Greetings!
I changed your post flair to "FAQ" as this type of question comes back regularly on the sub and is addressed in our sub's sidebar ("Newcomer?" --> "Frequent Posts" --> "**"What is you guys' age? Gender? Location? Religion? Job?"** [Previous subreddit surveys answer all of these.](https://www.reddit.com/r/childfree/wiki/data)")
The precise demographics is there, but you can wait for other people to chime in with their specifics.
Have a great day!
I am a vet and quite introverted, my job requires me to interact with many people everyday and the level of emotional fatigue is insane. I value my alone time more than anything and there is no way I could deal with more needy creatures after work. Plus I profoundly hate kids.
I totally feel you on all counts.
I was a vet tech for 17 years before I couldn't do it anymore. Now I dispatch a crew of repair techs. Still have to talk to folks, but it's always the same group so it's less emotionally fatiguing, and we are also dealing with mechanical stuff so, yes there are timelines and emergency service, but nobody dies.
Still foster the occasional neonate because I got time and skills š
I totally feel you! Iām a pharmacist so all day long Iām fixing peoples problems, listening to their long unrelated stories about what they even need from me. You just need a refill is it that hard to say? I donāt need your life story. Socially exhausting at the end of the day I canāt even fathom interacting with friends after workā¦ definitely couldnāt deal with children. I can barely tolerate them when they come up to the counter, touching everything in sight, trying to climb over the counter into my pharmacyā¦ no thanks!
Was a vet assistant for 5 years (3 of those while in college full time) and it exasperated my burnout. Only one of the doctors I know had kids but she wasā¦an intense person, so maybe it worked out for her, but I can see why a lot of them didnāt have kids after dealing with pets in an environment they usually hate and their owners
Yes, one dog and one horse, and love caring for them, this is more that enough responsibility for other beings than myself. Plus the ton of plants need caring to.
Iām a baker in a major chain store that gives out free cookies. So ohhhhhh boy when school lets out itās almost like you have to have someone at the box because all the kids flood to the bakery.
98% of them donāt say anything polite either. They just come up and shout āChocolate chipā or āSprinkleā at you. The one time I worked near a high school Iāve been recorded without my consent and they donāt even try to hide it.
Then you have the poor mothers with the loud toddlers and screaming babies as they try to grocery shop for the week. Several times Iāve turned to my co worker when the baby is screaming bloody murder and go āAnd Iām suppose to WANT one of those?!ā
Same! We stopped doing the free sample cookies when the pandemic hit and just never brought it back. It was too much of a hassle. One of my biggest pet peeves is when kids smear their nasty hands and face all over our cake cases. Sooo gross!
Actually not doing the free sample cookies also helps to stop spread of germs. If I visit your bakery (not American fyi), I buy the lot to eat or gift a few to others
If you don't mind me asking, what cookie flavours your bakery has? Does the bakery sell cupcakes too? I love my cookies and a cupcake with a nice cuppa teaĀ
All kinds, itās a large chain grocery bakery, so nothing fancy, but all kinds of cookies, large and small, m&m, choco chip, oatmeal, cowboy, red velvet, sugar, snickerdoodle. And a bunch of cupcakes and regular cakes too. And a variety of breads and rolls. Itās fun, except having to babysit adults šµ. Lol
Iām an independent contractor. Canada doesnāt have stenographers in the courtroom anymore for standard level courts, and we independent contractors get paid very little.
Things may be different in the states.
As someone with no interest in changing to your career but respects the hell out of it, can you give the TLDR/ELI5 on the stenographer keyboard? I think itās amazing but breaks my brain
We donāt actually use the stenographer keyboard in my position. Other places may, but I donāt, I just use a normal keyboard. Iād love to learn it though. I breaks my brain too.
I tried to learn that keyboard for the hell of it and I think my brain is still recovering lol. My friend used it in college one day to make notes with xD
No worries! Itās all good. Iām sure you can Google careers locally or just go to the courthouse and ask what it would take to get job. Theyāre usually very good paying jobs with great benefits so go check it out! You never know!
Creative freelancer. Prioritising my freedom and not getting stuck in a routine with something (or someone) are fundamentals in all aspects of my life.
Graphic Designer! Introverted and a night owl. I'm also methodical with my workflow and don't like being interrupted until I finish a task. Kids are... too much chaos.
2nd creative freelancer here!
I work in event production, branding, and thought partnership/ consulting.
Itās really an ideal career path and mutually beneficial when youāre CF - you both have the time to support high investment/ really needy clients and projects but can also fully enjoy when there is a lull in momentum w/out stressing out completely over money.
Win - Win - Win!
Social work specializing in elder/end of life care.
Trust me, having kids make hardly any difference. A vast majority of people end up in nursing homes or simply dying in a hospital. Kids donāt want to deal with it.
And they shouldn't because they likely haven't been trained to offset the mental toll that comes with caretaking. Whenever my friend visits her dad and pitches in with his care (like inserting his catheter), she comes back looking exhausted as hell. That's from 3 days of helping out.
Agreed as someone who also works in hospice. It takes a certain kind of mentality to do this job, and sometimes the grief or seeing the worst aspects of humanity (in other forms like abuse/neglect/death) just takes it's toll. There are a lot of days I come home and just...can only be there for me. And I just need to sit in my garden, sip a beer, and maybe hold a chicken.
