# People who hate children **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 2, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746 "2009-04-02T19:25:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/141 "2009-04-03T03:05:28Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Let’s put on our serious, intellectually-honest hats now: what is the bigger problem – oversensitive DINKs? Or over-indulgent parents? Both. After reading some of the truly idiotic, sweeping statements that starwarsfreek has made in this thread, I would be willing to be that the problem lies with him more than not. He is not saying anything nearly as reasonable as your post implies. He is someone who hates all children, and has admitted such. ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/142 "2009-04-03T03:05:47Z")
> [@starwarsfreek42](#): > > ETA: also, what \*\*Jimmy\_Gibbler \*\*said. Andrea Barber is going to be so pissed. ---
**Author:** ![starwarsfreek42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@starwarsfreek42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starwarsfreek42)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/143 "2009-04-03T03:07:24Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Andrea Barber is going to be so pissed. Sorry, I fixed it right after I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/144 "2009-04-03T03:07:40Z")
> [@starwarsfreek42](#): > > Again, I wasn’t talking about toddlers. I don;t give a flying fuck who you were talking about. You have said you hate all kids, and toddlers are kids. > [@](#): > > Well first of all, they should have all been fed and gone to the bathroom before they left the house. This would eliminate some problems from the start. If you can’t manage 3 kids, stop opening your legs. It’s pretty simple. > > ETA: also, what \*\*Jimmy\_Gibbler \*\*said. Not if you picked them up from daycare, or you had other errands to run. No one here is saying they can’t handle 3 kids, you idiot. Take that strawman out back and burn it, please. ---
**Author:** ![starwarsfreek42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@starwarsfreek42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starwarsfreek42)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/145 "2009-04-03T03:12:45Z")
Fair enough, I hate anyone who is under about 17, toddlers included. What I’m trying to get across to you, however, is that I know perfectly well that withholding food from a toddler isn’t going to teach it anything, whether I hate them or not. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/146 "2009-04-03T03:18:28Z")
> [@starwarsfreek42](#): > > Fair enough, I hate anyone who is under about 17, toddlers included. What I’m trying to get across to you, however, is that I know perfectly well that withholding food from a toddler isn’t going to teach it anything, whether I hate them or not. Good. Then you agree that your initial solution wasn’t “pretty straightforward”. It was actually only useful in limited situations. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/147 "2009-04-03T03:21:04Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Oh Christ, one of those parents who thinks that disciplining their kids will kill them. :rolleyes: Gotta say, I love that someone named Kimmy\_Gibler, basically the most undisciplined kid in sitcom history (well, outside of Urkel) is advocating discipline. Yay! ---
**Author:** ![starwarsfreek42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@starwarsfreek42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starwarsfreek42)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/148 "2009-04-03T03:26:05Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Good. Then you agree that your initial solution wasn’t “pretty straightforward”. It was actually only useful in limited situations. No, not really. It might be difficult and time consuming, but if I were in that situation, I’d go the extra mile to keep from annoying my fellow milk-buyers. Although, if I were going on a big major grocery trip, I’d probably go out of my way to also appease the kids beforehand, wear out any small ones, and keep them occupied. I’d also make sure to go when I had the time. A promise of a reward for being good would probably help, but I’m no expert. When kids are old enough, you can even leave them in the car while you run in for one thing! A novel idea. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/149 "2009-04-03T03:34:05Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I didn’t really hate children, you know. I just hate _your_ children. And I just hate your bumper stickers about your children–or grandchildren. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/150 "2009-04-03T03:34:40Z")
> [@starwarsfreek42](#): > > No, not really. It might be difficult and time consuming, but if I were in that situation, I’d go the extra mile to keep from annoying my fellow milk-buyers. Although, if I were going on a big major grocery trip, I’d probably go out of my way to also appease the kids beforehand, wear out any small ones, and keep them occupied. I’d also make sure to go when I had the time. A promise of a reward for being good would probably help, but I’m no expert. When kids are old enough, you can even leave them in the car while you run in for one thing! A novel idea. I don’t disagree with any of that. I was just pointing out that your “pretty straightforward” idea was only useful in limited situations. There are times when children aren’t straightforward. At all. The sooner you realize that situations are more complex in reality than you at first suspect, the happier you will be. ---
