How many of you DUers aren't especially fond of children?

[Sandpiper]

I must admit that I fall into that category. I won't say that I hate kids, because I don't, but for the most part I do not enjoy their company. I find them loud and destructive (and since they're not mine, I don't have a parent's willingness to overlook this). I also think most of the "cute" things they do, are pretty annoying. I find it especially irritating when parents bring kids into adult settings where they obviously don't belong, like upscale restaurants, theatres, and R-rated movies.

Who else feels this way? I know I can't be alone here.

[GOPisEvil]

1. *sets watch*

It's been a while since we've had this little flame-fest. I'll start the popcorn.

Sorry - I just know what these threads have been like in the past. I hope the fates treat this one nicely.

[Sandpiper]

5. I'm really just curious

that's all.

[GOPisEvil]

7. I know you mean well.

I've just seen this discussion degenerate.

I hope I'm just being cynical. :-)

[fishnfla]

18. Thats a pile of shit and you know it

You're trying to start a me!me!me! flame fest, one thing I cant stand is when grown adults act like spoiled brats. why dont you grow up?

[Sandpiper]

50. Thank you for your input

Along with the irony of a profanity laden tirade about how I'm starting a flame fest and need to grow up. ;)

[prolesunited]

6. LOL!

How true. Enjoy the show! :hi:

[seaglass]

29. It doesn't get bad until someone has to start with the

generalizations about kids being smelly, parents breeders etc. And luckily the one who was most prone to that viciousness is loooonnnnngg gone.:evilgrin:

[chefgirl]

59. Au Contraire

OK, maybe the person who was the 'worst' in your opinion is gone, and I'm pretty sure I know who you are referring to, but the person I think is the 'worst' is quite alive and well right here on DU. Im surprised we parents HAVEN'T been called breeders yet by this person.(at least not in this thread.....yet).

To answer the original poster's question, I'm one of those people who doesn't particularly like kids and I have one. I would point out to all those who so condescendingly pass value judgements on those of us who DO have children, that all those negative things you've said about children are pretty much true, and yet we still chose to have them.
So, for a little dose of my own condescension, go and find out what love really is, and then come back and tell me why people who have children are so fucked up.

-chef-

[seaglass]

72. Yeah, that would be the runner up.

Frankly, I think hating kids and parents is just a form of prejudice; I have no respect for those who feel this way. I don't care if someone decides to be child-free, I just can't stand the hatred.

[Eureka]

2. G'day

Child-free here, but don't tell anyone, they'll think I'm some sorta monster :-)

I must say however, it's not the kids, it's the parents. No generalisations here, I'm talking specifically about my sister and brother in-law :-)

[jpgray]

3. Kids are awesome. (nt)

[YNGW]

4. WC Fields

Anyone who hates children and dogs can't be all bad. - WC Fields

On the other hand, I love my kids. So I'll just have to be on WC's bad list.

[El Supremo]

17. "I only like children...

if they're well done."

WC Fields said that too.

And I don't like them very much either.

[kher-heb]

8. I hate parents more than their brats

why would anyone bring a kid into this horrible world?

[tigereye]

15. sorry couldn't resist

because we feel hopeful and optimistic despite this horrible world

[Beaker]

9. *raises hand*

i can't abide the little monsters. my vasectomy was the happiest day of my life...

[Eureka]

16. Gee Beaker

I'm agreeing with you a fair bit today, care for a kids on escalators thread :-)

[jokerman93]

10. How about the idea of "kids"

The world of innocence, wonder and play -- and all that romantic nonsense? Forget it. Not American kids. Not any kids I've ever met.

It's not that I don't like kids. It's probably just more accurate to say I don't like humans much these days. Swarming the planet. Devouring resources indescriminately. Consuming, eating, killing, reproducing geometrically and starting all over again.

Let's face it. Humans aren't all that attractive or compelling, even when they're little and cute.

End Mysanthropic Rant.

[sybylla]

11. Depends

Love to be around kids who are respectful of others. Dislike out of control kids.