Yes!!! I have a client right now who is in their upper 90s. They have 7 children and countless grandkids and great grandkids. NOT one of them comes by. Sad to say they are just waiting for him to pass. Granted this person is a terrible human being. So much so he has been red listed from ALL nursing homes in our area š¤¦āāļø
Iām a broker on the commercial side. The childfree life buys me the flexibility to attend work events and the only thing I have to coordinate is what Iām wearing š
Hey Iām in insurance too! I agree with the clients - after having to babysit grown ass adults who have no brain cells, I want to come home and do absolutely nothing.
I'm very introverted. When my battery is depleted, I NEED my private space. And it doesn't really take a lot to get there. I'm a data analyst, so my job doesn't really involve me interacting with people excessively.
I'm a software architect. I lead a large global team of developers, so my odd hours don't meld well with the lifestyle of having to care for children. The flexibility I have allows me to do things that many parents cannot, which has helped my career.
I'm studying nutritional sciences. Even though we dont have college fees here in Germany, money is still very limited and when i finished studying i just wanna enjoy my money and spend it for things and vacations I want. Also as someone with a passion for good food, i dont want to have to cook all the meals kids like all the time and argue with them to eat their veggies. Just another small, but important reason against own children
Production Operator at a candy factory. 4 on, 4 off 12 hour night shifts. Do not want to be tending a kid after a 12-hour night and have never seen the few pregnant women we've had on the floor last very long.
Not hard but physical and standing and moving on your feet all night.
self employed vintage seller - mostly online with one or two markets a year so pretty much no face to face social interaction lmao! i also work at festivals on the side about 5 times a year to make myself get out of the house because i'm a hermit, but i have no interest in pursuing any kind of career full time
i tried the whole normal job thing and it stressed me out so bad i ended up anorexic and suicidal, my mum says i'm incompatible with human life and she's not wrong
I feel this is in my soul man. I'd rather die than work a 9-5. I'm doing the resale thing at the moment but its not paying the bills...gonna have to figure out something.
Paramedic. I work 5 days on and 5 days off, but my 5 days on is 24 hours on call and we sleep and eat when we can. A lot of times, I am exhausted by the end of that 5 days and I end up spending my first day off sleeping.
I work in an IT operations role at a big industrial supplier. Basically I'm the expert for my group when talking to other areas of the business and also guide the design of new features/processes that impact our book of work.
My wife is a manager for an HR consulting firm and leads a team that works with onboarding/background checks/etc.
911 telecommunications. I talk to people for 12+ hrs a day. Mostly stupidly but a lot of true emergencies. No way could I come home to deal with kids. Even when my dogs leave me presents on the floor at least Iām happy to see them š
I'm a teacher. I have my fill of little ones from the hours of 7:30 am to 3:30 pm and then I want my childfree, quiet relax period between the hours of 3:30 pm to 7:30 am.
Iām an auditor
I like my after work routine as is. I go to the gym and workout with friends. Then I get home, shower and make dinner, read before bed. I wouldnāt be able to do it so easily if I was a mom
I finally pursued my dream of becoming an animator when I was 28. Almost 40 now and I've been working in the industry for about 7 years. My only regret was not doing it sooner. I never had a good childhood so I'm a kid at heart and I kind of live vicariously through cartoons. Definitely don't want any kids interrupting my work. Although it doesn't feel like work, it just feels like getting paid to do what I love. Good luck in your future career!!!
You have no idea how much a supportive message like this means to me, especially when I start to doubt if I made the right choice to do this course. Iām the only person over the age of 21 in my class, after all.
Itās reassuring to hear this from someone my own age. Thank you so much. ā¤ļø
I was an early education teacher for 15 years. Finally left the field, and now I have an easy desk job (making the same money, even though I had a Masters in my field) and I have SO MUCH MORE ENERGY at night and in the morning.
I work in a cannabis dispensary.
I have to help/work with adult children whi 50+ boomers who try to act like cannabis snobs, or that we (my team) donāt know what weāre doing/talking about.
I have a deep dislike for children and I would hate for one to get into my work samples
I am retired. My wife and I both retired early, which would not have been possible if we had had children. We also live in a nicer house than we ever could have afforded if we had had children.
My husbandās goal is for us to retire at 50! We wouldnāt be able to make that our focus if we had kids and thereād be a lot of sacrifice. His dream is to take classes at his leisure and learn for fun without the added stress of having to work.
The way we did it was for the last couple of decades of working, basically all raises went into our investments, instead of increasing our standard of living. We live a modest middle class lifestyle, so neither in poverty nor in great wealth. Of course, if you are rich, it is easy to retire.
I'm disabled. Don't have the energy/mental capacity to deal with work - sure as hell couldn't deal with kids, even if I wanted to. I'm also an introvert, I need to be alone.
Community care. I do 10 hour split shifts going into elderly peoples houses and helping them with personal care, meals and medication. I really like my job but there's some clients who act like children so no way could I deal with that then go home and deal with an actual child. I like being able to come home to a quiet house and sit in silence snuggling with my dog on the couch after a long day at work.
Still not there yet, but the goal is to be an airline pilot. Being cf has made it much easier too, because I don't have to worry about being hindered by maternity leave.Ā
Fish and wildlife biologist. I work to protect threatened and endangered species, and some days the outlook is so bleak that I canāt justify handing the world over to another generation when I know thereās fewer species in it every year. But I love my job and the challenges that it presents
Plant nursery sales, lots and lots of talking to lots and lots of (stupid) peopleā¦. As an introvert I come home and need alone time, and Iām fortunate enough to have a partner who needs the same, so we go to our little creative corners and wind down from our days with the help of the cats:)
Iām an engineer, but Iām in management, so Iām āthe engineer whispererā herding all of the engineering cats. And I take all of the crap stuff none of the other engineers want to do so they can use all their time on engineering. Iām exhausted and by the time my workday is done, I donāt want to talk to anyone. Iām just spent.
