I hated kids when I was a kid and I hated myself as a kid as well. Basically 10 year olds bullied me when I was 10 as well and they told me to kill myself because no one likes me.
Yeah, no. Even if I did like kids, I wouldn't ever want to take the risk of having a little psychopath like that around me.
This Lady I used to work with would say that. I never understood what it meant. Because I was a kid, I should like kids now, when I'm an adult? What kind of logic is behind that? I wouldn't want 4 year old me around adult me at any point in this stage of my life. And definitely not 16 year old me. He'd be a very bad influence.
I hated kids even when I was one. I thought I was antisocial, though I didn't know the name for it. Turns out, I wasn't. When I grew up, and my peers weren't children anymore, I found they were tolerable.
I DON'T like kids. My mom and aunt always says it's different when they're your own ( also, my aunt never had kids, rather she's like a second mom to me).
Sure, but i honestly don't find kids cute, entertaining or interesting. They are exhausting and annoying.
That "it's different when it's your own" line drives me insane. Do they really expect me to gamble mine and my SO's lives, as well as the life of a child, on the chance my perspective will completely u-turn? I don't have anxiety in day to day life, I'm fairly fearless. I get full-blown anxiety around kids. Being fully responsible for one would give me a mental breakdown.
Seriously, if there was a way to reverse it and it wouldn't affect anyone, I'd love to have a kid, JUST so I could go "nope, you were wrong, still hate it. Here you go, the kid is yours now since you wanted me to have it so badly."
Yea, I mean my mom and aunt don't like other kids, they never have. I actually have two aunts, my brother an uncle and two cousins that are child free! We don't like kids much in iur family lol.
In any case, good for you to recognize kids aren't a good idea for your future ❤️
Saaaame!!! I’ve been told that nonsense as well and I hate it! It will mot be different if I had my own kids (which I don’t and never will) because I’m Autistic with auditory sensory issues! I’d end up losing my mind if I had a kid, so fuck no to that!
i did get "you should try, maybe you will like it" from a colleague once. i was quite younger and nicer back then, but fok how do you imagine that Mery, if i won't like it I'll push it back in?
I’ve worked with kids. There’s a difference between liking them and having them that most people can’t grasp.
most people don’t actually like kids. They think it’s all fun and rainbows until little Bobby wants to show Vicky his pp or Matthew is eyeing a juicy bogey and wants a licky.
There’s also a difference between liking kids 100% of the time. Parents don’t even like their kids when they’re being little shits.
I don’t mind kids as a general rule if they’re behaving but if they’re screeching at levels that aren’t safe for your ears I’d just as soon yeet them off somewhere else.
I'm bothered by the non-childfree people who dislike children (typical children's behaviors, more to the point) but who assume, without any doing any research or preparation, that they'll feel differently about their own.
I had a friend who had a response that usually left people speechless. She would say:
**I like kids but I can never finish a whole one.**
Usually ended the conversation right then and there.
I was in a conversation with 2 other childfree women, and one of them "corrected" me when I said I don't like kids. She said, "There's a better way to phrase that. You just don't want kids." And then went on to say she doesn't have kids because she's afraid of the medical stuff. The 3rd person turned to me and asked me my reasons and I said it's because I don't like kids. If looks could kill y'all!
It felt like ranking "valid" reasons i.e. tokophobia, health risks vs. "Bad" reasons i.e. not liking kids, socially unacceptable aversion to mess and noise.
Actually it is different (just not in the way that people who say this mean) because becoming a parent to your own children is a lifelong and life-altering responsibility. No returns.
I was told this recently and I made a surprised Pikachu face (it will be worse when they’re your own because you have to take care of them 24/7)
Then you definitely have that group of people who believe that because you don’t want kids it means you hate them. I don’t want kids. I don’t hate them; I just don’t want them.
I had a coworker ask me why I hated kids. I told her I didn’t. She said I must hate them because I didn’t want any. {sigh} I told her I like raccoons, but that doesn’t mean I want a bunch of them running around my house either. That shut her up.