**Author:** ![starwarsfreek42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@starwarsfreek42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starwarsfreek42)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/151 "2009-04-03T03:45:32Z")
Of course children aren’t straightforward, but letting your kid scream in a grocery store for more than say, 20 seconds, is unacceptable. Shut them up or remove them from the situation. And keep them off my lawn. I used to manage a Chuck E. Cheese, and I know from experience that keeping kids occupied and happy isn’t difficult. It doesn’t take much to fascinate their tiny little minds. Do your job as a parent better and maybe the rest of us will hate your kid less. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/152 "2009-04-03T03:47:40Z")
> [@starwarsfreek42](#): > > I used to manage a Chuck E. Cheese, and I know from experience that keeping kids occupied and happy isn’t difficult. . Stand back, folks. We’re dealing with an expert. He used to manage a pizza place for kids. :rolleyes: Seriously, who would have ever thought it would be easy to keep kids entertained in a place where they are surrounded by thousands of dollars of electronic games and pizza? The mind reels. ---
**Author:** ![starwarsfreek42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@starwarsfreek42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starwarsfreek42)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/153 "2009-04-03T03:52:50Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Stand back, folks. We’re dealing with an expert. He used to manage a pizza place for kids. > > :rolleyes: Yeah, that was the low point of my entire life. However, it did teach me that shutting up a toddler isn’t too hard. If the parents stay on top of things, screamy cookie aisle incidents don’t happen nearly as often. But what we have in this country is a culture of people who think that since children are the future, we have to cater to their every whim and let them run amok and don’t discipline them or we’ll damage their fragile little psyches. Know what? If you treat kids like kids forever, they grow up to be kids. Fuckers. ETA: since you have to be THIS TALL to ride the rides or reach the games, toddlers don’t count. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/154 "2009-04-03T04:00:57Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > And I just hate your bumper stickers about your children–or grandchildren. I actually feel sorry for the kids who get those “great kid” or “terrific kid” bumper stickers at school because they’re not on the honor roll. What a nice thing for your parents to broadcast on the bumper of the minivan. On the topic of vehicle decoration, those giant sports-themed magnets that have the kid’s name silkscreened in the middle are hilariously tacky, especially when placed on luxury sports cars. ---
**Author:** ![starwarsfreek42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@starwarsfreek42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starwarsfreek42)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/155 "2009-04-03T04:07:56Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > I actually feel sorry for the kids who get those “great kid” or “terrific kid” bumper stickers at school because they’re not on the honor roll. What a nice thing for your parents to broadcast on the bumper of the minivan. > > On the topic of vehicle decoration, those giant sports-themed magnets that have the kid’s name silkscreened in the middle are hilariously tacky, especially when placed on luxury sports cars. Have you seen the dance-themed ones? The sillhouette of a pink ballerina with Suzette across it in loopy writing cracks me up. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/156 "2009-04-03T04:24:35Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > The rest of society is fine paying taxes for schools, with having special parking spaces for pregnant mothers, with having part of the grocery-cart space taken up with a child seat… I park in those spaces all the time. You can’t prove I’m pregnant, or that I recently had a child. This isn’t enforceable. Plus, since when are people who are pregnant not supposed to exercise? Also, they now have carts at many stores that don’t have child seats. Regardless, ones with child seats are very convenient for bread and eggs staying separate, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/157 "2009-04-03T04:38:44Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Because they made the choice to have kids, knowing very well having kids is a huge burden & responsibility. We don’t have the power to erase your kids from our life, but you do. And by choosing to inconvenience us by bringing the rugrats wherever you go, even though you realize they may not behave themselves and may annoy a lot of people ; rather than inconveniencing yourself, you’re being a selfish jerk. > > And it’s not just about “people who hate kids” : your not-quite-socially-acceptable-yet kids will probably annoy _everyone_. Even though they won’t have the heart to tell you, and even though they may grin and bear it because they know how it is. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. Note however that this doesn’t apply unilateraly to all parents who dare bringing their kids out, either. In truth, the grand majority of parent+kids combo one encounters in the wild are perfectly tolerable, even to this rabidly antisocial jerk. And then there’s \*those \*assholes. > > The ones who’ll let their kid yell and kick in the train or on the plane or at the movies, for hours on end, never ever lifting a finger to stop them. The ones who’ll smile their annoying little “well, what am I supposed to do ? :)” smile whenever Junior smears chocolate on every piece of clear glass in the store, or makes a whole shelf of stuff collapse, and so on and so forth. Some kids are better-natured than others, and some are just full of mischief. However, just about all children can be taught to behave themselves in public, most of the time. And then, there are “those assholes”, the delinquent parents. They can’t be bothered to discipline their kids, and the sky will fall if someone suggests that little Bobby or Suzy shouldn’t run around a busy restaurant, where people are carrying heavy burdens of very hot foods and plates and bowls. Or that perhaps they shouldn’t treat the clothing racks as jungle gyms. It’s inconvenient for the workers, it’s annoying to the other customers, and it’s even dangerous for the kids themselves. Anyone remember the thread we had about a kid who managed to mutilate herself on an escalator? IIRC, her mother had been warned about the kids playing around that machinery, and told the warner to get lost. But it’s the kid who has been maimed for life. > [@](#): > > The main culprits seem to come from two separate groups, A: the socially retarded, 20-something, wannabe hipster compu-weenies who live on the internet and think being a sarcastic dick on a message board is tantamount to genuine human interaction, and B: angry, bitter, older shut-ins who see children as a constant reminder of the fact that their miserable lives are now just slowly circling the drain waiting for the final flush (I’m looking in your direction Cc). This wasn’t from **Kobal2**. I am 51, and not really shut in. I’ve raised my own kid, and I loved her then and I love her now. However, I did discipline her. She was NOT allowed to touch things in a store. What an amazing concept! She wasn’t much given to temper tantrums, though when she did throw them, they were doozies. And I traded babysitting services with other moms, or traded other services, when I wanted or needed to go somewhere that wasn’t appropriate for her. The thing about trading babysitting is that the kids think it’s a playdate, and it’s really not more time or trouble than watching your own kids. If you want to be a responsible parent, you DO need to spend some time with your kids. I do hate most kids. However, what I hate is the poorly disciplined results of bad parenting. Kids do not have to be whiny little brats, parents make them that way. And the whiny selfish little brats of today are NOT who I want to be taking care of me in the future. Seriously. They grow up into whiny selfish big brats in their twenties and thirties, and they might never mature. Sometimes a tantrum is unavoidable. But many times, I see parents ignoring a child’s request to go to the bathroom. Little kids have little bladders. If you’re taking a child shopping, you will need to schedule pit stops, and you will have to acknowledge the fact that maybe, just maybe, the kids might get tired or hungry or bored before you do. These are not random observations. I see this parental behavior in relatives and aquaintances. If I see it in friends, usually this means that the friendship isn’t going to last very long, as I have standards I set for my friends. Mostly, I think, the people who complain about kidhaters should take a long hard look at their parenting skills, or lack of them. If people are complaining about YOUR kids in particular, don’t just brush it off, thinking that your little angel is perfect. ---
**Author:** ![starwarsfreek42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@starwarsfreek42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starwarsfreek42)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/158 "2009-04-03T04:43:45Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > I park in those spaces all the time. You can’t prove I’m pregnant, or that I recently had a child. This isn’t enforceable. Plus, since when are people who are pregnant not supposed to exercise? > > Also, they now have carts at many stores that don’t have child seats. Regardless, ones with child seats are very convenient for bread and eggs staying separate, IMHO. I thought about parking in those spaces, but then I decided I didn’t want anyone thinking I was pregnant. Eeew. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/159 "2009-04-03T05:02:04Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > …But what do I gain for tolerating little Timmy’s throwing spitballs at me for the entire trip and fighting the urge to curb stomp little Timmy ? … Well, maybe 10 or 12 years down the line, you get a fast food cashier if you’re lucky, or a prison inmate if you’re not. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746/160 "2009-04-03T10:12:55Z")
I’m entertained by how much child-rearing advice is coming from self-described child-haters. You for damn sure won’t see me giving advice on how to administer injections. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-hate-children/491746.md?page=9)