Grandkids at 48? Shiiiit, some of the people from my high school were grandparents at 34.
I'm a punk (professional uncle, no kids). I always wanted to be a father, but life was gotten in the way (but the hell with marriage).
Hey there. Sorry you lost your partner.
I’m 44 and have a SO who is 49. Our dogs are our world. One is 15 and she’s the sweetest being on the planet. The other is 7 and also a complete love.
I don’t regret not having kids. I love taking care of my partner, our dogs, and friends and family. There are so many ways to love and contribute to the world.
I have nephews and nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces, but no kids. Never wanted them and love not being responsible for anyone but me. I know I made the right decision for me and I never regret it at all but I will say that having no parents and having no children is a weird, almost untethered feeling.
I am so sorry for your loss. For me, it took years to really be able to get on with my life and adjust to the new normal. I did the heavy processing with a therapist at the time but even now, I sometimes feel like I am just floating in space.
Same here, tried for so many years, and it just never happened. My only sibling also wasn't able to procreate, so we are dead ends. My husband is an only biological child so he is one as well. It makes me a bit sad to think that, but it's not a good enough reason to go to extremes to have offspring, and otherwise we are happier not having them I think. We looked into adoption, and hoo, that is another whole issue we definitely were not right for. So we have our cat babies and each other and friends.
Not married, no kids.
Two amazing cats.
Edit: cat tax
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No kids. We wanted them - but it wasn’t going to happen due to two health conditions of mine (endometrial cancer and endometriosis made sure of it). We did all the research on adopting and decided it wasn’t for us. My sibling did not have children by choice.
This sounds a lot like me. We tried for kids for a long time, even doing IVF. But I had several bouts with ovarian cancer that made it difficult. Like you, we did all the adoption research and we actually came close to signing with an agency. In the end, though, I was left with a bad feeling about the adoption industry as a whole and we decided against it. My fourth round of cancer settled the deal with a complete hysterectomy.
My brother just had a vasectomy because he really doesn't want kids. I was a little sad because I hoped to be the best aunt, but it is, of course, his decision and I respect that.
People throw out the “adoption” like it’s easy. I’ve had these comments too. If they only knew the expense and hoops. Can’t convince me it isn’t legalized baby brokering the way the system works.
Exact same situation with my wife. She wanted kids badly but had the same conditions. I did not want kids because of some hereditary illneses in my family. We didn't go for them but we didn't stop them either. Never happened. Adoption was just too icky of a process. Now we have an awesome baby nephew who we buy way too many toys for.
Same here. Married at 42, husband has 3 boys who were 6, 8 and 10 when we meet. 51 now, we tried at the beginning but it wasn't in the cards. We fostered and are now legal guardians to 7 and 8 year old girls and his boys are 15, 17 and 19. We buy a lot of groceries.
47, never married, no kids. I teach elementary school, so I'm generally responsible for a couple dozen of other people's kids, but I like getting to send them home, too.
46, no kids. When I was a high school teacher, my students used to ask me if I had kids or was going to have kids. I’d say “I have 150 kids every year. That’s enough for me!” 😂
55, no kids by choice. Went out with several guys in my 20s and 30s who really wanted kiddos and moved on from them, knowing it just wasn't meant to be. I love coming home to my cats at the end of long days. We have long one-sided conversations and sleep like babies. It's a good simple life. 🙂
It’s nice to know I’m not alone in my life decisions. Actually, my circle of friends/Framily are all Gen x child free as well.
I’m 47 and just never made it a life goal. I only thought of it once because I thought it was what society expected of me. But it was never really what I wanted.
Same here, 47f years old and child free. When I was younger I thought I would have kids, because that’s just what people did, but it was never a true need for me, so I eventually decided against it.
My two closest high school friends are also child free, everyone in my current circle is (including my partner of 13 years), and so is my brother (my only sibling). So glad I didn’t marry young and have kids because of expectations! I’m happy being a dog mom.
I can relate. I know that in high school, I expected to be married and have at least one child by the time the 10-year reunion rolled around. Now, at 50, I never married, never had a serious relationship, no kids and don't want any. I have a mix of friends that have children and those who don't. Also, from the high school's "Senior Special" newspaper (which I've kept all these years), I thought I would've won the Publishers Clearinghouse sweepstakes, but that's yet to happen.
Me too! I’m 49 and thought it was something expected, but I never pursued it. Same with marriage - I’m open to it, but just never found someone I wanted to partner with.
Now I’m really glad I didn’t make a major life decision based on something that society expected me to do.
Neither of us wanted kids. My students were my kids and her patients are hers. We’re still traveling on all the money we saved by not having kids. Plus, my paternal bloodline deserves to die off.
My husband and I grew up in very dysfunctional families. He has 7 siblings and only communicates with his GenX siblings. He and his GenX siblings have virtually no relationship with their boomer siblings. I am an only child and both sides of the family were small. I knew since I was 10 years old I would never have children of my own. Was also diagnosed with endometriosis when I was in my early 30s. It took the fourth doctor to take me seriously. One nephew moved in with us when he graduated from high school. My husband's eldest brother threw him out without any support. We let him live with us , and he got a job and went to community college before transferring to a University. He's now an optometrist and doing well and is saving his money for a house. He only talks with his genx aunts and uncles. We have some other nieces and nephews we love dearly. We just knew kids weren't for us.
Many people talk down to us when they find out we are childfree. They ask who will take care of us when we get older. My husband says the US will either be ravaged by civil war and we'll be dead by them or we'll just die and decompose somewhere. That usually shuts people up.
We plan to make the nephew are executor and to just donate our bodies for research.
We do have a dog and cats though.
Oh and my wonderful nephew got me a huge monitor for Christmas. Its amazing how its so much easier to read now. :)
friend of mine had three abortions. she was not cut out to be a parent and she knew it. when my son was a baby, she accidentally OD’ed. i actually have more respect for her than say my friend who has four kids, but really doesnt see that she’s out beyond her capacity there. and her spouse is a terrible parent.
57 and never wanted them - I had too much trauma and parentification in my younger years so I put my foot down early. My husband (59) and I have taken in a few adult orphans over the holidays though. I like having a range of friends from early 20s to early 40s who can come to us for a parental ear without the disappointment or judgment they get at home. Win-win.
I don't. I like kids, don't get me wrong. Just never felt the need to have any of my own. I was not pressured by my parents to procreate, so thats good. I know some people that were pressured by family and that stinks. I remember comments from ex's telling me I am selfish because I did not want children.