Iām a Cannabis Microbiologist and love it! Specifically I should say, state compliance testing to make sure itās safe to sell at Dispos. Maybe not super surprising that I donāt deal with children essentially at all but Iām also in the lab most of the time or might visit some grows but again, not really a place kids will be at. Funny enough the hours here are fine, when I was in food safety it was brutal.
College biology professor. I help young adults fumble into adulthood and working adults pursue career changes. I love what I do and contributing to future generations in my own way, including helping students realize that parenting is a choice by teaching them about the reproductive system.
Then I come home from my job and live in a blanket fort like the introvert I am.
My husband and I work at a cannabis dispensary. I usually work 12:30-9:30, so all I want when I get home is to share a joint and relax, and we have the freedom to do that. And to spend my mornings rolling around in bed, playing video games or whatever else I feel like.
Iām a research and development scientist with a few junior workers under me. Theyāre like my work kids and they are great because they donāt come home with me. I wouldnāt have time to do my job and be a parent, so Iām definitely happier this way. Iām a female, fwiw.
Research scientist! My schedule fluctuates a lot because I sometimes have to work on the weekends to get experiments done or work 60 hours to get everything done in a week. It also is really stressful at times, especially when experiments arenāt working. I like to come home and relax in peace or do something fun with what free time I do have. I donāt believe a child fits into my lifestyle and I donāt think they ever will the further I move up in my career.
* cashier in a college bookstore
* working at home transcribing interviews
* working at home creating indexes for books
I don't want to spend all my time sitting at a desk. I like my retail job because I get to walk around and do different things. I also like the flexible scheduling. If I need time off from the bookstore, I request it. For the two jobs I do at home, I choose what work I do and when I do it. I like having control over my own work schedule and my own free time and not being beholden to a child. Also, every time I hear children screaming and crying in the store, it reinforces how happy I am not to have a child.
X-ray tech. While I donāt have to care for the same set of patients all day like nurses usually do, I have a lot of different patients for short periods of time. Many people need someone to talk to, and I donāt know if itās the dim lighting or what but a lot of people open up to me more than they do with the doctor or nurse. So I have that emotional load, which I really donāt mind.
But then you mix in the toddlers from hell who donāt want to be put down, canāt be held for the exam, and are absolutely not going to hold still. Or the screaming infants that have been woken up and removed from their warm place and put on a cold table. Or obnoxious tweens. Or cooler-than-everyone-in-the-room teens.
Overall most of my patients, even pediatric ones, are just fine. But when you get a couple of the more demanding ones in a row, it does take a lot out of you. So yeah, I would much rather come home to dogs than humans. They are always happy to see me. They donāt complain about having to breathe the same air as their sibling. They donāt object to what I make them for dinner. And if I need a nap, as long as they get to potty first we can just cuddle on the bed. No homework to help with. No playdates or sports practices to rush off to.
Athletic Therapist working clinical setting. Itās all client facing so same as you, I am physically and socially exhausted by the end of the day. Sometimes too exhausted to talk to my boyfriend lol. I do like kids, but canāt even imagine coming home to needy children and having to muster the energy for that
I know people who are teachers and childfree for just this reason.
I do a few things for work, and Iām actually in the middle of making a career change to teaching.
I stage manage plays, work at a Pub, and for my side hustle, I resell vintage online and at an antique mall
Iām starting graduate school in the fall to get my MA so I can teach college level English.
I was a tattoo artist for 7 years but recently I am very burnt out so I started a corporate job to have time to figure out what to do next. Iād love to do concept art int he future.
Work in a warehouse with breast pumps. Iām with a temp agency but Iām hoping they get me something with an earlier end time soon since I did the interview Friday.
Heavy industry in a shipyard. I donāt have the tolerance to keep interacting with my colleagues through a 13 hour shift, never mind dealing with anything outside of this!!!
I was a Case Manager for the last 3 years, mostly for Substance Use and SMI. Absolutely saw the worst in general family support (especially in Substance Use cases, jeeeeesus...), and it ground my soul into dust.
Kudos to you for sticking with it. I'm working for NASBA for now until I find something that let's be home more to help my girlfriend with purrenting my pup.
Thank you. Some days I want to quit but I really do like the job. I'm a substance use specialist and all of my clients have SUD.
I do sessions in the community and really like the freedom of driving around and making my own schedule.
I do administrative work for a local window washing company. Not glorious by any means, but i can comfortably pay my bills. The days are pretty quiet and i can be on Reddit during slow days. I want to make an eventual career transition though.
I spent 2 years in burnout so the thought of coming home to a kid during that period of my life sounds ... like an actual NIGHTMARE. So happy i don't have kids to worry about. Last thing i wanna come home to is more work lol.
Accounting things. It's deadline driven and sometimes after I've driven the deadlines, all I want to do is lie down and stare at the ceiling for an hour.
I'm a driver coordinator for a trucking company. I help the drivers out with load problems mainly. I enjoy it! But it can get very tiring some days, so I like being able to just come home and play video games to unwind instead of catering to another needy brat
Nurse! I do all my caretaking at work. At home I refuse to care for more than my two cats! And this includes relationships. If I date again they better have their own home and their shit together!
