than a parents life.

[Anonymous]

Our economy makes it impossible to afford kids until mid- to late-30’s when fertility is in decline, and then provides no affordable fertility treatments.