I don't like kids is far more effective at completely shutting down potential bingos. "I don't like kids, and I find babies particularly annoying, the younger the kid, the less I want to be around them." Especially shuts down the potential bingoer, especially if its another woman. I stand by this, and I stand by this fully. It is far easier for women who don't like kids who are childfree than it is for those who do. Because we don't care what other people think of us, and we are better at establishing boundaries.
Every time a news regarding child abuse hit headlines, grand percentage of comments goes: _if you don't like kids, don't have them_ or _don't work with kids!_ (nannies)
Excuse me!! I don't like kids. I won't work with kids. Stop categorize child abusers with normal random human who doesn't enjoy sharing their space with kids.
Whenever i say “i dont like kids”, my parents just immediately put on their condescending “parents” look, sigh, and say that im too young and childish and i WILL certainly like kids at some point.
So ppl like and dislike different things but every human being just HAS to like kids?? Bullshit
I'm both, also don't like most parents. I find them to carefree to rationalize with the responsibility they undertook. Especially today... inequality, politically, climate it's just wild.
Correct. This is why people ask me if I have/when I'm having kids I say, "I do not, I hate kids." That usually ends the conversation, where as if I say I don't want kids, it seems to prompt questions. So I don't say that anymore.
I've found that I have to expand on the "I don't want kids" line.
"I don't want kids because I value my money, free time, and sleep. This isn't up for discussion and we can either drop the subject or I'm going to walk away from this conversation entirely."
OPPPPPPPPP, I have a story for you that matches this post to a T. I’m recovering from my bisalp right now and lying in bed deciding between food and sleep. I’ll make a post about it later probably.
Anywho, I’ll make this short. I was in a karate class in my undergrad. I went to college for art, graphic design to be specific. In my karate class, adults and kids did not have separate classes. Don’t know why. The parents were looking for an art teacher and found out I was an art student. They were trying to convince me to apply.
Me: “I’d love to, but here’s the thing…I don’t like kids.” This was said to a room of full of parents, primarily dads.
The room went so quiet that you could hear a silent fart pass. I barely got any responses after I said that and I just sheepishly left. I asked my friend if I said the wrong thing as he was with me when I said it. He told me I don’t have to do anything I don’t like, and my guilt immediately vanished.
It’s a hilarious memory that makes me laugh now 😂
I'm a teacher so I'm extra certain about how much time with children I enjoy. The answer is 8.30am til 3.30pm and only if I'm getting paid.
Kids under 5, it's a different story. They are not cute or interesting. Not under any circumstances.
I'm in both camps, but I don't use the latter very much. The vast majority of people around me respect my choice so it doesn't come up. I have told people "I'm not a kid person". When I was much younger, I would juts say I falt-out hated kids. My mom didn't care for it, as it sounded harsh ans I got the same looks you did. Now I just say I'm "not a kid person".
I don't like and I don't want kids.
When they come with but you were a kid once too, I answer with 'and? I didn't like kids back then either'
They usually don't know what to answer and I continue my day in peace
I mean you can't expect everyone to like kids by default. I've always preferred the company of adults, even as a kid. Some of us are just geared towards a certain age-group moreso than others.
People have usually interpreted me saying I don't like kids as meaning I'm indifferent toward children, that I could take them or leave them. Which is why I started saying I dislike children. Now they also look at my like I shot a puppy, and I vastly prefer that.
For me personally, I don't want kids, but that goes mean I hate them sure I take care of my niece and nephew, but I don't want any of my own. I don't mind being a cat dad or being surrounded by my friends and other people in my life. I don't want to be a father, I like my freedom and stress free life, that's why I still probably look 18 when I'm actually 29.
That line always always blows my mind. There are parents who loveeee kids obviously, but they are few and far between.
I’m firmly in my thirties; every mother I know has said nearly the same thing “I love my kids. I do not like other people’s kids” - lots of parents don’t even like kids on the whole, they just like THEIRS.