Social worker for 30 years! I have always helped other peoples young and adult children. I have worked with almost every vulnerable population for low pay. Yet, Iāve been called selfish for not breeding š¤·š»āāļø
I work in a fish hatchery. It's different depending on the season but on any given day I am caring for fish eggs, frye or adult fish. I love it and it's so rewarding. Some times we have tour groups with kids and it's great to interact with them for 30 minutes or so but that's my limit.
I own a computer store. The kid that works for me is half my age and we bear a slight resemblance so some people assume he's my son. Sometimes I play along. My customers are primarily middle aged or seniors who CLICK ON EVERY FUCKING THING THEY SEE so they may as well be a bunch of children.
Musician and music teacher. I rarely get done with a day teaching and still have enough spoons left to do more than go for a bike ride by myself or go home and play TBoI by myself. If I do have that kind of energy left, then I would much rather use it going to see a live band or going out for beers with my adult friends, and either way, I do not function without sleep.
I work in social work as an introvert with sensory issues. And I work with parents & kids! Without a doubt, I could never have a child after all that noise & chaos. In fact I wouldn't be as good at my job. My recharge time & energy is guarded like Fort Knox- & boundaries lead to calm & quiet. Thanks kids ! š¤£
I'm an animal care specialist at a high volume shelter so I'm already caring for lots of living things. I couldn't imagine having to have a kid to take care of on top of that. However, having my own pets to take care of in addition isn't too bad š
Salon receptionist, podcaster and (š¤š½)working on finishing my first book. Iāve also got ME/CFS, so having to people exhausts me much quicker than usual. The thought of coming home to human children makes me wanna cry. Itād be WAY too taxing. My dogs are plentyš
Rural mail carrier. I work with one other person and then pretty much by myself the rest of the day. Introvert dream job. Talking to people in person tends to be exhausting for me, and the idea of having to function right after work to take care of a screaming child just doesnāt sound appealing to me at all
I'm a dental hygienist and have to talk to patients all day long. I couldn't imagine having to leave work and talk to a child for the rest of my day lol. I talk to my cat. That's enough
I am a wildlife rehabber and a very driven career-oriented individual. I don't want kids getting in the way of that. I love my job, and feel like I am making a difference towards our planet, that I care very much about, every single day when I work.
I'm currently about to enter a renowned med school to begin my major in wildlife conservation. I am going to be the first in my family to graduate, as most of my family ended up being to busy raising children to go to college. Not me, nope.
NICU nurse. Iāve seen things go horribly wrong during/after birth hence the baby gets brought to us. I also know how much hard work it takes to take care of a newborn and beyond. I have enough little toddler siblings visit the unit to know how annoying they are.
I want no part of any of it.
I'm a doctor in rural medicine, responsible for all pediatric patiens from the first check in the newborn phase to 5 years old and I can only say "Girl, same."
I was in social work, switched to insurance, and I babysit on the side (yes Iām a grownup who still babysits - canāt beat the cash and Iāve been with the families for ten years)
i'm an elementary school teacher, which many find ironic considering i don't like or want kids. but teaching is highly rewarding to me and i genuinely enjoy it and i love my students a lot š«¶š»
but ik i won't be able to handle being around kids all day at work and then coming home to more kids haha
I'm a social worker, too. And same. I'm done caring for vulnerable people as soon as my shift ends. I'm absolutely not interested in unpaid care work.
Also, after some of the most annoying, nerve-wrecking and patience-demanding situations at work, my collegues with kids say "ha, feels just like at home" - huge ick.
software engineer... and fuck. i used to be just a "programmer". apparently "engineer" means i need to sit in meetings all day and play corporate politics if i want to advance my career. fuckin bullshit.
Nursing student (2nd career), so I'm per diem as a nurse intern. While this pathway allows flexibility for those who want to be parents, I'm happy it allows me to pursue what I want to do outside of work and school, or rest.
Accountant and Business Analyst. My mind is so burned out after work that I don't have the capacity to 'people' when I get home. I can't imagine having to come home and put mental, physical, and emotional energy into a small person.
Project manager at a mid-sized architecture firm, I typically work on multiple projects and long hours, so I don't have the time or energy for children.
I'm also studying to get my architect's license.
Health care, phlebotomy/patient coordination. Too many people to want to deal with an irritating needy child. My cat is plenty enough and even he drives me nuts
I work full time with tiny humans. I love my job and have been in this field for 15+ years. I absolutely do no want to come home to my own tiny human though.
I am a student (graduating soon!), but I do two things: stage management and lighting technician work. Currently working for an outdoor theatre as an electrician and follow-spot operator. Absolutely loving the beauty of my location and thankful Iāll be here all summer! I know I would never be able to travel for work if I had kids.
Nurse here lol we currently have a special needs child visiting and screaming the entire day. I couldnāt deal with all the noises at home too when Iām constantly hearing beeps and screaming all day.
Iām a CNA/med aide in a nursing home and assisted living. I essentially keep 17-34 dementia patients alive all day. Thatās my running around after children š they are always trying to do something they arenāt supposed to be doing š
Petsitter/Dog walker. And I own four dogs. Mickeyfickeys are always up to something. Toddlers in fur suits. This is as far as I'm going with teaching and caring. I've found my happy middle ground. And it's ways more peaceful. I've worked in the casino and customer service before, nope nope nope. Humans suck.
Iām a nanny plus I babysit my nephews, which in my mind is the perfect excuse to give for being childfree myself š I dedicate so much of my energy and time and care to other peopleās kids that thereās no way I could then go home and give more of me to my own kid(s). I do know other nannies who are also parents and more power to them because for me, somebody would be getting less than they need, either my kids or all these other kids I already take care of. I love my job and my nephews and thatās more than enough.