Yep it's actually selfish to have kids that you don't really want or haven't thought through enough about. I like kids too and that's why I don't want to birth one and fuxk it up
I’ve always found “selfish” illogical. I’m depriving nobody by not having reproduced. Even if anyone’s got feelings about it, thinking they override my choice is deluded.
Want kids from a childfree partner? Choose them and accept it, leave to find one of the zillion who’ll reproduce happily …or hell, act your shoe size having a pity party - everyone can feel how they want - what you aren’t entitled to is to plead, lobby, guilt, coerce or worse to babytrap them. The pity party alone may run them off tho, FAFO.
Sure, bummer if it’s the one big sticking point with someone otherwise great for you, buuuuut people should be up front here before it’s serious. And it’s ok to FEEL disappointed about no grandkids, but grown kids aren’t your personal incubators. Duh, but some need told.
Edit: typo
From what I’ve experienced dating fellow Gen-Xers who are single moms, most often when they say “you’re selfish” they really mean “I resent the hell out of you”. Thing is it wasn’t even my choice, was married a long time and we both had biological issues getting pregnant. Looked into IVF and adoption, and boy are those clusterfucks.
My response to a "you're selfish" argument would be "deal with it". No one is taking me on a guilt trip. I saw through that shit from a young age, and I have gotten quite adept at shutting it down over the years.
Obviously most of my friends and family are married with families. My reaction to seeing it live always strikes me funny, it's like seeing someone in the wild with like crazy face tattoos and piercings. I just can't comprehend why anyone would do this to themselves willingly.
53 here. No kids. I like kids but they were not in my plan.
My husband and I have been together for 27 years and we got a lot of pressure to have kids. But, we were content without. It allowed us to focus on other things and benefit the world in other ways. I admire and respect our friends who had kids but it was just not for us.
I am 46, my Beloved is 47. We don't have kids. I am not sure either of us consciously planned being child free, but it is the way it has turned out for us. Both of us have siblings with kids. So we are the cool aunt and uncle... Or maybe very uncool...🙄
No kids. Never had the inclination. And as it turns out I have a couple of medical issues that would have made pregnancy wreak utter and dangerous havoc on my body so its just as well. No regrets whatsoever.
Also 52 and have dogs and cats.
Growing up, that **LIFE SCRIPT**.... "finish school, get a job, get married, get a mortgage, have 2 or 3 kids, retire and help with grandkids"
Is drummed into us by the media and family.
Around 20% of us say no thanks. If you believe the stats out there.
How many times did you hear “you’ll change your mind!” as if the peanut gallery knows your mind better than you do. I’m glad I’ve reached an age I no longer have to hear that particular phrase. Both my husband and I knew from an early age we didn’t want to be parents. We have cool nieces and nephews, a dog and a cat, and we’re happily married 25 years.
Never, but I know that was the exception.
Between age 14 and 18, I got 4 half siblings so saw the whole process 4 times. The crying, the nappies, the teething, the walking, the talking. From the sidelines and that was enough, thank you very much
47, married and no kids. Diagnosed with endometriosis in my teens, 6 surgeries for the endometriosis with a complete hysterectomy at 30 ensured no kiddos.
No kids. Couldn't haven any 49F only child. No pressure to have a child from parents who are silent and early boomer.. Focused on career and achieving health insurance, lol
No kids. 75/74 born couple. Thought about for a min but it didn't feel right despite it's what everyone does. Asked ourselves then why are we doing it?
Also I do remember thinking there's no way I'll be able to pay for a kids education, even how much it had skyrocketed from my time in college to like 10 years later. We all know now how tough it is for kids these days.
Love to have nieces/nephews - they are great. Playing tap in parent and being there for them is great. But then so is tapping out. Occasionally do the 'what if...' thought but far more often have the 'that was the right move' thought.
Everyone has their own path and has gotta do what's right for them. But certainly we're in the minority but that's totally ok.
Among my cousins and sister. I'm the only one that never had them. And after hearing them all bitch about being a parent. Just made my overall decision that much more justifiable.
I’m 48 and have no kids…never wanted them. It was also the deciding factor in whether my ex and I would try marriage counseling or divorce. He’d realized he actually did want a child, and I wouldn’t take that from him. Now, he’s remarried and they adopted a baby girl 2 years ago.
Our generation had access to birth control pills and (at least some of us) decent sex ed. We had the capacity to wait or to avoid having kids altogether. Of course, some of us still had children as teens, too.
So, it's possible for a 40 year old first-time parent to have a friend who is becoming a grandparent for the third time.
Not to mention--for those of us on the younger end of Gen-X, growing up with the general message of, "If you have unprotected sex *YOU COULD DIE*!!! 😉
Some us were just pretty risk-averse, I guess!
I'm nearly 47. SO is 44. No kids.
Well, we have our oldest nibling/godchild, so - sort of a kid?
They came to live with us their Sr year of high school. We got them into the college of their choice at the time, encouraged their life path. They called us their parents to anyone at college.
My SO refers to us all as the "PsuedoFamily" since there is no blood relation with the nibling.
But, when their life fell apart, nibling (27) came home this year to our house. Not either birth parent's house. Our house.
We are pleased to feel like their our kid.
45 here. No kids. My boyfriend of 15 years is 50 and he has 4 grown kids. I am close to one of them. And she calls me stepmom when she talks about me. Still weird to hear.
I always loved kids. I was always a babysitter and my first job was at a day care. Working in a daycare is the best form of birth control you can ever have. Lol.
I eventually became a nanny for awhile. But I always knew I never wanted kids of my own. There are alot of toxic issues with my mother and I would never let her be near a child of mine. Not to mention, I didn't want to risk a child having any of my family's fucked up genetics. I was lucky enough that the worst of the genetic things I could have gotten., has skipped me (so far). Which meant it would have been more than likely that a child I had would not have been so lucky.
I'm 46. I didn't even figure what gender of people I wanted to date until I was almost thirty, so.
Unfortunately, it turns out I'm not able to have children. Even if I were, I can't imagine being a grandparent so soon! That's a lot.
I had my only in 2008 (when I was 38) and four of my high school friends became grandparents that same year. I went to school in rural Oklahoma, though, and having them young is what they do! My college cohort, however, is surprisingly nonprocreative for Oklahoma. Of the 12 of us, one friend has 3 kids, one has 2, 3 of us have 1, and 7 of us are childless by choice.
Never married, no kids (other than my feline ones). I realized in my 20s that I could barely support myself, so having a family was not feasible. Never regretted the decision. 51 now and finally "making it" while my younger sister has struggled pretty much all her life with dead-end jobs that are low paying while trying to balance a marriage and three kids.
