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What's the weirdest argument you've heard about my you should have children?

Just wonderin'....I've heard lots in my 28 years of marriage!

I think the weirdest and most selfish argument that I have ever heard was, "Who's gonna take care of you when you get old?" Can you believe that? As if it's fair to conceive a child just to be your nurse when you get old?

Because of our decision to remain childless we have been able to retire early and set up a future where if we need to be taken care of, we'll be responsible for that ourselves. It's as if that is a foreign concept. Or do you think it's just grasping at straws to scare us into having children?

Sometimes I think people with kids just want everyone to suffer equally :o) and are a little jealous of childless couples. Just me, or have you felt that too?

I think it would be interesting to hear what people have used to try to motivate/intimidate/scare you guys into having children!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on December 16, 2009 at 10:11pm

"Who's gonna take care of you when you're old?"

This is a huge assumption. You're assuming that your kid will be around when you're old. Some people outlive their kids, unfortunately. You're also assuming that they won't be handicapped or mentally ill--if they are, you might still be taking car of them!

Anyway, I figure all the money you save by not having a kid, you can take care of yourself!

Permalink Reply by Susan Stanko on December 17, 2009 at 8:18am

I act like that towards my younger co-workers. I guess deep down I want to be a parent too.

Permalink Reply by Susan Stanko on December 17, 2009 at 10:31am

Actually, in my next life I want to be a pampered house cat. LOL.

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on December 17, 2009 at 12:16pm

"Acting like a parent"? This is not a matter of wanting to be a parent. It's a matter of expressing your parental/nurturing side in another way, which you like better than actually having a kid.

Permalink Reply by Whalehugger on December 17, 2009 at 9:49am

The argument I always heard was "You're not a REAL woman until you've had a child". Uhhh, last time my hubby and my GP checked, I was definitely a real woman. I've gotten this argument from both men and women. Evidently, you aren't part of the human race until you contribute to overpopulation.

As for the question of 'who's gonna take care of you when you get old', I'd like these people to go to a nursing home and ask the elderly there who's taking care of them now. I'll lay odds that for a large number of them it's the nursing staff, not their children.

Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on December 18, 2009 at 7:04pm

Well said Whalehugger.

I've never had someone directly tell me I'm not a real woman without children, but it's been strongly implied by too many to count.

As for who will take care of me, I joke to my nieces and nephews it will be them, and that's why I spoil them. }>

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on December 19, 2009 at 3:18pm

I have an auntie like that who doesn't have kids but does so many things for the whole family, always remembers birthdays, loans people money...she's definitely going to have people taking care of her.

Permalink Reply by Gwaithmir on January 31, 2010 at 2:15pm

"Who's gonna take care of you when you get old?"

Surprisingly, that was the most frequent reason given for having kids when I was in Catholic school. Having kids was somehow supposed to do what Social Security was devised for. I always wondered how a bunch of childless nuns and priests could possibly be qualified to offer that sort of advice to anybody. The real reason, of course, was that the Church wanted all of us "good" Catholic students to eventually get married and breed more Catholics.

Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on February 3, 2010 at 3:22pm

"Who's gonna take care of you when you get old?"

Isn't that what the church offers to do? Oh wait, I get it now. The church will take care of you so long as you are pumping fresh victims out of your womb.

Permalink Reply by Cobbie Tigerpaw on August 24, 2010 at 3:28pm

Yeah so they can get more money by sending your kids to Catholic school too and paying the church a sh*tload of your money. I went to Catholic school for a little while (tho my parents were episcopalian, long story..) and I can't tell you how many times I went over someone's house and their parents were poor because they had like 6 kids to take care of and Catholic school to pay for. If they actually used birth control and common sense they would have a much higher quality of life.

Permalink Reply by Black Magick Woman on August 25, 2010 at 7:26am

I believe I posted this on the group wall..."They (children) are not gifts...they are a means of identifying oneself..." Susan translated it perfectly: Know thyself! Have a kid...!

Permalink Reply by SabbySu on August 30, 2010 at 4:12pm

This is the most recent and most repulsive one I've heard.. "You have to have kids so we can out breed the Muslims (or other groups)! With people like you not having babies minorities will over populate us and take over!"