# For those who don't have kids, don't want 'em

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-dont-have-kids-dont-want-em/118649>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 12, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-dont-have-kids-dont-want-em/118649 "2002-07-12T16:25:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 48

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**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-dont-have-kids-dont-want-em/118649/48 "2002-07-13T20:20:27Z")

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**Have you always known you don’t want kids?**  
Me - Yes. I had a brief period for about two weeks in my mid-twenties when I thought I might possibly want a kid, but it passed.  
Jim - no. On the fence for most of his life. Never considered it too much.

**Do you like kids?**  
Me - Not really. I like them more when they get to an age when I can have a decent exchange of ideas with them.  
Jim - Not really. More no than yes.

**Why don’t you want children?**  
Me - I realize that raising children properly takes a huge commitment, and it is really hard, and I have no interest in doing this. I consider this to be a non-selfish decision; having kids and _not_ making the necessary sacrifices for them is what is selfish.  
Jim - Too much responsibility. There is absolutely nothing appealing about having kids.

**Are you afraid you will regret this decision when you get older?**  
Me - nope.  
Jim - nope.

**What do you see as the main advantage / disadvantage of not having children?**  
Main advantage:  
Me - freedom. Our lives are our own.  
Jim - freedom. We can watch porn whenever we want. Don’t have to bring any other victims into this rapidly degenerating society.

Disadvantages:  
Me - can’t think of any. Oh, wait, one disadvantage for me is that I have less protection against reproductive cancers than women who have had babies. Also, having nothing to contribute to other people’s discussions of their kids; we just have to endure them.  
Jim - can’t think of any.

**Do you feel that your culture is prejudiced against people (esp. married people) who don’t have or want children?**  
Me - I feel there is an intangible attitude of prejudice against CBC people; I get the impression that we’re considered less valid as humans because of our reproductive choice. Especially women.  
Jim - absotively. Special “stork” parking spaces; not getting to get several days off work every year to take children to appointmentss/leave early to do things for the kids; stigma attached to being childless and pressure from people who have no business having an opinion on our child-status.  
( **tetsusaru** , not to be mean, but we aren’t having a debate about whether having children was good or not; it was a question put to a specific sub-section of people about their own decisions and opinions. This really wasn’t the place for your opinion on how great having a baby is.)

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