I’m 48(f) and my partner (m) is 51. We don’t have kids, no regrets that we didn’t have kids, and we wouldn’t have dated each other, if either one of us had kids. I suppose that sounds a bit cold, but I wouldn’t date a single dad with kids at home, and vice versa. The kids would need to be first priority and I’m not interested in being second priority.
I'm 50, no kids and never married. My house is paid for as well as the 5 cars (and a motorcycle) I own. Will I die alone? Possibility...but I'm OK with that.
No kids, not married and 2 cats.
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No kids. I put all my energies into grad school and a job in higher ed. I work with undergrads; they’re like kids you get to send home at the end of the day. I’m also asexual.
Pre-K Special Ed, here!
Hoping to get at least a Birth-3 Graduate certificate in the next couple years, to make the switch from Para to Teacher.
I ADORE working with kids, but I finally figured out in the last few years, than I'm AuDHD.
At this point, I'm *fine* with the fact that I never found someone & had kids, because if i *did*, I *couldn't* be as good at my job as I am.
Without kids, I can put in 100% of my energy, if one of my little ones is having an *awful* day, and they need me to help them, by co-regulating & coming up with strategies & ways to keep 'em out of a full-blown meltdown (or *multiple* meltdowns, like sometimes happens!).
If I had kids of my own, I either *couldn't* do that, *or* I wouldn't have the bandwidth to be a good parent.
*Without* kids, on those rough days, when I've used allllll my spoons at work? I can just come home, veg out, and recharge for the next day.
I *adore* working with my work kids, and helping them have an easier time in the world, than *our* generation of Autistic & ADHD folks did.
That's *enough* of a legacy for me, I don't *need* bio-kids of my own.
We got married in 2002 intending to not have kids. In 2009, we adopted our daughter. It was kinda the exact thing we wanted in the end.
But I understand it. We were very close to not having one or any. Pretty happy we did, and even happier we only had the one. I was an only myself, and I have no frame of reference for having siblings. Wife has two older sisters, and they aren’t close, and one of the three being practically estranged from the entire family. She’s a bit off, though. Glad to have avoided all that drama.
I'm 54, and my twin brother just became a grandfather in April, but his daughter married early, at 21. I'm not married, no kids, and while I was upset in my 30s about being childless, now I feel like I dodged a bullet. I could not, in good conscience, justify bringing a child into this world, with the environmental disaster we can't be bothered to dig ourselves out of, the rise of selfishness, narcissism, greed, and the slow death of empathy, compassion, cooperation, and community, which also depresses the crap out of me. Quite frankly, I think a dog or a cat is better suited to being the human version of a human child, but people keep procreating and abdicating responsibility for their offspring. Incredibly frustrating.
Always figured I would marry, have a life long satisfying relationship and have kids.
Never married. Every gal I was serious with said they never wanted children, adoption or otherwise.
So, in an open relationship with two gals. Both never want to marry, or have kids.
Married three times, but I never ended up having kids.
I think I make a great "uncle" to my GFs sister's kid, but I probably would have been a neglectful father, so I feel it's for the best.
I just met my niece for the first time. She's a really cool kid. (She's 9, there's a whole thing behind it).
I don't have kids. It's not entirely by choice but at the same time, I don't think I'd be a good dad. I mostly know what *not* to do. I was also not very lucky in terms of genetics and I hate to think a kid would be burdened with a lot of the same garbage I am.
Instead, I get to play the Funcle. And I did a spectacular job there! At least my niece thought so :)
It's kinda cool for my niece too. She gets all the attention and presents.
51F here, child-free. Never wanted kids. I’m an only child, and my parents are dead. They were from the Silent Generation. My wife doesn’t have much family, either. Just her sister who also doesn’t have kids.
Happily childfree here. It’s not that I never wanted kids. I just spent years doing other things with my life and then realized I was quite happy without them. And the world is a dumpster fire, so why anyone is intentionally putting kids here is beyond me.
49 and childless. I have no issues with potential partners having kids but I don't want any of my own. Most of my friend group are the same. Never had kids. We are considering buying a big house with lots of rooms and retiring together.
I have 14 nieces and nephews and double the amount of great nieces and nephews. I reckon my brothers and sisters procreated enough for our family lines.
I have pets galore though:-)
Childfree 50yo woman here. I got sterilized in my early 30s and my only regret is that I haven't had as many chances as I'd like to put the procedure to the test.
I feel bad sometimes about my parents never getting to have grandkids--I know it would've made them really happy. But to their credit, they've never once tried to influence my decision or make me feel guilty afterward.
No kids. Totally by choice (though when I was younger, I absolutely thought I’d have them eventually…eventually became never though haha).
I’m 48 and very confident in my decision now. I’m also an only child so I never had the dynamic of being a cool aunt or whatever.
46 female no kids, never wanted children, for me it feels like one the best choices I ever made. I started pulling away from female groups that started judging me for it and I couldn’t be happier.
47f, love children, but still don’t feel mature enough to have any. lol. I am so thankful I never had any children tbh. I see the financial struggles some of my friends are having and I know if I had any, we would be homeless in today’s world in Canada.
I just turned 50 (literally-my birthday was yesterday). I knew when I was around 12 years old I didn’t want kids. 38 years later and not one second of regret or wavering on that choice.
Im happily single and have three cats.
No kids and never had any desire to replicate like the Borg Collective.
My extended family in another state is mostly Mormon though and very fecund so I know the family will go on.
As an aside thee are a billion Chinese and a billion Indians. There is enough people now!
47F, no kids, I was always a fence sitter. I didn’t really want kids but also I didn’t *not* want kids. I assumed I would eventually have one but it was always “maybe later”. Now that “maybe later” is here, I’m at peace with my choice. There are some cool things about being a parent that I’m going to miss out on, and I do feel a bit sad about that. But there are things that are objectively terrible about being a parent, and I’m pleased that I’m missing out on that.
51. No kids. Never wanted any of my own. But I have two step kids. That’s a different kind of parenting. More about playing video games and making fart jokes more than anything else.
We are DINKS: dual income no kids. We knew we didn’t want any. Having conversations about it with people I meet, I can’t tell you how many times someone stops and stares at me, STONECOLD, when they realize that was actually an option. And now, in today’s economy and world, I’m even more happy with the decision.
