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"Be glad you don't have kids!"

I have heard this from people who have children. I am too nice to say what's on my mind, but it is this: "If you don't like having children, then WHY THE HELL DID YOU HAVE THEM?? Isn't this something you should have thought about before getting pregnant?" I just don't understand this mentality.

Okay, maybe the first kid was a mistake. Mistakes happen, and for whatever reasons, abortion or putting the baby up for adoption are not options. But why would they then go on to have MORE children?? Surely, the first child was enough to convince them that having kids was a stupid idea. What did they hope to accomplish by having yet another child that they didn't really want? Is it just that some women are miserable and looking for fulfillment from some outside source? A sort of "THIS baby will love me and make me happy" kind of thought process? I really don't get it.

Tags: childless, children, too many kids

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steph S. on September 22, 2011 at 7:14am

I don't get it either.

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on September 22, 2011 at 12:06pm

Having one kid instead of none is the biggest difference. (That's why I really don't get the argument that I should have "just one baby"--right, that's such a minor change in my life I'll hardly notice!!) After that, two instead of one probably doesn't seem like such a stretch. They will fight, but a kid could also leave the parent alone if there's another kid, maybe?

There are some people though who put almost no thought into having kids, they just end up pregnant and go with it like it's no big deal, or have a mentality that they have no control over it.

Permalink Reply by Lois on September 23, 2011 at 10:16pm

I think it really is just something you are supposed to do, and they don't ever think that, just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean they have to.

Permalink Reply by Hollyn on September 22, 2011 at 12:16pm

For Your Enjoyment...

Oh, Bill....

Permalink Reply by Lois on September 23, 2011 at 10:05pm

That's great! I especially love the "playground in the sky" part!

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on September 24, 2011 at 1:00pm

Permalink Reply by Lois on September 30, 2011 at 11:23am

They need to update that. It recently ticked over to 7 billion!

Permalink Reply by sk8eycat on September 30, 2011 at 12:44pm

*shudder!*

Spay and neuter your kids, IF you have them?

Permalink Reply by Hollyn on September 22, 2011 at 12:19pm

You also must remember that more kids (usually) equal more money for the parents. Who wants to give up a free ride if all it takes is a working uterus?

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on September 24, 2011 at 1:01pm

I haven't known anyone who got too much of an enjoyable free ride...it's a small amount of money for a lot of annoyance...and it is work!

Permalink Reply by Hollyn on September 24, 2011 at 10:20pm

Well, yes, I was exaggerating the "freeness of the ride", so to speak. lol.

I will say, having known and been around people who have both used the system honestly and abused it, it's only work if you're doing it right, i.e. honestly. The annoyance though, that never goes away.

I think I was projecting when I first commented, there are about 5 kids ages 3-7 that are allowed to run around unsupervised in my apartment's parking lot. It's obvious that their parents are exhausted by them, so they send them outside to wreak havoc on our once-quiet complex. I've seen a parent out there maybe twice. Always just smoking a cigarette and looking down at her phone. She doesn't even flinch or attempt to feign concern every time one of them runs in front of a car, or rides their bike behind a car backing out. Ugh. I've determined that these children are either: A. Stupid or B. Suicidal.

But anyway, there are always two sides to every coin. Some people take advantage of their situation, some people truly and legitimately need the assistance. What annoys me is how little control I have over a bad situation involving children, even when my tax dollars are involved. /rant. :)

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on September 25, 2011 at 9:53pm

I lived in an apartment building like that too. I was 24. I met another girl my age who said they can tell you're not a "local" if you're that age and don't have kids.