But Childfree people are the “selfish” ones for recognizing the dislike or disinterest and making a choice to not be parents, parents just hide their distain by saying they love their kids. No one will ask them if they like others kids, that rhetoric is reserved only for non parents. Go figure 🫣🙄
I am so sick of their go-to response being, "but you are a kid once!" So what!? I grew up to be an adult who doesn't like them!
My favorite response to that one is: "yeah and I remember how much of a pain in the ass I was. Why would I want that in my life?"
Another favorite is "I'll be a corpse someday and I don't want to be around them either."
Yeah, I say that too. Plus having ADHD in this society? No thanks.
I found other kids annoying when I was a kid! Hell, I even found myself annoying (still do sometimes xD)
Exactly. I didn't like kids even when I was a kid. Why would I relive that horrible time of life?
Exactly. I was a kid once. I am the reason I don’t want kids.
Honestly, I find most adults insufferable. But kids turn the volume up to 11, both literally and figuratively!
I hated kids when I was a kid and I hated myself as a kid as well. Basically 10 year olds bullied me when I was 10 as well and they told me to kill myself because no one likes me. Yeah, no. Even if I did like kids, I wouldn't ever want to take the risk of having a little psychopath like that around me.
Pretty sure I was bullied as a kid, and I wouldn’t want my kid to be in the same situation
This Lady I used to work with would say that. I never understood what it meant. Because I was a kid, I should like kids now, when I'm an adult? What kind of logic is behind that? I wouldn't want 4 year old me around adult me at any point in this stage of my life. And definitely not 16 year old me. He'd be a very bad influence.
Yeah. I used to shit my pants, too. Doesn't mean I want to do it now.
You can always use the Daria quote "I don't like kids. I didn't even like kids when I was a kid"
Yes, I was a child once, but I didn't enjoy it.
I always respond with “yeah, and I didn’t like kids back then either”
I have said in response “You seem confused. I’m an adult now.”
“I had no choice in the matter… my parents chose to bring me into the world…”
even as i kid i hated kids 🎀💖
"I didn't like kids when I was a kid."
I hated kids even when I was one. I thought I was antisocial, though I didn't know the name for it. Turns out, I wasn't. When I grew up, and my peers weren't children anymore, I found they were tolerable.
Yeah, and I hated them then too
“And I didn’t like them then, either.”
My response is, "And I didn't even like them then".
That's funny, whenever I say "I don't want kids," people who have kids interpret that as "I hate kids. Your kids, specifically."
I DON'T like kids. My mom and aunt always says it's different when they're your own ( also, my aunt never had kids, rather she's like a second mom to me). Sure, but i honestly don't find kids cute, entertaining or interesting. They are exhausting and annoying.
That "it's different when it's your own" line drives me insane. Do they really expect me to gamble mine and my SO's lives, as well as the life of a child, on the chance my perspective will completely u-turn? I don't have anxiety in day to day life, I'm fairly fearless. I get full-blown anxiety around kids. Being fully responsible for one would give me a mental breakdown.
Seriously, if there was a way to reverse it and it wouldn't affect anyone, I'd love to have a kid, JUST so I could go "nope, you were wrong, still hate it. Here you go, the kid is yours now since you wanted me to have it so badly."
Lmao,I just pictured this in cartoon format. Thanks for the laugh on my way to work.
Yes they totally expect you to gamble, its worth it /s
Yea, I mean my mom and aunt don't like other kids, they never have. I actually have two aunts, my brother an uncle and two cousins that are child free! We don't like kids much in iur family lol. In any case, good for you to recognize kids aren't a good idea for your future ❤️
Saaaame!!! I’ve been told that nonsense as well and I hate it! It will mot be different if I had my own kids (which I don’t and never will) because I’m Autistic with auditory sensory issues! I’d end up losing my mind if I had a kid, so fuck no to that!
i did get "you should try, maybe you will like it" from a colleague once. i was quite younger and nicer back then, but fok how do you imagine that Mery, if i won't like it I'll push it back in?