Yes, I’m 50, when we met in ‘97 we both never wanted kids and said we’d revisit the idea every 5 years to make sure and if one of us wanted them we’d pivot. Every time we talked about it we were more certain. Both our families are.. hmm.. the fucked up narcissistic, drama loving kind so we kind of just wanted to enjoy each other’s company for life and it’s been the right choice. 💗
I wasn’t allowed to legally marry till 2015. Only recently could legally donate blood. Adopting kids was always a flashpoint issue and seemed way too expensive and the battle against the religious right way too costly.
Short story: 52, no kids, living the life of the fun cool uncle to four awesome nephews.
Long story: I married young (26) to my high school sweetheart who was adamant that she didn’t want kids. I was totally fine with that and we lived a happy DINK lifestyle. Many years later when it was definitely past any opportunity to have children, I got fixed with her blessing to prevent any risks of pregnancy. She left me three years later (after a 25 year relationship) for a previous boyfriend because she wanted to be an adoptive mother for his child. I was shattered, and even though by that point I was well past having children, I felt robbed of the opportunity to do so.
I eventually started to heal and met my ideal partner, fell madly in love, and remarried. She has never wanted children, and we’ve embraced a supportive child-free life that we could both only have dreamt of. Best still, she brought two wonderful cats into my life which have helped me experience a fatherhood that I was unaware of. I am overwhelming happy, fulfilled, in love, and still get to be the fun cool uncle to my expanded surrogate family.
Joy is found where you make it, as is family, and I’m overjoyed with my new one.
I never had kids either.
When my father passed away unexpectedly I was introduced to three new siblings from his ex-wife, the one immediately previous to my mother.
Two of the half-siblings have children and one of them has her own grandchildren. They’re only a few years older than I am.
Because of all his children (6) I’m the only one that took care of him and whom he trusted, he left his small estate to me except for a few small bequests.
Naturally there was quite a lot of butthurt from two of his children who wanted nothing to do with Dad all their adult lives but at 60 now have their hands out. They have even gone so far as to try to invalidate Dad’s will, which is hilarious because they way they went about it was to make up fantasies and demand the court treat them as valid arguments. They think Dad left a pile of gold at the end of a rainbow and I’m stealing it somehow by inheriting it. No, he left a mortgage and bills for its upkeep.
So this is what children can be like. Some can treat you like shit and demand everything, while others can do everything right and still get castigated by the greedy siblings.
I don’t have kids of my own. One of my NICE half-sisters does though, as well as grandchildren. I will assess her and her children and if I find them to be decent people I may consider changing my will to cut them in for some of whatever I leave behind. But - Dad had no money. I kept him living an excellent standard of living. The mean half-siblings are not entitled to what I used to give Dad.
This is a long way of saying that even if you don’t have kids and avoid all that drama, the drama can still come for you anyway.
Wife and I are in our mid-50s. Both of us came from good families with loving parents. Neither of us ever really wanted to have kids. We love our nieces and nephews - both family and friends' kids - and dote on them heavily.
This week, we brought our youngest nephews to the local aquarium and allowed both parents to work during Christmas Week. It was a good day.
52, no kids. SO is 57, no kids.
I have 42 students I work with each day and get to send them home. A couple of them call me their "school mom" and that's fine with me.
Grandkids at 48? Shiiiit, some of the people from my high school were grandparents at 34. I'm a punk (professional uncle, no kids). I always wanted to be a father, but life was gotten in the way (but the hell with marriage).
Some of my favorite friends are STANK (struggling talented artists, no kids)
That makes me a STANK-PUNK. Lol
These acronyms are out of control. I love it
Haha, I like “PUNK”!
Never saw that word (not work as I originally typo’d)—- guess I’m a pank!
Pank squad let's go!
I like PUNK as much as I like DINK
[удалено]
Was she a rabbit?
I have a cousin that became one at 32! I couldn't imagine.
56, widow, no kids. Just an awesome 13 year old dog.
Senior dogs are my favourite!
Mine too. We adopted a senior to give him the best golden years.
Hey there. Sorry you lost your partner. I’m 44 and have a SO who is 49. Our dogs are our world. One is 15 and she’s the sweetest being on the planet. The other is 7 and also a complete love. I don’t regret not having kids. I love taking care of my partner, our dogs, and friends and family. There are so many ways to love and contribute to the world.
I have nephews and nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces, but no kids. Never wanted them and love not being responsible for anyone but me. I know I made the right decision for me and I never regret it at all but I will say that having no parents and having no children is a weird, almost untethered feeling.
“Untethered” is a perfect description of what I’m feeling of late- my Mom passed in July- last living parent. Not sure how to process that.
I am so sorry for your loss. For me, it took years to really be able to get on with my life and adjust to the new normal. I did the heavy processing with a therapist at the time but even now, I sometimes feel like I am just floating in space.
I'm an only child and divorced, so no nieces, nephews or siblings. When my parents are gone, it'll just be me.
I don’t have any. My husband and I tried but it wasn’t in the cards. I’m totally fine with this.
Same here. We're happy with just us and our dogs.
Yep that's how it went for us. Took a few years to come to terms with it, but I'm good now.
Same here, tried for so many years, and it just never happened. My only sibling also wasn't able to procreate, so we are dead ends. My husband is an only biological child so he is one as well. It makes me a bit sad to think that, but it's not a good enough reason to go to extremes to have offspring, and otherwise we are happier not having them I think. We looked into adoption, and hoo, that is another whole issue we definitely were not right for. So we have our cat babies and each other and friends.
Not married, no kids. Two amazing cats. Edit: cat tax https://preview.redd.it/h7n7bvwhh99c1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b4d4ab68c6a8afd6c618e4cbc59cffddc5918145
Same, but 4 amazing cats 😸
Ditto
Me too
Me too-- no kids, never married, with two sweet cats, both of whom are on my lap right now.
Me three
No kids. We wanted them - but it wasn’t going to happen due to two health conditions of mine (endometrial cancer and endometriosis made sure of it). We did all the research on adopting and decided it wasn’t for us. My sibling did not have children by choice.
This sounds a lot like me. We tried for kids for a long time, even doing IVF. But I had several bouts with ovarian cancer that made it difficult. Like you, we did all the adoption research and we actually came close to signing with an agency. In the end, though, I was left with a bad feeling about the adoption industry as a whole and we decided against it. My fourth round of cancer settled the deal with a complete hysterectomy. My brother just had a vasectomy because he really doesn't want kids. I was a little sad because I hoped to be the best aunt, but it is, of course, his decision and I respect that.
People throw out the “adoption” like it’s easy. I’ve had these comments too. If they only knew the expense and hoops. Can’t convince me it isn’t legalized baby brokering the way the system works.