[Piperay]

12. I have nothing against them but

I am more drawn to and inclined to ow and ah over animals rather than children. I'm just not very maternal except toward four legged critters. :shrug:

[sweetheart]

13. Fucking screaming babies on airplanes

I don't know about kids in general, but the screaming baby on the redeye is a really unpopular baby with moi. ;-)

The screaming baby in airforce one.. of course... well , you know.! :-)

[CanuckAmok]

14. I don't mind them, but the secret is the garnish you choose.

Childless here, with vasectomy.

I'm with "Beaker"; it was the happiest day of my life (and not just because I finally had a credible reason to stuff a bag of frozen corn down my pants).

I don't mind kids, I just have ZERO interest in them, or their 'cute' antics.

I love what Lindsay Nagel said in that Simpsons episode: "Children are the future; today belongs to ME!"

[tinnyguy1777]

19. Thank goodness for vasectomies------

It good to know some of you clowns wont be procreating, what with your attitudes about children.

[CanuckAmok]

20. Yes, it's win/win. Now, excuse me, I have to count my disposable income.

n/t

[Beaker]

22. you got that right!

being childless means going out for sashimi at least 2 nights a week.

[CanuckAmok]

25. "Two"?

I have it delivered nightly, and I eat it off Catherine Zeta-Jones' bare back!

Now that's livin', although it's no substitute for cleaning cotton-candy puke off the upholstery of my Aerostar.

[Beaker]

21. the real problem are the people who procreate-

when they have no business doing so, because they don't want to be "parents" they just want to have children.

[CanuckAmok]

23. Homer Simpson, on learning parents would have to shoulder school tax:

"Hey, you can't change the rules in mid-play! We never would have had these kids if we'd known we'd have to pay for them!"

[Missy Vixen]

24. They're okay but I don't want any

Here's a nice little story: I serve on the local Chamber of Commerce board. Our board president's young daughter had surgery last Thursday to correct a "lazy eye". It seems that the other sweet, innocent children she goes to school with teased the girl till her parents decided it was best for her to have the surgery rather than endure the taunting.

>I find it especially irritating when parents bring kids into adult settings where they obviously don't belong, like upscale restaurants, theatres, and R-rated movies.<

We're getting increasingly bold over this issue -- in other words, if someone brings a child into an obviously inappropriate setting and the child commences to Quietly Fussing(tm), we'll speak up.

We went to a local theater production last Saturday night. The subject matter (one woman show about Billie Holiday,) was not even close to being age-appropriate. There were warnings on all literature about the show (and even on the tickets,) that it was for "mature audiences only" and contained "strong language". A couple behind us walked in with a pre-elementary school aged child, who fussed, talked, squirmed, and generally disturbed everyone in the seats surrounding the family. The last straw for me was the audible gasps from the parents everytime the actress playing Miss Holiday used a particularly colorful obscenity.

Julie

[ScreamingMeemie]

26. No flames here, but I love my kids...I also find them intelligent,

well behaved (for the most part) and nice people.

The most important thing to remember, Sandpiper, is that you too were once a child. Be grateful your parents liked kids at least a little.

:hi:

[Sandpiper]

51. No disagreement here

The most important thing to remember, Sandpiper, is that you too were once a child. Be grateful your parents liked kids at least a little.

I know that I was once a kid myself, and I'm very grateful to have had wonderful parents and grandparents. I guess my biggest peeve is miscreant children whose parents won't control them. But I blame the parents for that, not the kids.

[Wcross]

27. I agree with you Sandpiper

I dislike interacting with children. I have better luck with my dogs. At least I can swat them with a rolled up newspaper when the get out of line!

[citizen snips]

28. I watch R-rated movies.

I am 15 years old so I am considered a kid. I also watch a lot of R-rated movies.:P

[wickerwoman]

45. I saw tons of R rated movies when I was 15 too,

but I've seen "parents" bringing 3 or 4 year old kids to late night R-rated films hoping they'll fall asleep and they won't have to pay a sitter.

