Reply to How do you deal with a spouse who doesn't stand up to his family?

Forum Index » Family Relationships

Reply to "How do you deal with a spouse who doesn't stand up to his family?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Op, are you actually upset that you decided not to have kids?  Honest question.[/quote]

This is OP here.

No, I don't feel upset about our decision not to have kids. I still stand by that decision. However I do feel that there are certain aspects of community and family life that my husband and are not part of. I find it quite hard to explain. Let me try and give an example. 
[b]My husband's siblings, who all have kids, seem to have a closer connection with each other, plus a wider circle of friends and acquaintances than us, purely because they all had kids.[/b] 
They would have experienced ante natal classes, mom & baby groups, toddler activities, meeting their kids' friends, meeting the other moms and dads, PTA, attending their kids' school plays, sports games, BBQs with other parents, etc.

I also notice it in the small town where my husband and I live. It's a beautiful town and it's very family friendly and safe, but in my experience we, as a childfree couple now entering middle age, have to make A LOT more effort to socialize and make friends than people who have children. There just isn't that network.

I do realise that we've had a lot more free time and 'freedom' than people with kids, but at the ages we are now, it sometimes makes me wonder what our future in old age will hold.[/quote]

OP, this is an insightful post.  It is apparent you've done some reflecting on the impact of your choice, which still appears to be the right one for you.

I assume though, that this is not relevant to what you were describing originally about your inlaws?  Or, to the extent it is relevant, you feel like a bit of an "outsider" for not having children, and you are imputing some fault onto your inlaws, when really it is just the reality of your life and nobody is at fault?[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics