Things that have bothered you for a long time.

[User10119]

I absolutely have no regrets of choosing not to have children. I have worked in retail and just life long enough to know that its just miserable. It's not the life I want - My uterus....my rules....I would rather it host sweet rave parties rather than a baby

I'd support anyone's decision to have or to not have children; either may be the right and best choice for any given individual. But societally someone needs to sprog otherwise who will staff the hospitals, empty the bins, wipe the bums of all the elderly care home residents and carry out the economic activity that generates the resources to allow a society to function? So unless we master cloning or transcending into a machine state or something, kids are a pretty unavoidable part of life.

IME parenting, like much of life, is sometimes a touch tricky and sometimes rather splendid but I really wouldn't describe it as universally 'just miserable' - which doesn't mean I think you should try it or anything, just be a bit aware that isn't how it is for everyone. By all means be the boss of your own reproductive organs, but it doesn't seem unreasonable to afford the same to others even if they make different life choices to you.

FWIW my kids have always been taught that you wait your turn like everyone else. One is British, after all. Funnily enough the rare parents I've encountered who expect to queue jump because they have chiddlers tend to be the ones who also think themselves additionally entitled when there are no chiddlers in the equation - the kids are an excuse for manifesting an underlying behaviour, not the cause of a new one. There are occasions and situations when I think it is basic human decency to let kids skip a queue however - if I'm waiting in the loo queue in the ladies and someone comes in with a leg-crossing wee-dancing 3 year old I will happily cede 'my' place to the small human who is just about mastering bladder control because I'm a grown up - and in some circumstances prioritising meeting the needs of the very young first means that everyone's life is just a bit more pleasant.

 

[Lavender Rose]

[QUOTE 5175546, member: 10119"]I'd support anyone's decision to have or to not have children; either may be the right and best choice for any given individual. But societally someone needs to sprog otherwise who will staff the hospitals, empty the bins, wipe the bums of all the elderly care home residents and carry out the economic activity that generates the resources to allow a society to function? So unless we master cloning or transcending into a machine state or something, kids are a pretty unavoidable part of life.

IME parenting, like much of life, is sometimes a touch tricky and sometimes rather splendid but I really wouldn't describe it as universally 'just miserable' - which doesn't mean I think you should try it or anything, just be a bit aware that isn't how it is for everyone. By all means be the boss of your own reproductive organs, but it doesn't seem unreasonable to afford the same to others even if they make different life choices to you.

FWIW my kids have always been taught that you wait your turn like everyone else. One is British, after all. Funnily enough the rare parents I've encountered who expect to queue jump because they have chiddlers tend to be the ones who also think themselves additionally entitled when there are no chiddlers in the equation - the kids are an excuse for manifesting an underlying behaviour, not the cause of a new one. There are occasions and situations when I think it is basic human decency to let kids skip a queue however - if I'm waiting in the loo queue in the ladies and someone comes in with a leg-crossing wee-dancing 3 year old I will happily cede 'my' place to the small human who is just about mastering bladder control because I'm a grown up - and in some circumstances prioritising meeting the needs of the very young first means that everyone's life is just a bit more pleasant.[/QUOTE]

I do completely agree with your points. I just get so fed up with people saying. 'oh you will change one day' etc. NO. I will not. There are enough children in the world, these families with 2+ kids - the world is growing so fast, so I really don't think my decision is going to cost the planet anything in honesty.

I just seem to recall most parents I see on a day to day basis as tired, skint, moody, entitled. I never really see any parent's and think wow....their attitude towards parenthood has changed my views on it?

I do not criticise people for having children, what I don't like is people criticising me for not having them - I just have a different purpose for my life. I also don't agree with people having children who struggle to support themselves financially. I could never have a child if I could not afford to feed myself - how could I feed a child?! I would never spoil my kids but there has to be a line surely? I would want them to have lots of rich experiences which weren't materialistic or expensive - like I had growing up.

I hope my views do not offend - it's just my opinion... Peace out!

 

[Lavender Rose]

"HOW DARE YOU ASSUME MY GENDER" - the best way to trigger me in 2018....

 

[User10119]

I do not criticise people for having children

Really?

NOPE. Just because you made the mistake of having a child - do not force that on us!

I have worked in retail and just life long enough to know that its* just miserable.

*having a child

 

[TVC]

I am not quite sure if you are calling ME selfish and unable to show compassion? I absolutely have no regrets of choosing not to have children. I have worked in retail and just life long enough to know that its just miserable. It's not the life I want - My uterus....my rules....I would rather it host sweet rave parties rather than a baby

Not calling you at all, my wife and I made the same decision, and the amount of sneering and "You don't have children so you wouldn't understand" that we have had to put up with is depressing, along with the constant digging from my parents when they were about - it was made very clear by my mother that I had let her down by not making her a grandmother.

 

[jefmcg]

I wonder why misanthropes choose careers in customer service.

 

[kingrollo]

in reference to thread title:-

Is the uk becoming like singapore ? - most things are open 7 days a week, white vans and taxis whiz around for most of that 24/7 - basically anything goes - if someone is making a fast buck.

 

[User10119]

the amount of sneering and "You don't have children so you wouldn't understand" that we have had to put up with is depressing, along with the constant digging from my parents when they were about - it was made very clear by my mother that I had let her down by not making her a grandmother.

People being judgemental about the perfectly valid and reasonable life choices of others is such a load of wombat doo-doos, isn't it. I wish more people would live by the underpants rule.

 

[jefmcg]

Qué?

Regular expressions are patterns that match text. ^ is used to mean the start of a line.

 

[Lavender Rose]

Not calling you at all, my wife and I made the same decision, and the amount of sneering and "You don't have children so you wouldn't understand" that we have had to put up with is depressing, along with the constant digging from my parents when they were about - it was made very clear by my mother that I had let her down by not making her a grandmother.

Phew! I am relieved. I guess everyone is entitled to their own lifestyle choices. I just get frustrated with parent's is all. Maybe I should think in their shoes? I don't know.

My parent;s don't mind about not being grandparent's, gives them more time and money for their own stuff! She would rather me not have kids, then feel like I need to have them because of society's rules for women and then blame the child for my life change etc.

I don't have a problem with children, the issue I have is when parent's seem to think they come above everyone else because they have them.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

See when they bury someone six feet under, is that the depth of the hole or the distance from the surface to the lid of the coffin?

 

[Dirk]

Why don't woodpeckers get headaches?

 

[jefmcg]

Why don't woodpeckers get headaches?

Maybe they do

 

[Dirk]

Maybe they do

Well, the one in the tree next to my caravan doesn't seem to be showing any signs of letting up!

 

[Yellow Fang]

Who was the cleverest of Winnie-the-Pooh's friends: Rabbit or Owl?
Also, what is a pooh in this context?
Also, isn't Winnie a girl's name? Perhaps it's short for Winston.