That just sucks for everyone involved.

[Sandpiper]

52. I guess I should clarify what I mean by kids

I'm really talking about age 10 and below. Unless you're maturity impaired, by age 15 you know how to behave yourself in an R-rated movie.

[oldcoot]

30. You are not alone

Although I do not have children, I feel that I spend a lot of time cleaning up after them. They leave their toys and other junk in my yard. I also have had kids damage my property.

[historian]

31. I like them well enough - till they are 8 or so

but i love them when i can send them home to someone else.

[WoodrowFan]

32. nasty, noisy, and messy

ugh.


Seriously I don't mind kids if they are well behaved. I just never felt the urge to have any. No, if you'll excuse me, I have to go make cooing noises at my dog who's a good doggy? who's a cute doggy? does doggy love his daddy? yes he does, yes he does...

[mopinko]

33. mother of 5, and i have my days

what can i say?

[alarimer]

34. I am not a kid person

I am just unconfortable around them. I have no desire to have any and prefer to go to movies at a time (say late at night) when presumably there won't be any there. I saw a very violent movie once and there were several small children which I thought was inappropriate. For that I blame the parents. Mostly though I ignore them. But there was that time on a plane when I seriously wished there was such a thing as children-free flights. It was a total nightmare.

[CanuckAmok]

35. Hey Beaker...did this happen to you?

I was 29 when I decided to get my vasectomy. My GP at the time (in case this is relevant, she was a Middle-Eastern Woman). Would NOT give me the referral for the procedure. She tried up and down to talk me out of it, and kept saying I was too young, would regret it, would never know the joy of parenthood, yadda yadda yadda. Se flat-out refused, unless I agreed to psychological counseling.

I told her to stuff it, and that I'd be back in a week and expected that referral, or I'd file a complaint with the College of Surgeons against her.

She finally relented, and gave me the referral.

:wtf:

Why the heck is is so difficult for some people, even so-called professionals, to acknowledge the choice of non-breeding as a valid one?!

Incedentally, I was pleased to find that my vasectomy was 100% covered by Provincal Health Care!

[Beaker]

39. not exactly, but similar-

my dr. is a guy(i tried calling those dr. referral services- where they match you up with the type of dr. you want- I asked for a blonde female urologist with big tits and warm hands...and they hung up on me!!) and he didn't refuse to give me a referral(actually, we have a PPO, and don't need referrals) BUT- he kept advising me to make a deposit at a sperm bank- just in case- and i was 39 when i had mine...i think i was pretty certain by that time, so no deposit was made PLUS- one of the other big reasons for my decision was that I had been diagnosed with a congenital and very painful spinal condition, that I would NO WAY want to pass on to any possible progeny.

[DemoTex]

36. Married 30 years with no children.

That was not the original plan, but biology (or physiology) intervened. I love to teach kids about aviation or ham radio. On the other hand, I absolutely hate kids who will not let the adults converse (and a pox on those parents, too!). As a dog lover, I find the same behavior in a dog and dog owner repulsive.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

37. ME, me, me!

My partner and I have the same thoughts on kids: "I'd rather suffer through listening to a year-worth of Ann Coulter speeches than raise children"

Other people's kids are cute... until they start crying, screaming, or engaging in other common airline unfriendly activities.

My nieces and nephews are awesome, but I'm glad that I get to go home after visiting them for a few hours!

[hippiechick]

38. Me, and I have one !!!

Unplanned. Never treated her like a snot-nosed spoiled little kiddo, though, and she grew up quite gracefully. Look for her taking a seat with the SCOTUS in about 40 years :).


I absolutely CANNOT STAND to be around other people's kids.



:hippie:

[Coventina]

40. I go back and forth on the child issue

I feel most of my child-hating moments come from BAD PARENTING!!!!

Most parents these days are shit-heads who don't care about instilling any kind of manners or civility into their offspring.

On edit: grammar correction

[CanuckAmok]

41. "Oh, well you can't stifle little Britney's/Dustin's creativity!"