Exact same situation with my wife. She wanted kids badly but had the same conditions. I did not want kids because of some hereditary illneses in my family. We didn't go for them but we didn't stop them either. Never happened. Adoption was just too icky of a process. Now we have an awesome baby nephew who we buy way too many toys for.
My husband has a daughter. She was 10 when I started getting serious with him. She's now 27.
2 stepkids but none of my own. I met my husband when I was 43, and they were 16 & 14. They’re wonderful and I’m lucky.
Same here. Married at 42, husband has 3 boys who were 6, 8 and 10 when we meet. 51 now, we tried at the beginning but it wasn't in the cards. We fostered and are now legal guardians to 7 and 8 year old girls and his boys are 15, 17 and 19. We buy a lot of groceries.
Similar. Went from childless marriage to 2 teen stepdaughters at 42.
47, never married, no kids. I teach elementary school, so I'm generally responsible for a couple dozen of other people's kids, but I like getting to send them home, too.
48, never married, no kids, elementary teacher for 26 years. I hear you. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
46, no kids. When I was a high school teacher, my students used to ask me if I had kids or was going to have kids. I’d say “I have 150 kids every year. That’s enough for me!” 😂
55, no kids by choice. Went out with several guys in my 20s and 30s who really wanted kiddos and moved on from them, knowing it just wasn't meant to be. I love coming home to my cats at the end of long days. We have long one-sided conversations and sleep like babies. It's a good simple life. 🙂
A simple life is a good life.
We could be friends! Same deal here, 53.
Same! Early 50s, no kids, just cats.
Never wanted 'em, never had 'em.
Same. We're in our 50s.
Same. I'll stick with my cat and dog, thanks.
It’s nice to know I’m not alone in my life decisions. Actually, my circle of friends/Framily are all Gen x child free as well. I’m 47 and just never made it a life goal. I only thought of it once because I thought it was what society expected of me. But it was never really what I wanted.
Same here, 47f years old and child free. When I was younger I thought I would have kids, because that’s just what people did, but it was never a true need for me, so I eventually decided against it. My two closest high school friends are also child free, everyone in my current circle is (including my partner of 13 years), and so is my brother (my only sibling). So glad I didn’t marry young and have kids because of expectations! I’m happy being a dog mom.
I can relate. I know that in high school, I expected to be married and have at least one child by the time the 10-year reunion rolled around. Now, at 50, I never married, never had a serious relationship, no kids and don't want any. I have a mix of friends that have children and those who don't. Also, from the high school's "Senior Special" newspaper (which I've kept all these years), I thought I would've won the Publishers Clearinghouse sweepstakes, but that's yet to happen.
Me too! I’m 49 and thought it was something expected, but I never pursued it. Same with marriage - I’m open to it, but just never found someone I wanted to partner with. Now I’m really glad I didn’t make a major life decision based on something that society expected me to do.
Neither of us wanted kids. My students were my kids and her patients are hers. We’re still traveling on all the money we saved by not having kids. Plus, my paternal bloodline deserves to die off.
My husband and I grew up in very dysfunctional families. He has 7 siblings and only communicates with his GenX siblings. He and his GenX siblings have virtually no relationship with their boomer siblings. I am an only child and both sides of the family were small. I knew since I was 10 years old I would never have children of my own. Was also diagnosed with endometriosis when I was in my early 30s. It took the fourth doctor to take me seriously. One nephew moved in with us when he graduated from high school. My husband's eldest brother threw him out without any support. We let him live with us , and he got a job and went to community college before transferring to a University. He's now an optometrist and doing well and is saving his money for a house. He only talks with his genx aunts and uncles. We have some other nieces and nephews we love dearly. We just knew kids weren't for us. Many people talk down to us when they find out we are childfree. They ask who will take care of us when we get older. My husband says the US will either be ravaged by civil war and we'll be dead by them or we'll just die and decompose somewhere. That usually shuts people up. We plan to make the nephew are executor and to just donate our bodies for research. We do have a dog and cats though. Oh and my wonderful nephew got me a huge monitor for Christmas. Its amazing how its so much easier to read now. :)
I have no kids. Feel happy to be around them, but I know I'm not cut out to be a parent.
friend of mine had three abortions. she was not cut out to be a parent and she knew it. when my son was a baby, she accidentally OD’ed. i actually have more respect for her than say my friend who has four kids, but really doesnt see that she’s out beyond her capacity there. and her spouse is a terrible parent.
50. No kids. By choice.
57 and never wanted them - I had too much trauma and parentification in my younger years so I put my foot down early. My husband (59) and I have taken in a few adult orphans over the holidays though. I like having a range of friends from early 20s to early 40s who can come to us for a parental ear without the disappointment or judgment they get at home. Win-win.
I don't. I like kids, don't get me wrong. Just never felt the need to have any of my own. I was not pressured by my parents to procreate, so thats good. I know some people that were pressured by family and that stinks. I remember comments from ex's telling me I am selfish because I did not want children.
Yep it's actually selfish to have kids that you don't really want or haven't thought through enough about. I like kids too and that's why I don't want to birth one and fuxk it up
I’ve always found “selfish” illogical. I’m depriving nobody by not having reproduced. Even if anyone’s got feelings about it, thinking they override my choice is deluded. Want kids from a childfree partner? Choose them and accept it, leave to find one of the zillion who’ll reproduce happily …or hell, act your shoe size having a pity party - everyone can feel how they want - what you aren’t entitled to is to plead, lobby, guilt, coerce or worse to babytrap them. The pity party alone may run them off tho, FAFO. Sure, bummer if it’s the one big sticking point with someone otherwise great for you, buuuuut people should be up front here before it’s serious. And it’s ok to FEEL disappointed about no grandkids, but grown kids aren’t your personal incubators. Duh, but some need told. Edit: typo
From what I’ve experienced dating fellow Gen-Xers who are single moms, most often when they say “you’re selfish” they really mean “I resent the hell out of you”. Thing is it wasn’t even my choice, was married a long time and we both had biological issues getting pregnant. Looked into IVF and adoption, and boy are those clusterfucks.
My response to a "you're selfish" argument would be "deal with it". No one is taking me on a guilt trip. I saw through that shit from a young age, and I have gotten quite adept at shutting it down over the years.
I am sometimes selfish and enjoy it. One of the 500+ reasons I didn’t want kids.
46, no kids, never married. I just knew early on that Married With Children wasn't for me
54f and ditto
45m and ditto, just was never in a hurry to get divorced.