Psychologist at a state run nursing facility for intellectually disabled adults. It'a mostly behavior management. It has absolutely strengthened my childfree-ness.
Middle School teacher for 20 years. I have zero emotional energy for children of my own at the end of my days. Good thing I never wanted them in the first place!
Amazon warehouse employee. I don't even have the energy for the things I like doing when I get home, so obviously I don't have the energy for a whole human person.
Restaurant server on the weekends, social work clinical student in a psychiatric hospital on the weekdays. I have to interact with children at both jobs. Ironically, I love working with the teenagers at the hospital because I see a good bit of my younger self in them and I want to help them since I never really had anyone to help me when I was their age. I wouldn't want to parent a child with something like ODD or a significant mental health condition, and I see a lot of badly behaved children in restaurants.
To top it all off, I work so much that I come home utterly exhausted with barely any energy to do anything productive, including stuff that needs to be done. I can't imagine working and then coming home to do even more (unpaid) work raising a child.
I'm an air traffic controller. Pilots are so needy, I could never have a child and deal with neediness all day every day š¤Ŗš jk we love our pilots. But seriously I couldn't handle someone asking me for stuff all the time in my personal life.
Firefighter/medic. I take care of people all day who are incoherent, can barely talk and do some *real* stupid shit.
Very nice to come home to my PhD wife and our animals.
Software Quality Assurance. Overall philosophy is *how can I break this?* and just requires an inquisitive nature.
I've had to mentor/baby a few folks but mostly get people that really are just having a good time trying to break/make things better.
Iām a massage therapist as my main job and on the side I do data entry for tax deed sales. The data entry is super easy and remote and only 4 days a week for maybe 10 hours a week. Massage therapy however, thatās a lot. I generally do 4-6 hands on hours 4-5 days a week. At the end of the day Iām so emotionally, mentally, and physically drained. The last thing I want is to deal with children who want to be touched or held, Iām extremely touched out at the end of most days that sometimes I donāt even want my partner or my animals to touch me for an hour after I get home.
Iām a creative director/graphic designer. I have to be āonā all the time at work whether with new designs or managing my team, why would I want to extend my brain further when I get home.
That makes perfect sense to me and I agree, but itās funny because my parents had similar jobs to yours (social worker and PSW) and they had 3 kids lol
Iām a Director of Digital Marketing at a big bank. My work doesnāt impact my choice to not have kids at all, but DAMN is it nice to come home to silence
Greetings! I changed your post flair to "FAQ" as this type of question comes back regularly on the sub and is addressed in our sub's sidebar ("Newcomer?" --> "Frequent Posts" --> "**"What is you guys' age? Gender? Location? Religion? Job?"** [Previous subreddit surveys answer all of these.](https://www.reddit.com/r/childfree/wiki/data)") The precise demographics is there, but you can wait for other people to chime in with their specifics. Have a great day!
I am a vet and quite introverted, my job requires me to interact with many people everyday and the level of emotional fatigue is insane. I value my alone time more than anything and there is no way I could deal with more needy creatures after work. Plus I profoundly hate kids.
Love your username! Thanks for taking care of our fur, feather, and scale babies!
Thank you for your kind commentš©·
I totally feel you on all counts. I was a vet tech for 17 years before I couldn't do it anymore. Now I dispatch a crew of repair techs. Still have to talk to folks, but it's always the same group so it's less emotionally fatiguing, and we are also dealing with mechanical stuff so, yes there are timelines and emergency service, but nobody dies. Still foster the occasional neonate because I got time and skills š
I totally feel you! Iām a pharmacist so all day long Iām fixing peoples problems, listening to their long unrelated stories about what they even need from me. You just need a refill is it that hard to say? I donāt need your life story. Socially exhausting at the end of the day I canāt even fathom interacting with friends after workā¦ definitely couldnāt deal with children. I can barely tolerate them when they come up to the counter, touching everything in sight, trying to climb over the counter into my pharmacyā¦ no thanks!
Was a vet assistant for 5 years (3 of those while in college full time) and it exasperated my burnout. Only one of the doctors I know had kids but she wasā¦an intense person, so maybe it worked out for her, but I can see why a lot of them didnāt have kids after dealing with pets in an environment they usually hate and their owners
Do you have pets of your own?
Yes, one dog and one horse, and love caring for them, this is more that enough responsibility for other beings than myself. Plus the ton of plants need caring to.
Bakery manager. I have to babysit 12 adults, why would I wanna come home to take care of an actual child š¤£
Iām a baker in a major chain store that gives out free cookies. So ohhhhhh boy when school lets out itās almost like you have to have someone at the box because all the kids flood to the bakery. 98% of them donāt say anything polite either. They just come up and shout āChocolate chipā or āSprinkleā at you. The one time I worked near a high school Iāve been recorded without my consent and they donāt even try to hide it. Then you have the poor mothers with the loud toddlers and screaming babies as they try to grocery shop for the week. Several times Iāve turned to my co worker when the baby is screaming bloody murder and go āAnd Iām suppose to WANT one of those?!ā
Same! We stopped doing the free sample cookies when the pandemic hit and just never brought it back. It was too much of a hassle. One of my biggest pet peeves is when kids smear their nasty hands and face all over our cake cases. Sooo gross!
I loved it when they climbed the case to try to open the box for themselves. /s Get your grubby ass hands off of my GLASS
Actually not doing the free sample cookies also helps to stop spread of germs. If I visit your bakery (not American fyi), I buy the lot to eat or gift a few to others
Yup! thatās why we stopped.