Is what I often hear in response to people saying "Can't you control your child?"...

[Coventina]

44. Or how about "He's just a kid!"

As if that's an excuse for bad behavior.

:eyes:

[greatauntoftriplets]

42. Nope.

Please check my username. Chris, Jordan and Alexandra are great three-year-olds. Smart, well-behaved, creative and play well together.

[DoctorBombay]

43. Me, too

My friends and wife's family can't understand why I don't oogle over kids. It's just not in me, I guess. Some people aren't kid people and I'm one of them.

Don't feel guilty or ashamed about it, Sandpiper!

[TXlib]

46. I love my own children.

I am rather uncomfortable around the children of others, in part because I am not sure what to do when there is a disciplinary problem involving another person's children, and in part because I am phobic about the possibility of a child alleging I did anything inappropriate. So, I flat out refuse to be in charge of other people's kids unless there are other adults, preferably female, present, as well.

[TXlib]

49. And furthermore

I, too, get very upset when I see parents bring children to very child-inappropriate events, but I think one's definition of what is appropriate releaxes a bit after you have had children.

I get the distinct impression some of our childless acquaintances think parents with kids should live as shut-ins, and I make my opinion of such people very clear when I encounter them.

Another thing that childless people often seem to forget (I have two small kids, and even I still have to grapple with this one) is that children are NOT merely small adults, and there is an alien psychology at work there.

One of my big pet peeves is when childless people act like you're a terrorist for bringing your kids to the mall, a family restaurant, a movie matinee, or any other situation in which kids may reasonably be expected.

Somebody gets in my daughter's face in such a situation, and I will be inviting him or her to step outside to 'discuss' their appalling lack of respect towards my children.

[populistmom]

54. Exactly

:thumbsup:

[TXlib]

56. I'm really hoping some asshole gets in my kid's face

My rage needs a good target, and I find aerobic violence quite relaxing.

[Beaker]

60. one point.

i don't mind so much when people bring their kids out in public- as long as the parents can keep them under reasonable control in places where it's necessary and reasonably expected, and that they actually try to do so-
what i'm trying to say is that the supermarket, for instance, is not a playground...the seats in a movie theatre are not mini-trampolines...and stuff like that.

[Bertha Venation]

47. I'm The Aunt.

Never wanted children. At 41 I have no regrets. I love my nieces & nephews, and they're enough for me.

I dated a woman whose son was five months old when we met. I told her on our second date, when we started making out & she wanted me to spend the night, "it might be a little early to say this, but if we're gonna do this you should know I don't want kids." She was bummed, for about five seconds, then hormones took over. I considered her duly warned and went for it. :shrug: We dated for six months and I loved her son, but after six months I still didn't want kids. It's not why we broke up, though.

I like kids enough to speak to them without talking down to them, and I'll take ten seconds to adore the new baby of a co-worker, but that's about it.

Kids are fine. I just don't want any.

[BlueJazz]

61. I pretty much feel the same way.

I adore the antics of a lot of children and like you, will do the
customary adoring of a newborn but when I think of the sleepless nights, mess and other assorted nightmares that young kids can bring, I prefer to stay childless.

To my much surprise though,I'm extremely tolerant of kids, even when the're acting like monsters!

[wickerwoman]

48. I'm not.

I just find the vast majority of them boring and irritating. I've never liked them, not even when I was a kid. I'm sure your kid is lovely, just keep him/her out of my face.

And what really bugs me is the expectation of society that I produce several of them or I'm "not a complete person". Bullshit. I have friends who started popping them out at 18 or 19, never left their home towns or went to college. Are they "complete people"? I've also heard that you don't really grow up until you have kids. Nonsense again. I'd see kids as more stunting to spiritual and emotional growth than anything else. Most people take them as an excuse to act like children themselves.

And the sense of entitlement of people pushing strollers really pisses me off. I can't count the bruises I've had on my ankles from parents shoving Junior's proto-Hummer at me for all they're worth because I didn't move through the supermarket aisle or across the intersection fast enough for them.