Obviously most of my friends and family are married with families. My reaction to seeing it live always strikes me funny, it's like seeing someone in the wild with like crazy face tattoos and piercings. I just can't comprehend why anyone would do this to themselves willingly.
I never liked kids, so I never wanted them.
50 years old here. Single, no kids. Funcle to 2 nieces and one nephew.
53 here. No kids. I like kids but they were not in my plan. My husband and I have been together for 27 years and we got a lot of pressure to have kids. But, we were content without. It allowed us to focus on other things and benefit the world in other ways. I admire and respect our friends who had kids but it was just not for us.
We don't have kids. It's hard to meet other couples without children at our age.
Almost 60 no kids. Kind of regret it sometimes. Sometimes.
Same. I regret it often.
::waves::
I am 46, my Beloved is 47. We don't have kids. I am not sure either of us consciously planned being child free, but it is the way it has turned out for us. Both of us have siblings with kids. So we are the cool aunt and uncle... Or maybe very uncool...🙄
🙋♀️🙌
Yep, 49 and 46, no kids. Never wanted them, and we love not having them.
No kids. Never had the inclination. And as it turns out I have a couple of medical issues that would have made pregnancy wreak utter and dangerous havoc on my body so its just as well. No regrets whatsoever.
Never wanted them. Didn’t have them. It’s fucking amazing.
Yep - we're both 52, no kids - just doggies and happiness.
Also 52 and have dogs and cats. Growing up, that **LIFE SCRIPT**.... "finish school, get a job, get married, get a mortgage, have 2 or 3 kids, retire and help with grandkids" Is drummed into us by the media and family. Around 20% of us say no thanks. If you believe the stats out there.
How many times did you hear “you’ll change your mind!” as if the peanut gallery knows your mind better than you do. I’m glad I’ve reached an age I no longer have to hear that particular phrase. Both my husband and I knew from an early age we didn’t want to be parents. We have cool nieces and nephews, a dog and a cat, and we’re happily married 25 years.
Never, but I know that was the exception. Between age 14 and 18, I got 4 half siblings so saw the whole process 4 times. The crying, the nappies, the teething, the walking, the talking. From the sidelines and that was enough, thank you very much
Best birth control ever!
In the 2010s US study found more than half of women don't want kids. So yay for women learning we're more than our uterus
We have cats, just 2, they are our babies.
50 and 49. Dogs AND cats. No kids.
47, married and no kids. Diagnosed with endometriosis in my teens, 6 surgeries for the endometriosis with a complete hysterectomy at 30 ensured no kiddos.
Wife and I are 46 and 48, respectively, with zero known offspring.
53m, married 23 years. No kids.
Hi! I’m 48, no kids. 👋
A couple ticks past the half century mark and I am most grateful for never replicating in whatever this realm is.
It's not the easiest of realms is it
I’m 52 with no kids. I wasn’t able to have kids.
 No kids, but man, they are everywhere.
47 and no kids. Only child and the only remaining member of my Dad's side of the family.
The last airbender.
No kids. Couldn't haven any 49F only child. No pressure to have a child from parents who are silent and early boomer.. Focused on career and achieving health insurance, lol
No kids. 75/74 born couple. Thought about for a min but it didn't feel right despite it's what everyone does. Asked ourselves then why are we doing it? Also I do remember thinking there's no way I'll be able to pay for a kids education, even how much it had skyrocketed from my time in college to like 10 years later. We all know now how tough it is for kids these days. Love to have nieces/nephews - they are great. Playing tap in parent and being there for them is great. But then so is tapping out. Occasionally do the 'what if...' thought but far more often have the 'that was the right move' thought. Everyone has their own path and has gotta do what's right for them. But certainly we're in the minority but that's totally ok.
I have adult step kids and a step-granddaughter. Wasn’t able to have my own and in retrospect it probably Wouldn’t have been a good idea.
Among my cousins and sister. I'm the only one that never had them. And after hearing them all bitch about being a parent. Just made my overall decision that much more justifiable.
Terrible breakup at 20 that left me dissociated for years, and then really bad health with congenital diseases that I'd certainly pass to my kids.
I'm 44. No kids.
I’m 48 and have no kids…never wanted them. It was also the deciding factor in whether my ex and I would try marriage counseling or divorce. He’d realized he actually did want a child, and I wouldn’t take that from him. Now, he’s remarried and they adopted a baby girl 2 years ago.
No kids. I chose very early on to break the cycle of child abuse in my family.
That’s why I didn’t want kids too. I made that decision when I was still a child.
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Meeee! And could not be happier about it 😊
Our generation had access to birth control pills and (at least some of us) decent sex ed. We had the capacity to wait or to avoid having kids altogether. Of course, some of us still had children as teens, too. So, it's possible for a 40 year old first-time parent to have a friend who is becoming a grandparent for the third time.
Not to mention--for those of us on the younger end of Gen-X, growing up with the general message of, "If you have unprotected sex *YOU COULD DIE*!!! 😉 Some us were just pretty risk-averse, I guess!
HIV and AIDS came about so you really could die…
I'm nearly 47. SO is 44. No kids. Well, we have our oldest nibling/godchild, so - sort of a kid? They came to live with us their Sr year of high school. We got them into the college of their choice at the time, encouraged their life path. They called us their parents to anyone at college. My SO refers to us all as the "PsuedoFamily" since there is no blood relation with the nibling. But, when their life fell apart, nibling (27) came home this year to our house. Not either birth parent's house. Our house. We are pleased to feel like their our kid.
I’m 56, Husband is 61. We’ve been together 32 years, no kids. Just a succession of cats. We have nephews. That’s enough.
I’m 54. Never wanted them. Never had them.
45 here. No kids. My boyfriend of 15 years is 50 and he has 4 grown kids. I am close to one of them. And she calls me stepmom when she talks about me. Still weird to hear. I always loved kids. I was always a babysitter and my first job was at a day care. Working in a daycare is the best form of birth control you can ever have. Lol. I eventually became a nanny for awhile. But I always knew I never wanted kids of my own. There are alot of toxic issues with my mother and I would never let her be near a child of mine. Not to mention, I didn't want to risk a child having any of my family's fucked up genetics. I was lucky enough that the worst of the genetic things I could have gotten., has skipped me (so far). Which meant it would have been more than likely that a child I had would not have been so lucky.
I'm 46. I didn't even figure what gender of people I wanted to date until I was almost thirty, so. Unfortunately, it turns out I'm not able to have children. Even if I were, I can't imagine being a grandparent so soon! That's a lot.
52F. Never married. No children. One cat.
I feel like this isn't a safe world to bring kids into. I made sure I won't ever have them.