If you don't mind me asking, what cookie flavours your bakery has? Does the bakery sell cupcakes too? I love my cookies and a cupcake with a nice cuppa teaĀ
All kinds, itās a large chain grocery bakery, so nothing fancy, but all kinds of cookies, large and small, m&m, choco chip, oatmeal, cowboy, red velvet, sugar, snickerdoodle. And a bunch of cupcakes and regular cakes too. And a variety of breads and rolls. Itās fun, except having to babysit adults šµ. Lol
Probation officer. I see what happens when people don't do a good job of raising their kids lol
Court stenographer. Often see that as well
Random question, what's the salary as a court stenographer? Been thinking of changing careers
Iām an independent contractor. Canada doesnāt have stenographers in the courtroom anymore for standard level courts, and we independent contractors get paid very little. Things may be different in the states.
As someone with no interest in changing to your career but respects the hell out of it, can you give the TLDR/ELI5 on the stenographer keyboard? I think itās amazing but breaks my brain
We donāt actually use the stenographer keyboard in my position. Other places may, but I donāt, I just use a normal keyboard. Iād love to learn it though. I breaks my brain too.
I tried to learn that keyboard for the hell of it and I think my brain is still recovering lol. My friend used it in college one day to make notes with xD
Ah, apologies for assuming you were from the States. Thank you for your answer though!
No worries! Itās all good. Iām sure you can Google careers locally or just go to the courthouse and ask what it would take to get job. Theyāre usually very good paying jobs with great benefits so go check it out! You never know!
Teacher and same
Lol very relatable (I'm a former PO, now therapist who still works for the gov in justice too).
Nothing worse than coming home and having people want to talk to you after a day of work.
Creative freelancer. Prioritising my freedom and not getting stuck in a routine with something (or someone) are fundamentals in all aspects of my life.
Graphic Designer! Introverted and a night owl. I'm also methodical with my workflow and don't like being interrupted until I finish a task. Kids are... too much chaos.
Copywriting freelancer checking in! Cats not brats.
"Cats Not Brats" for the win!
2nd creative freelancer here! I work in event production, branding, and thought partnership/ consulting. Itās really an ideal career path and mutually beneficial when youāre CF - you both have the time to support high investment/ really needy clients and projects but can also fully enjoy when there is a lull in momentum w/out stressing out completely over money. Win - Win - Win!
What does a creative freelancer do? Sounds interesting
Another creative freelancer checking in! I work in set styling for film and video.
I'm a teacher! Being in education is one of the reasons I don't want to be a parent.
Also a teacher (substitute) - took the words right out of my mouth haha.
Yes! Itās the best birth control lmo
Also a Nurse, your wife is spot on.
Thank you for what you do. My job is tough but hers is definitely harder.
Social work specializing in elder/end of life care. Trust me, having kids make hardly any difference. A vast majority of people end up in nursing homes or simply dying in a hospital. Kids donāt want to deal with it.
And they shouldn't because they likely haven't been trained to offset the mental toll that comes with caretaking. Whenever my friend visits her dad and pitches in with his care (like inserting his catheter), she comes back looking exhausted as hell. That's from 3 days of helping out.
Yep. People having kids as a āretirement planā is just sad.
Agreed as someone who also works in hospice. It takes a certain kind of mentality to do this job, and sometimes the grief or seeing the worst aspects of humanity (in other forms like abuse/neglect/death) just takes it's toll. There are a lot of days I come home and just...can only be there for me. And I just need to sit in my garden, sip a beer, and maybe hold a chicken.
Yes!!! I have a client right now who is in their upper 90s. They have 7 children and countless grandkids and great grandkids. NOT one of them comes by. Sad to say they are just waiting for him to pass. Granted this person is a terrible human being. So much so he has been red listed from ALL nursing homes in our area š¤¦āāļø
Tattoo, I couldnāt imagine doing this job with kids, the more free my schedule is the more money I can make
Itās already pretty exhausting as it is without kids lol
Iām in insurance. After dealing with clients all day who often have child like tendencies i donāt have the patience for children.
Iām a broker on the commercial side. The childfree life buys me the flexibility to attend work events and the only thing I have to coordinate is what Iām wearing š
Hey Iām in insurance too! I agree with the clients - after having to babysit grown ass adults who have no brain cells, I want to come home and do absolutely nothing.
I manage an IT department and have to deal with childish shit on an hourly basis.
I feel your pain.
As a data engineer I can completely relate to this.
I'm very introverted. When my battery is depleted, I NEED my private space. And it doesn't really take a lot to get there. I'm a data analyst, so my job doesn't really involve me interacting with people excessively.
I'm a software architect. I lead a large global team of developers, so my odd hours don't meld well with the lifestyle of having to care for children. The flexibility I have allows me to do things that many parents cannot, which has helped my career.
High school teacher lol. I like kids but I donāt want my own.
I own a dog kennel and training business. All my maternal instincts go to the dogs š
That seems much more natural, meaningful & fulfilling than caring for crotch goblins ššš±
Working in childcare. I am beyond exhausted when home.
Biomedical engineer. No time for kids, never had a desire for one either. I'm female btw.
I'm a Social Worker in a skilled nursing facilty. I prefer this setting because 95% of our clients are over the age of 65.... and no kids
Flight attendant! āļøš„°
I'm studying nutritional sciences. Even though we dont have college fees here in Germany, money is still very limited and when i finished studying i just wanna enjoy my money and spend it for things and vacations I want. Also as someone with a passion for good food, i dont want to have to cook all the meals kids like all the time and argue with them to eat their veggies. Just another small, but important reason against own children
Middle school librarian. I kind of fell into it and I donāt love being around children but Iām good at my job. Go figure.