I come from a long line of people who didn't like kids and probably shouldn't have had any. I'm happy enough to break it.

[populistmom]

53. I like almost all babies and I like my own (usually)

Sometimes it's very hard with other people's children. I used to teach in the under 8 sect and it was extremely hard because primarily so many people do not know how to raise their children (too much TV, too much junk food, emotional neglect). At times, I've taken things to the extreme subjugating my own needs really, but I did and I'm still doing a darn good job and by the time my children hit school-age, they are above average cognitively and well-behaved. Fortunately, they'll all of good health which makes things easier, but it takes a lot of work.

Babies all the other hand, I love so much. They're amazing to me. They have innate wonders, but yet are blank canvases too. Having a baby is so much work, but it's like falling in love.

[scottcsmith]

55. I have no interest in having a child

I have a step-son, that's enough for me. I have absolutely no interest in having my own child. I've felt pretty strongly about this for several years now. Although 35 isn't too old to have a kid, I really don't want to spend my 40s raising a kid. My step-son is 15, so he'll be off to college (or whatever) in a few years, and I really like the idea of having lots of time with my wife as we enter middle-age. I come from a big family; I have four sisters, and they all have several children, so there's plenty of grandkids to go around. And I don't think the Smith family name is in any danger of becoming obsolete if I don't have a child.

[Selwynn]

57. How can this be a flame fest? I don't really like kids. Big deal.

I'm not especially fond of children. Is that like, some huge problem?

[REP]

70. For Some, Yes

There are a lot of people on this earth that will nag a childfree person to death with how selfish it is not to reproduce; how we were children once, too; how it's different when it's your own; you can't know what life is until you see it through the eyes of a child; you'll regret not having a child ad nauseum. There are so many trite responses to a personal decision that it has inspired a drinking game, and if I played, I'd be drunk now.

[Melsky]

58. I can't imagine having them

I don't enjoy being around them at all. My mother did not want me, and she let me know it every day. She blamed me for all her problems and the stuff she couldn't achieve. I don't think I would do this to a child, but I know that I would resent my loss of freedom much more than I would enjoy whatever it is that people enjoy with their kids.

[AlFrankenFan]

62. I'm 14 and I can't stand 'em

When asked to babysit (which my mom did and loved at age 11), I replied with a polite "hell no". I can't stand little kids, even children my own age. They're annoying. I'm probably annoying. But I hate them, and totally agree with you.

[CanuckAmok]

63. No wonder your "Maggie" looks so sad!

Of course, if little kids were really like Maggie, I'd probably like them.

[AlFrankenFan]

64. Ya....nice and silent hehe n/t :P

[Skittles]

65. my coworkers brag about their kids

but when they bring them to work they are nasty, ill-behaved little brats. They bear all the signs of not receiving enough attention, probably because their parents are so overworked. I don't know how people with kids find the time to do anything.

[Forkboy]

66. I like the kids...it's the asshole parents I dont like

[truthspeaker]

67. In general I don't like them, but individual ones can grow on me

My friends' babies are actually kind of interesting, at least for short periods of time.

Keep in mind I don't particularly like adults, either.

[Marius]

68. I can't stand children!

Bunch of whiney, dirty, destructive, pain in the asses! I hate that they suffer and stuff because of starvation and whatnot, though.

Give me a dog and I'll be happy.

[REP]

69. Don't Like Being Around Them

I think I was mentined upthread - I don't enjoy the company of children and usually can't stand their parents any better. There are exceptions, of course.

And yes, I'm twice sterilized - tubal ligation, uterine ablation *plus* ovarian cysts.

[RebelOne]

71. You're not alone.

I have never been especially fond of little kids. And I have two children of my own. Of course, they are adults now. But it's a miracle that they survived past the age of 6 because they would really get on my nerves.

[terrya]

73. They get on my nerves.

I agree with you, Sandpiper. Completely.

Terry