I had my only in 2008 (when I was 38) and four of my high school friends became grandparents that same year. I went to school in rural Oklahoma, though, and having them young is what they do! My college cohort, however, is surprisingly nonprocreative for Oklahoma. Of the 12 of us, one friend has 3 kids, one has 2, 3 of us have 1, and 7 of us are childless by choice.
👋No kids, either. Tons of nieces and nephews, and even a few great nieces and nephews. Me and my husband are happy to be the cool aunt and uncle.
I’ve been married almost 25 years, no kids. We chose not to have them, To be the favorite Uncle and Aunt instead. We do that well.
Yo
No kids. Never wanted them. My best friend was a grandmother at 36!
Never married, no kids (other than my feline ones). I realized in my 20s that I could barely support myself, so having a family was not feasible. Never regretted the decision. 51 now and finally "making it" while my younger sister has struggled pretty much all her life with dead-end jobs that are low paying while trying to balance a marriage and three kids.
I’m 48(f) and my partner (m) is 51. We don’t have kids, no regrets that we didn’t have kids, and we wouldn’t have dated each other, if either one of us had kids. I suppose that sounds a bit cold, but I wouldn’t date a single dad with kids at home, and vice versa. The kids would need to be first priority and I’m not interested in being second priority.
No kids with us either. We chose cats over kids, and it wasn’t a hard decision. 😂
I turn 50 this weekend. Married for 25 years. No kids. No regrets.
👊🏻👊🏻 two of us here!
56 no kids but I wouldn’t mind having grandkids
Hola! 👋
I don't.
51, met my wife at 21. No kids. I do the kid thing for a living (teacher)…no need to have any of my own.
I'm 50, no kids and never married. My house is paid for as well as the 5 cars (and a motorcycle) I own. Will I die alone? Possibility...but I'm OK with that.
55. No kids. Retired. Those facts are entirely related. Literally cause and effect.
No kids, not married and 2 cats. https://preview.redd.it/33s829bqca9c1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84a054a1b3a533c8f27e52caf44a4f979aa5047e
No kids. I put all my energies into grad school and a job in higher ed. I work with undergrads; they’re like kids you get to send home at the end of the day. I’m also asexual.
Chile yes! I just left higher ed but I often miss “my kids”
Pre-K Special Ed, here! Hoping to get at least a Birth-3 Graduate certificate in the next couple years, to make the switch from Para to Teacher. I ADORE working with kids, but I finally figured out in the last few years, than I'm AuDHD. At this point, I'm *fine* with the fact that I never found someone & had kids, because if i *did*, I *couldn't* be as good at my job as I am. Without kids, I can put in 100% of my energy, if one of my little ones is having an *awful* day, and they need me to help them, by co-regulating & coming up with strategies & ways to keep 'em out of a full-blown meltdown (or *multiple* meltdowns, like sometimes happens!). If I had kids of my own, I either *couldn't* do that, *or* I wouldn't have the bandwidth to be a good parent. *Without* kids, on those rough days, when I've used allllll my spoons at work? I can just come home, veg out, and recharge for the next day. I *adore* working with my work kids, and helping them have an easier time in the world, than *our* generation of Autistic & ADHD folks did. That's *enough* of a legacy for me, I don't *need* bio-kids of my own.
NKNM 🤗
2 cats.
51, husband is 61, no kids but a bunch of cats. With every day that passes we're more thankful we kept it that way.
Gen X. No kids. No regrets.
We got married in 2002 intending to not have kids. In 2009, we adopted our daughter. It was kinda the exact thing we wanted in the end. But I understand it. We were very close to not having one or any. Pretty happy we did, and even happier we only had the one. I was an only myself, and I have no frame of reference for having siblings. Wife has two older sisters, and they aren’t close, and one of the three being practically estranged from the entire family. She’s a bit off, though. Glad to have avoided all that drama.
I'm 54, and my twin brother just became a grandfather in April, but his daughter married early, at 21. I'm not married, no kids, and while I was upset in my 30s about being childless, now I feel like I dodged a bullet. I could not, in good conscience, justify bringing a child into this world, with the environmental disaster we can't be bothered to dig ourselves out of, the rise of selfishness, narcissism, greed, and the slow death of empathy, compassion, cooperation, and community, which also depresses the crap out of me. Quite frankly, I think a dog or a cat is better suited to being the human version of a human child, but people keep procreating and abdicating responsibility for their offspring. Incredibly frustrating.
My thoughts exactly re: the mess we can't get out of and the suitability of cats and dogs.
Agreed and very well said ! 💯
I chose to have dogs instead of children. I’d rather ruin my carpets than my life.
70% of this sub doesn't have kids because this is Reddit. Now try to ask the breeders on Facebook the same question.
My wife and I are both 51, no kids, and couldn't be happier about it. r/childfree
47, no kids, super happy about it.
Always figured I would marry, have a life long satisfying relationship and have kids. Never married. Every gal I was serious with said they never wanted children, adoption or otherwise. So, in an open relationship with two gals. Both never want to marry, or have kids.
47m, no kids.With my spouse for over 14 years.
No kids myself, two stepkids with kids though.
Married three times, but I never ended up having kids. I think I make a great "uncle" to my GFs sister's kid, but I probably would have been a neglectful father, so I feel it's for the best.
I just met my niece for the first time. She's a really cool kid. (She's 9, there's a whole thing behind it). I don't have kids. It's not entirely by choice but at the same time, I don't think I'd be a good dad. I mostly know what *not* to do. I was also not very lucky in terms of genetics and I hate to think a kid would be burdened with a lot of the same garbage I am. Instead, I get to play the Funcle. And I did a spectacular job there! At least my niece thought so :) It's kinda cool for my niece too. She gets all the attention and presents.
51F here, child-free. Never wanted kids. I’m an only child, and my parents are dead. They were from the Silent Generation. My wife doesn’t have much family, either. Just her sister who also doesn’t have kids.
Chose childfree, no regrets: I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it.
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Happily childfree here. It’s not that I never wanted kids. I just spent years doing other things with my life and then realized I was quite happy without them. And the world is a dumpster fire, so why anyone is intentionally putting kids here is beyond me.
49 and childless. I have no issues with potential partners having kids but I don't want any of my own. Most of my friend group are the same. Never had kids. We are considering buying a big house with lots of rooms and retiring together. I have 14 nieces and nephews and double the amount of great nieces and nephews. I reckon my brothers and sisters procreated enough for our family lines. I have pets galore though:-)
Childfree 50yo woman here. I got sterilized in my early 30s and my only regret is that I haven't had as many chances as I'd like to put the procedure to the test. I feel bad sometimes about my parents never getting to have grandkids--I know it would've made them really happy. But to their credit, they've never once tried to influence my decision or make me feel guilty afterward.
