Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: Understandable. Raising children requires a different level of maturity & responsibility.

LOL. So parents are more mature than childfree people now? Give me a break. I’m childfree and not out drinking every night. There are a plethora of reasons for me to not have kids- money, my own deteriorating health, the climate, and more. I actually like kids a lot. But being a parent isn’t my path. And that has nothing to do with maturity or responsibility.

Not disagreeing with anything you’re saying why are in a forum called infants, toddlers and preschoolers…

Because I was scanning recent posts and saw this one. I don't have kids and I'm curious how having them causes your entire personality to evaporate to the extent that you have absolutely nothing to talk about other than your kids.

Do you ever visit forums other than this one? Or can you no longer relate to topics like real estate, food or travel because you have kids?

Anonymous wrote:I can't relate at all anymore to my friends who don't have kids, especially the ones who treat their pets like kids (like I know someone who baby-wears her dog in a babybjorn-type thing), and feel like I'm letting those friendships fade and don't even really care... Is this common?

I feel this way too. It's natural and nothing to be ashamed of. Plenty of childless people slow fade their friends who become parents because they can't relate either. Don't let internet strangers give you grief over it. And the cool thing is someday some of those childless friends will become parents and then the friendship can bloom again. Don't stress.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It just means your life is too evolved around your kids. Def not good. You become one of those parents who talk nothing but your kids. Boring as hell. Try to remember no one gives F about your kids other than you.

I mean…my friends and I who have kids around the same age talk about our kids all the time and it’s great to have someone to share that with. Maybe you hate your kids?

Yeah but do you really honestly love hearing them talking about their kids? I think not. You just want to tell them how great your kids are.

Anonymous wrote:I can't relate at all anymore to my friends who don't have kids, especially the ones who treat their pets like kids (like I know someone who baby-wears her dog in a babybjorn-type thing), and feel like I'm letting those friendships fade and don't even really care... Is this common?

That"s a shame

I saw this whole article about someone who felt lost in life, so they left, traveled, meditated, took long walks. I couldn’t relate at all to the advice. Yep- let me just leave my kids and family to help heal myself. It was just out of touch with why so many of us are burnt out.

I still have friends without kids, no problem. They're the ones most likely to be free to go to a concert or take a weekend vacation. I'm thankful they put up with me always saying "I don't know if I can go yet, I need to find a babysitter" or "yes we can come to your Superbowl party, are kids invited?" (They always are).

But op, if you don't find any benefit to being friends with your child free friends, that's ok. Just fade away. That's up to you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It just means your life is too evolved around your kids. Def not good. You become one of those parents who talk nothing but your kids. Boring as hell. Try to remember no one gives F about your kids other than you.

I mean…my friends and I who have kids around the same age talk about our kids all the time and it’s great to have someone to share that with. Maybe you hate your kids?

Yes but are your “friends who have kids around the same age” the only people you are able to talk to? Do you have the same exact conversation about only your kids with everyone else in the world, too?

You must really lack empathy, especially since you have actually been a person without children.

Anonymous wrote:I love my friends without children and I have three children. Who cares if someone lavishes attention on their dog? Maybe they think you’re crazy for how you parent your child. The judgement is bizarre. You’re not perfect or more evolved because you have children.

Yup.

Anonymous wrote:It just means your life is too evolved around your kids. Def not good. You become one of those parents who talk nothing but your kids. Boring as hell. Try to remember no one gives F about your kids other than you.

Boom! Mic drop….so true

Anonymous wrote:It just means your life is too evolved around your kids. Def not good. You become one of those parents who talk nothing but your kids. Boring as hell. Try to remember no one gives F about your kids other than you.

I mean…my friends and I who have kids around the same age talk about our kids all the time and it’s great to have someone to share that with. Maybe you hate your kids?

You’re getting a lot of flack, OP, but I think it’s fine if you don’t want to be friends with people whose lives are in a very different place from yours.

It just means your life is too evolved around your kids. Def not good. You become one of those parents who talk nothing but your kids. Boring as hell. Try to remember no one gives F about your kids other than you.

I love my friends without children and I have three children. Who cares if someone lavishes attention on their dog? Maybe they think you’re crazy for how you parent your child. The judgement is bizarre. You’re not perfect or more evolved because you have children.

I have friends with and without kids that faded when I had my DD (as a single mom). And I have friends with and without kids that I am still friends with. My friendships changed because I had less time to devote to maintaining the friendship and some people were ok with that and some people were not. That is the only thing that has changed.