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[Ovek]

I don't want any kids because I think this planet is doomed and I wouldn't want to bring a child in to this world thinking that.

 

[Viewt]

My fiancée and I are firmly in the No-Kids Camp. And it's really simple, honestly. It's not about "not adding another life to a dying planet" or "we're not meant to be parents" or whatever. It's just that, when we look at our lives down the line, the path without kids looks more interesting and fulfilling to us.

Kids are great, and if you've got 'em, kudos to you for doing the heavy lifting to keep society on track. That's dope, and I'm happy that there's another generation down the line to pay taxes when I'm old and dusty. But we only get one life, and I'm gonna live mine the way I want to. And I have a wonderful life partner who feels the same. It's awesome.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

Not wanting to have kids is not selfish at all, don't know why so many people are making it sound like it is. Having kids you don't want and then not taking proper care of them would be selfish.

I think its as simple as many parents think people that don't have kids are just 100% hedonists focused on themselves at all times and that's why they choose to not have kids. Even that I have a hard time as labeling as any more selfish than the average Joe/Jane since I hold a hedonistic view of human nature.

Some of it is probably also envy as child free people do have more free time and disposable income (than parents with equivalent jobs) obviously. I'm sure social media amps that up as well as I defintely see the childfree couples on our feed (including us) sharing vacation pics, nice dinner/event pics etc. much more regularly than the parents.

My fiancée and I are firmly in the No-Kids Camp. And it's really simple, honestly. It's not about "not adding another life to a dying planet" or "we're not meant to be parents" or whatever. It's just that, when we look at our lives down the line, the path without kids looks more interesting and fulfilling to us.

Kids are great, and if you've got 'em, kudos to you for doing the heavy lifting to keep society on track. That's dope, and I'm happy that there's another generation down the line to pay taxes when I'm old and dusty. But we only get one life, and I'm gonna live mine the way I want to. And I have a wonderful life partner who feels the same. It's awesome.

Good for you guys! That's very much my fiance and I as well. No deep thought ever went into it for either of us. We simply never remotely wanted kids, never had any second thoughts (I'm 38, she's 33), never liked being around other's kids, nor ever felt that we'd be missing out on anything we'd enjoy by being parents.

Like you, we much more enjoy our vision of the future with more free time and more money to live a higher class lifestyle than we could with kids. To live in convenient, walkable parts of the city, eat good food and drink good beer and wine whenever we want, travel the world etc. etc.

As above, many parents have different views and wouldn't trade their lives for anything, and that's absolutely fine. Different strokes for different folks. The only issue us childfree have is when they give condescending remarks of "you'll change your mind eventually," or "you'll regret never having kids when you're old," or viewing childfree people as selfish as they find joy in life differently than they do (which as above I think stems from envy at times on their part).

 

[Skellig Gra]

One hardly has to have been hurt by kids to simply vehemently dislike them. Really no different than some people who just dislike dogs, cats or whatever. People enjoy and dislike different things and different experiences.

To be frank, my fiance and I mostly just fucking hate people in general and kids are just shittier, worse behavied versions of people that can't take care of them selves. Add in that neither of us is nurturing at all and neither like taking care of others (nor being taken care of by others) and having kids is about the least appealing thing either of us can imagine and we actively avoid places and situations where we have to be around kids and minimize outings around large crowds in general.

Just a bit of fun as its quite the over the top reaction. If you don't want kids by all means don't have them.

Not wanting to have kids is not selfish at all, don't know why so many people are making it sound like it is. Having kids you don't want and then not taking proper care of them would be selfish.

A bit of nuance I suppose. Not wanting kids isn't inherently selfish by itself. In fact I'd argue that if you aren't prepared to have kids and do it anyway its also selfish.

Having said that, there are plenty of people in this thread who more or less admitted as much that they are selfish people totally focused on themselves at all times and don't want to put the work in. Also fine because that's their choice to make and as I said above we don't need more shitty parents messing up the next generation.

 

[The Lamp]

I don't want any kids because I think this planet is doomed and I wouldn't want to bring a child in to this world thinking that.

I totally understand this line of thought. In fact I probably side with it.

But stupid conservatives are still going to have their children, and it's statistical fact that the less educated you are, the younger and more likely you are to have children. So are we just gonna let them outnumber the educated and liberal populace in the future, or are you gonna raise someone decent to stand for the humanity that will exist with or without you in the future?

 

[Deleted member 752119]

I totally understand this line of thought. In fact I probably side with it.

But stupid conservatives are still going to have their children, and it's statistical fact that the less educated you are, the younger and more likely you are to have children. So are we just gonna let them outnumber the educated and liberal populace in the future, or are you gonna raise someone decent to stand for the humanity that will exist with or without you in the future?

Various other things people can do that will have far more impact on future generations than their own hypothetical children would ever have. Be a teach, college professor, work or volunteer with youth groups etc. Get involved in politics directly or indirectly (donations, lobbying). Work for or volunteer with environmental groups to help save the planet. Hell, just donating a fair amount of the money you save not having kids to worthy causes is likely to have more impact. Especially when you factor in that people who don't want kids aren't likely to be the world's best parents and end up generating savant offspring that go on to save the world or make any major impact whatsoever.

 

[ahoyhoy]

Almost 28. Always assumed I'd be child free but as I near 30 I feel more confident that I could handle being a parent. In a couple years once my partner and I are comfortably settled we might end up adopting

 

[shortsoptional]

Wife and I decided to have kids after being married for 2 years. 2 of my friends had kids not by choice, and I feel sorry for their situation.

People who choose to not have kids are smart in that I'm glad they are responsible enough to make that decision. However, please don't ever compare your fucking pets to having children.