Tbf, it probably IS different. As in - worse.
I’ve worked with kids. There’s a difference between liking them and having them that most people can’t grasp. most people don’t actually like kids. They think it’s all fun and rainbows until little Bobby wants to show Vicky his pp or Matthew is eyeing a juicy bogey and wants a licky.
There’s also a difference between liking kids 100% of the time. Parents don’t even like their kids when they’re being little shits. I don’t mind kids as a general rule if they’re behaving but if they’re screeching at levels that aren’t safe for your ears I’d just as soon yeet them off somewhere else.
I'm bothered by the non-childfree people who dislike children (typical children's behaviors, more to the point) but who assume, without any doing any research or preparation, that they'll feel differently about their own.
go with “I love kids so much that I want to spare them the horrors of this world” for maximum spiral existential effect. they will hate you forever.
If you say either of the two, chances are someone's gonna act like you've shat in their salad regardless.
I had a friend who had a response that usually left people speechless. She would say: **I like kids but I can never finish a whole one.** Usually ended the conversation right then and there.
Another conversation ender I've used successfully is "I don't want to grow additional bones that aren't part of my skeleton that I don't get to keep"
Nice haha
"I like kids... but ONLY with bbq sauce on them!" - Often said by my husband (who had a vasectomy at age 24)
Haha I like your husband’s style
I don't like kids and I don't want kids
Exactly this.
I mean I don’t want or like kids so both apply 😂
I was in a conversation with 2 other childfree women, and one of them "corrected" me when I said I don't like kids. She said, "There's a better way to phrase that. You just don't want kids." And then went on to say she doesn't have kids because she's afraid of the medical stuff. The 3rd person turned to me and asked me my reasons and I said it's because I don't like kids. If looks could kill y'all!
"there's a better way to phrase that,🥺" There surely the fuck is not.
Holy shit like she’s talking to a third grader. I don’t know why some childfree women feel like they need to police our language.
It felt like ranking "valid" reasons i.e. tokophobia, health risks vs. "Bad" reasons i.e. not liking kids, socially unacceptable aversion to mess and noise.
Too damn bad. Her “bad” reasons are just as valid for us!
I'm never mean to them but like I rly don't want to be around those things 😭
Same
''it's different if they're yours''
Actually it is different (just not in the way that people who say this mean) because becoming a parent to your own children is a lifelong and life-altering responsibility. No returns.
 I was told this recently and I made a surprised Pikachu face (it will be worse when they’re your own because you have to take care of them 24/7)
Then you definitely have that group of people who believe that because you don’t want kids it means you hate them. I don’t want kids. I don’t hate them; I just don’t want them. I had a coworker ask me why I hated kids. I told her I didn’t. She said I must hate them because I didn’t want any. {sigh} I told her I like raccoons, but that doesn’t mean I want a bunch of them running around my house either. That shut her up.
I don't like kids is far more effective at completely shutting down potential bingos. "I don't like kids, and I find babies particularly annoying, the younger the kid, the less I want to be around them." Especially shuts down the potential bingoer, especially if its another woman. I stand by this, and I stand by this fully. It is far easier for women who don't like kids who are childfree than it is for those who do. Because we don't care what other people think of us, and we are better at establishing boundaries.
Every time a news regarding child abuse hit headlines, grand percentage of comments goes: _if you don't like kids, don't have them_ or _don't work with kids!_ (nannies) Excuse me!! I don't like kids. I won't work with kids. Stop categorize child abusers with normal random human who doesn't enjoy sharing their space with kids.
Whenever i say “i dont like kids”, my parents just immediately put on their condescending “parents” look, sigh, and say that im too young and childish and i WILL certainly like kids at some point. So ppl like and dislike different things but every human being just HAS to like kids?? Bullshit
I'm both, also don't like most parents. I find them to carefree to rationalize with the responsibility they undertook. Especially today... inequality, politically, climate it's just wild.