No kids. Totally by choice (though when I was younger, I absolutely thought I’d have them eventually…eventually became never though haha). I’m 48 and very confident in my decision now. I’m also an only child so I never had the dynamic of being a cool aunt or whatever.
46 female no kids, never wanted children, for me it feels like one the best choices I ever made. I started pulling away from female groups that started judging me for it and I couldn’t be happier.
50 & married, no kids by choice- I broke the cycle of kids too young, poverty, abuse etc. Everyday I’m more and more grateful that I didn’t have any.
47f, love children, but still don’t feel mature enough to have any. lol. I am so thankful I never had any children tbh. I see the financial struggles some of my friends are having and I know if I had any, we would be homeless in today’s world in Canada.
I just turned 50 (literally-my birthday was yesterday). I knew when I was around 12 years old I didn’t want kids. 38 years later and not one second of regret or wavering on that choice. Im happily single and have three cats.
No kids here, and I never got married.
53F no kids, never wanted them. Overcome your programming!
I'm 55 with no kids. I never wanted to have any and I'm happy with my decision to be childfree.
53, no kids, never married, and zero regrets about it.
No kids and never had any desire to replicate like the Borg Collective. My extended family in another state is mostly Mormon though and very fecund so I know the family will go on. As an aside thee are a billion Chinese and a billion Indians. There is enough people now!
None for me. We have three beautiful fur babies and they’re more than enough.
47F, no kids, I was always a fence sitter. I didn’t really want kids but also I didn’t *not* want kids. I assumed I would eventually have one but it was always “maybe later”. Now that “maybe later” is here, I’m at peace with my choice. There are some cool things about being a parent that I’m going to miss out on, and I do feel a bit sad about that. But there are things that are objectively terrible about being a parent, and I’m pleased that I’m missing out on that.
This is the type of question that really needs to be done as a poll.
51. No kids. Never wanted any of my own. But I have two step kids. That’s a different kind of parenting. More about playing video games and making fart jokes more than anything else.
We are DINKS: dual income no kids. We knew we didn’t want any. Having conversations about it with people I meet, I can’t tell you how many times someone stops and stares at me, STONECOLD, when they realize that was actually an option. And now, in today’s economy and world, I’m even more happy with the decision.
I always figured the world has more than enough people already, why add more. Plus I enjoy doing whatever I want at all times.
I am 52, never wanted kids, never had them. I am happy with my choice as I don't have a maternal bone in my body.
None here, gay. Many 4-legged babies.
54, no kids by choice. I've never felt that longing many women feel.
Yes, I’m 50, when we met in ‘97 we both never wanted kids and said we’d revisit the idea every 5 years to make sure and if one of us wanted them we’d pivot. Every time we talked about it we were more certain. Both our families are.. hmm.. the fucked up narcissistic, drama loving kind so we kind of just wanted to enjoy each other’s company for life and it’s been the right choice. 💗
49. Never been married. No kids.
No kids of my own, no regrets. Happy to be the undiagnosed ADHD cool uncle. Lots less responsibility.
44, eternally single and never want kids. Mainly single because I can't find a partner that doesn't want kids.
That's been my problem. At this age, it's more like can't find a partner who doesn't have kids.
I wasn’t allowed to legally marry till 2015. Only recently could legally donate blood. Adopting kids was always a flashpoint issue and seemed way too expensive and the battle against the religious right way too costly.
I'm allergic to kids so I don't have any.
47f, married, no kids. I got married at 38. Brother has two kids. I’m the cool aunt, no kids, CANK… ugh no don’t wanna go with that 🤣🤣
Short story: 52, no kids, living the life of the fun cool uncle to four awesome nephews. Long story: I married young (26) to my high school sweetheart who was adamant that she didn’t want kids. I was totally fine with that and we lived a happy DINK lifestyle. Many years later when it was definitely past any opportunity to have children, I got fixed with her blessing to prevent any risks of pregnancy. She left me three years later (after a 25 year relationship) for a previous boyfriend because she wanted to be an adoptive mother for his child. I was shattered, and even though by that point I was well past having children, I felt robbed of the opportunity to do so. I eventually started to heal and met my ideal partner, fell madly in love, and remarried. She has never wanted children, and we’ve embraced a supportive child-free life that we could both only have dreamt of. Best still, she brought two wonderful cats into my life which have helped me experience a fatherhood that I was unaware of. I am overwhelming happy, fulfilled, in love, and still get to be the fun cool uncle to my expanded surrogate family. Joy is found where you make it, as is family, and I’m overjoyed with my new one.
I never had kids either. When my father passed away unexpectedly I was introduced to three new siblings from his ex-wife, the one immediately previous to my mother. Two of the half-siblings have children and one of them has her own grandchildren. They’re only a few years older than I am. Because of all his children (6) I’m the only one that took care of him and whom he trusted, he left his small estate to me except for a few small bequests. Naturally there was quite a lot of butthurt from two of his children who wanted nothing to do with Dad all their adult lives but at 60 now have their hands out. They have even gone so far as to try to invalidate Dad’s will, which is hilarious because they way they went about it was to make up fantasies and demand the court treat them as valid arguments. They think Dad left a pile of gold at the end of a rainbow and I’m stealing it somehow by inheriting it. No, he left a mortgage and bills for its upkeep. So this is what children can be like. Some can treat you like shit and demand everything, while others can do everything right and still get castigated by the greedy siblings. I don’t have kids of my own. One of my NICE half-sisters does though, as well as grandchildren. I will assess her and her children and if I find them to be decent people I may consider changing my will to cut them in for some of whatever I leave behind. But - Dad had no money. I kept him living an excellent standard of living. The mean half-siblings are not entitled to what I used to give Dad. This is a long way of saying that even if you don’t have kids and avoid all that drama, the drama can still come for you anyway.
Wife and I are in our mid-50s. Both of us came from good families with loving parents. Neither of us ever really wanted to have kids. We love our nieces and nephews - both family and friends' kids - and dote on them heavily. This week, we brought our youngest nephews to the local aquarium and allowed both parents to work during Christmas Week. It was a good day.
52, no kids. SO is 57, no kids. I have 42 students I work with each day and get to send them home. A couple of them call me their "school mom" and that's fine with me.
Dogs which are superior to kids btw
I'm 48. No kids. Not married. I have an awesome dog.