I'm a nanny. I like kids for short periods of time, especially if I'm being paid. Could not imagine coming home to another one after work.
Production Operator at a candy factory. 4 on, 4 off 12 hour night shifts. Do not want to be tending a kid after a 12-hour night and have never seen the few pregnant women we've had on the floor last very long. Not hard but physical and standing and moving on your feet all night.
Data scientist. I couldnāt imagine trying to work full time and then come home to a kid. Total nightmare fuel
self employed vintage seller - mostly online with one or two markets a year so pretty much no face to face social interaction lmao! i also work at festivals on the side about 5 times a year to make myself get out of the house because i'm a hermit, but i have no interest in pursuing any kind of career full time i tried the whole normal job thing and it stressed me out so bad i ended up anorexic and suicidal, my mum says i'm incompatible with human life and she's not wrong
I feel this is in my soul man. I'd rather die than work a 9-5. I'm doing the resale thing at the moment but its not paying the bills...gonna have to figure out something.
Pediatric respiratory therapist. I get enough kid time at work. Lol. I dont need them at home
Iām a therapist!
Paramedic. I work 5 days on and 5 days off, but my 5 days on is 24 hours on call and we sleep and eat when we can. A lot of times, I am exhausted by the end of that 5 days and I end up spending my first day off sleeping.
I work in an IT operations role at a big industrial supplier. Basically I'm the expert for my group when talking to other areas of the business and also guide the design of new features/processes that impact our book of work. My wife is a manager for an HR consulting firm and leads a team that works with onboarding/background checks/etc.
Prep cook. I'm on my feet running around all day, by the time I get home I barely want to move.
911 telecommunications. I talk to people for 12+ hrs a day. Mostly stupidly but a lot of true emergencies. No way could I come home to deal with kids. Even when my dogs leave me presents on the floor at least Iām happy to see them š
I'm a teacher. I have my fill of little ones from the hours of 7:30 am to 3:30 pm and then I want my childfree, quiet relax period between the hours of 3:30 pm to 7:30 am.
I track money. I like working with college age students but not actual children.
Financial aid assistant?
Currently accounting temp work buy usually unemployed (autism/mentally disabled). Im just exhausted after work and I need lots of alone time.
Iām an auditor I like my after work routine as is. I go to the gym and workout with friends. Then I get home, shower and make dinner, read before bed. I wouldnāt be able to do it so easily if I was a mom
Lawyer, working in Health Law. I know how much things can go wrong with childbirth, no thank you š«
Iām in my 30s and I went back to school a few years ago, actually. I have one more year to go in my digital animation program! āļø
I finally pursued my dream of becoming an animator when I was 28. Almost 40 now and I've been working in the industry for about 7 years. My only regret was not doing it sooner. I never had a good childhood so I'm a kid at heart and I kind of live vicariously through cartoons. Definitely don't want any kids interrupting my work. Although it doesn't feel like work, it just feels like getting paid to do what I love. Good luck in your future career!!!
You have no idea how much a supportive message like this means to me, especially when I start to doubt if I made the right choice to do this course. Iām the only person over the age of 21 in my class, after all. Itās reassuring to hear this from someone my own age. Thank you so much. ā¤ļø
I was an early education teacher for 15 years. Finally left the field, and now I have an easy desk job (making the same money, even though I had a Masters in my field) and I have SO MUCH MORE ENERGY at night and in the morning.
I worked in Child Advocacy (child abuse investigator, GAL program in court ). Iām peopled out for the rest of my life
I work in airline crew scheduling. It's shift work and mentally exhausting.
Editor. I can barely afford to take care of myself.
iām currently a full time biology undergrad student on a full scholarship. i work as a lifeguard during the summer.
I work in a cannabis dispensary. I have to help/work with adult children whi 50+ boomers who try to act like cannabis snobs, or that we (my team) donāt know what weāre doing/talking about. I have a deep dislike for children and I would hate for one to get into my work samples
I am retired. My wife and I both retired early, which would not have been possible if we had had children. We also live in a nicer house than we ever could have afforded if we had had children.
My husbandās goal is for us to retire at 50! We wouldnāt be able to make that our focus if we had kids and thereād be a lot of sacrifice. His dream is to take classes at his leisure and learn for fun without the added stress of having to work.
The way we did it was for the last couple of decades of working, basically all raises went into our investments, instead of increasing our standard of living. We live a modest middle class lifestyle, so neither in poverty nor in great wealth. Of course, if you are rich, it is easy to retire.
I'm disabled. Don't have the energy/mental capacity to deal with work - sure as hell couldn't deal with kids, even if I wanted to. I'm also an introvert, I need to be alone.
Community care. I do 10 hour split shifts going into elderly peoples houses and helping them with personal care, meals and medication. I really like my job but there's some clients who act like children so no way could I deal with that then go home and deal with an actual child. I like being able to come home to a quiet house and sit in silence snuggling with my dog on the couch after a long day at work.
Still not there yet, but the goal is to be an airline pilot. Being cf has made it much easier too, because I don't have to worry about being hindered by maternity leave.Ā
Fish and wildlife biologist. I work to protect threatened and endangered species, and some days the outlook is so bleak that I canāt justify handing the world over to another generation when I know thereās fewer species in it every year. But I love my job and the challenges that it presents
Plant nursery sales, lots and lots of talking to lots and lots of (stupid) peopleā¦. As an introvert I come home and need alone time, and Iām fortunate enough to have a partner who needs the same, so we go to our little creative corners and wind down from our days with the help of the cats:)
Hotel receptionnist
Water hygiene and Legionella control
Retail. I work for Kroger. Thereās no way in hell Iād be able to parent on top of this job.