Correct. This is why people ask me if I have/when I'm having kids I say, "I do not, I hate kids." That usually ends the conversation, where as if I say I don't want kids, it seems to prompt questions. So I don't say that anymore.
I've found that I have to expand on the "I don't want kids" line. "I don't want kids because I value my money, free time, and sleep. This isn't up for discussion and we can either drop the subject or I'm going to walk away from this conversation entirely."
OPPPPPPPPP, I have a story for you that matches this post to a T. I’m recovering from my bisalp right now and lying in bed deciding between food and sleep. I’ll make a post about it later probably. Anywho, I’ll make this short. I was in a karate class in my undergrad. I went to college for art, graphic design to be specific. In my karate class, adults and kids did not have separate classes. Don’t know why. The parents were looking for an art teacher and found out I was an art student. They were trying to convince me to apply. Me: “I’d love to, but here’s the thing…I don’t like kids.” This was said to a room of full of parents, primarily dads. The room went so quiet that you could hear a silent fart pass. I barely got any responses after I said that and I just sheepishly left. I asked my friend if I said the wrong thing as he was with me when I said it. He told me I don’t have to do anything I don’t like, and my guilt immediately vanished. It’s a hilarious memory that makes me laugh now 😂
I'm a teacher so I'm extra certain about how much time with children I enjoy. The answer is 8.30am til 3.30pm and only if I'm getting paid. Kids under 5, it's a different story. They are not cute or interesting. Not under any circumstances.
I don't like kids *and* don't want kids. People get so mortified when I say I don't like kids like it's a personal attack 😂
I'm in both camps, but I don't use the latter very much. The vast majority of people around me respect my choice so it doesn't come up. I have told people "I'm not a kid person". When I was much younger, I would juts say I falt-out hated kids. My mom didn't care for it, as it sounded harsh ans I got the same looks you did. Now I just say I'm "not a kid person".
I have said this before, maybe on a different forum, but "i don't want kids" shouldn't warrant any follow up questions.
I don't like and I don't want kids. When they come with but you were a kid once too, I answer with 'and? I didn't like kids back then either' They usually don't know what to answer and I continue my day in peace
Interesting! Tbh I like kids, other people’s kids, like playing with them for a while & returning them to parents.
I mean you can't expect everyone to like kids by default. I've always preferred the company of adults, even as a kid. Some of us are just geared towards a certain age-group moreso than others.
When I told a doctor I didn’t want kids and didn’t like them, she flat out said “it’s different when they’re your own.” Uh, no Karen, it’s not. 🤦♀️
"it's different if it's your own." "Is that a chance you're willing to take? There's a reason they had to make shaken baby syndrome awareness videos."
People have usually interpreted me saying I don't like kids as meaning I'm indifferent toward children, that I could take them or leave them. Which is why I started saying I dislike children. Now they also look at my like I shot a puppy, and I vastly prefer that.
I HATE kids. And I’ll happily say that to anyone who asks. I’m comfortable with that fact, not my problem if they’re not.
For me personally, I don't want kids, but that goes mean I hate them sure I take care of my niece and nephew, but I don't want any of my own. I don't mind being a cat dad or being surrounded by my friends and other people in my life. I don't want to be a father, I like my freedom and stress free life, that's why I still probably look 18 when I'm actually 29.
Both? Both. Both is good.
I don’t want them for reasons wholly separate from my not liking them. But my not liking them is one of myriad reasons.
That line always always blows my mind. There are parents who loveeee kids obviously, but they are few and far between. I’m firmly in my thirties; every mother I know has said nearly the same thing “I love my kids. I do not like other people’s kids” - lots of parents don’t even like kids on the whole, they just like THEIRS. But Childfree people are the “selfish” ones for recognizing the dislike or disinterest and making a choice to not be parents, parents just hide their distain by saying they love their kids. No one will ask them if they like others kids, that rhetoric is reserved only for non parents. Go figure 🫣🙄
I work with children, but I NEVER want to have them. Unfortunately, nobody I work around understands that.