After much deliberation, I figured that at least with the kids, you know what the score is, it’s really the adults I can’t stand.
Thank you. This expresses it perfectly. It’s one of the things that most seriously offends me about current politics on things like healthcare. I think it’s great that most states have some sort of state-funded health insurance for kids. But I don’t think it’s cool that I don’t qualify for any help because I grew up, and was responsible enough to not crank out babies that I can’t afford. So the implication is that people like me are less deserving, because we’re grown up and responsible. What kind of message does that send?
I totally agree. I found that it was true that I did appreciate babies and toddlers more after I’d had my own. But I definitely like it better and better as the Sprout gets older.
It really sorta baffles me when people say “oh, don’t you miss those days when he was really little?” I’m like, “Uh, no. Now he takes himself to the bathroom and plays Battleship with me. He’s really much more enjoyable to live with.”
Many of the women I meet who “miss those days” are the ones who have completely lost themselves as an individual and their sole reason for living hs been their children. They see their children growing up (and away) and suddenly they realize that they’re left with no marketable skills and a husband whom they barely know. Your partner is the relationship that is supposed to be forever. When women live their lives only through the eyes of their children, so much is lost.
Interesting, both of my kids were absolute angels as babies (as babies, but once they reached toddlerhood or teenagerhod? PLEASE!), so there were times (especially with the boy…he’s lucky I let him make it to 17 :D), when they were grade-schoolers that I DID look back on babyhood with a bit of nostalgia.
Did they have beer? The only way I was ever able to tolerate Chuck E. Cheese was because they had beer. My son would never have had the rat experience if the rat didn’t serve beer. If the place you went to didn’t have beer, I’m really, really sorry for you.
The only thing, and I mean only thing, my mother ever told me that made any sense whatsoever was that it just wasn’t worth it to have children, an opinion that she shared with me endlessly. Deciding she was right, I chose not to have children and am very happy for it, ecstatic even. Cannot stand the little buggers.
Oh my god I thought it was just me.
The other week a coworker was having a birthday party for her sister’s kid. She didn’t invite me because she know I don’t like being around children not related to me.
A mutual friend asked if I was going to the party and when I said no they asked why. When I told them honestly that I don’t like children and would prefer not to be be around them they looked at me agast.
Heh, I must be practically the only person on the Dope who likes kids. I guess I’m the guy you all hate. 
God no. You’re the guy we’re going to send them all too. PM me your address! 
No, no, you’re great - you can go to all those kid parties and other events in our place.
Better clear your schedule, by the way; you’re going to be very popular.
I realized something the other day - the older I get, the more I, personally, cease to care about holidays like Christmas and birthday parties. After all, if I want a present, I can just go out and buy more or less what I want (within reason); if I want to see my friends, I can any time, etc.
With a kid, all of that stuff is fun again. The kid loves birthdays and holidays - getting a present, singing songs, a cake with candles is to his little three year old mind the greatest thing ever. That’s an example of the gift kids give to you, above and beyond appreciating 'em in their own right - the excitement and interest of discovering stuff for the very first time; going to the museum or the zoo is an event, seeing a fire engine going by is memorable, etc. An antidote to snarky jaded cynicism.
Not that I expect such to be appreciated here - after all, the Pit is the very home of snarky jaded cynicism.
I think you’re missing a big part of the point. As an adult, you can change your circumstances to improve your access to healthcare by working harder, getting a better job, getting more education, etc. As a kid with a health condition, you have no control over whether your parents do any of those things to get you access to healthcare. If your parents don’t man up, you can lose big chunks of your human potential to things like poorly controlled asthma, uncorrected birth defects, complications from infections, etc.
Support programs for kids not because of the kids you may or may not have, but because of the kid you once were. If your parents were willing and able to take care of you, great, but that’s not really something you can take credit for. Kids don’t choose their parents.
Your average 3 year old does not do too well if put out in the street with $20 tucked into his underoos and told to fend for himself.
I don’t enjoy the company of children, but I DO believe they’re more deserving of at least, more sympathy than adults. Children have no control over their own circumstances.
Son of a…this was my plan if our new daycare doesn’t work out. :smack:
BTW, Malthus, I adore kids. I really do, even kids who aren’t mine. In fact, I had a five minute conversation on Friday morning with a 3 year old (not mine) about how the Storm Trooper he had is a bad guy, and how Darth Vader is a good guy, and his mommy would be there to pick him up later, but he was going to have graham crackers for a snack first and then they were going outside to play and he wanted to ride the buggy but he had to take turns and then he’d go down the slide while waiting for his turn but if it rained they would go into the gym and play with the basketballs and that’s why he loves the rain because he loves the basketballs and he also loves his orange and brown kitty which is not a real kitty but he has a white nose and he can sleep with him…
So yeah. I adore kids, and the kind of conversation above cracks me up. I’m much less patient with grown-ups. Not to say I don’t get impatient with little kids (like my nephew, whom I love with the power of 1000 suns, but makes me want to use ropes and duct tape to get him to stop screaming sometimes), but typically, my annoyance is with their parents and lack of parenting.
But little kids are fun. And you can use them for evil. That’s a positive right there.
I assume that you preformed a sufficent number of tests to determine this before posting this statement.
Well I was going to, but then I learned that I would not have Internet access from a jail cell, which would have seriously impeded my participation in this discussion.
My kid has discovered the delights of stream of conciousness style discourse as well. Though I doubt he could go as long as the above without somehow mentioning either cars or railways.
Hmm, I suppose I should properly comment as well.
I get splitting headaches in the presence of loud high-pitched shrieking.
On the other hand, I once knew a child who didn’t shriek. While I didn’t particularly like that child, I held no animosity towards it either, so I guess there’s always an exception.