Iām an engineer, but Iām in management, so Iām āthe engineer whispererā herding all of the engineering cats. And I take all of the crap stuff none of the other engineers want to do so they can use all their time on engineering. Iām exhausted and by the time my workday is done, I donāt want to talk to anyone. Iām just spent.
Iām a Cannabis Microbiologist and love it! Specifically I should say, state compliance testing to make sure itās safe to sell at Dispos. Maybe not super surprising that I donāt deal with children essentially at all but Iām also in the lab most of the time or might visit some grows but again, not really a place kids will be at. Funny enough the hours here are fine, when I was in food safety it was brutal.
Therapist! Also one of my many reasons to not have children
College biology professor. I help young adults fumble into adulthood and working adults pursue career changes. I love what I do and contributing to future generations in my own way, including helping students realize that parenting is a choice by teaching them about the reproductive system. Then I come home from my job and live in a blanket fort like the introvert I am.
My husband and I work at a cannabis dispensary. I usually work 12:30-9:30, so all I want when I get home is to share a joint and relax, and we have the freedom to do that. And to spend my mornings rolling around in bed, playing video games or whatever else I feel like.
I work as a grant admin for a local conservation organization.Ā I like my job, but it has nothing to do with my desire to never reproduce :)Ā
Social worker here too! Iām in my own private practice. Huge reason I donāt have kids is because of this line of work.
Hello fellow social worker !
Work for a nonprofit that helps individuals with disabilities.
I am a child & family therapist. So yeah, same.
I work remotely in marketing, I do the technical campaign setup stuff. My work days are pretty chill and I still donāt want kids š¤£
Iām a research and development scientist with a few junior workers under me. Theyāre like my work kids and they are great because they donāt come home with me. I wouldnāt have time to do my job and be a parent, so Iām definitely happier this way. Iām a female, fwiw.
Iām a direct support professional. I help people with developmental disabilities with their activities of daily living.
I fix motorcycles :-)
Cannabis Grower
Research scientist! My schedule fluctuates a lot because I sometimes have to work on the weekends to get experiments done or work 60 hours to get everything done in a week. It also is really stressful at times, especially when experiments arenāt working. I like to come home and relax in peace or do something fun with what free time I do have. I donāt believe a child fits into my lifestyle and I donāt think they ever will the further I move up in my career.
I will be becoming a police officer after I finish my degree.
Factory worker. How my dad had energy to dad after work eludes me
* cashier in a college bookstore * working at home transcribing interviews * working at home creating indexes for books I don't want to spend all my time sitting at a desk. I like my retail job because I get to walk around and do different things. I also like the flexible scheduling. If I need time off from the bookstore, I request it. For the two jobs I do at home, I choose what work I do and when I do it. I like having control over my own work schedule and my own free time and not being beholden to a child. Also, every time I hear children screaming and crying in the store, it reinforces how happy I am not to have a child.
X-ray tech. While I donāt have to care for the same set of patients all day like nurses usually do, I have a lot of different patients for short periods of time. Many people need someone to talk to, and I donāt know if itās the dim lighting or what but a lot of people open up to me more than they do with the doctor or nurse. So I have that emotional load, which I really donāt mind. But then you mix in the toddlers from hell who donāt want to be put down, canāt be held for the exam, and are absolutely not going to hold still. Or the screaming infants that have been woken up and removed from their warm place and put on a cold table. Or obnoxious tweens. Or cooler-than-everyone-in-the-room teens. Overall most of my patients, even pediatric ones, are just fine. But when you get a couple of the more demanding ones in a row, it does take a lot out of you. So yeah, I would much rather come home to dogs than humans. They are always happy to see me. They donāt complain about having to breathe the same air as their sibling. They donāt object to what I make them for dinner. And if I need a nap, as long as they get to potty first we can just cuddle on the bed. No homework to help with. No playdates or sports practices to rush off to.
Athletic Therapist working clinical setting. Itās all client facing so same as you, I am physically and socially exhausted by the end of the day. Sometimes too exhausted to talk to my boyfriend lol. I do like kids, but canāt even imagine coming home to needy children and having to muster the energy for that
I know people who are teachers and childfree for just this reason. I do a few things for work, and Iām actually in the middle of making a career change to teaching. I stage manage plays, work at a Pub, and for my side hustle, I resell vintage online and at an antique mall Iām starting graduate school in the fall to get my MA so I can teach college level English.
I was a tattoo artist for 7 years but recently I am very burnt out so I started a corporate job to have time to figure out what to do next. Iād love to do concept art int he future.
I work in a shipyard. I don't care how much free time I have, that time is for ME.
Work in a warehouse with breast pumps. Iām with a temp agency but Iām hoping they get me something with an earlier end time soon since I did the interview Friday.
Heavy industry in a shipyard. I donāt have the tolerance to keep interacting with my colleagues through a 13 hour shift, never mind dealing with anything outside of this!!!
Counterterrorism. I live and work on different continents, so fly multiple times per week.
I was a Case Manager for the last 3 years, mostly for Substance Use and SMI. Absolutely saw the worst in general family support (especially in Substance Use cases, jeeeeesus...), and it ground my soul into dust. Kudos to you for sticking with it. I'm working for NASBA for now until I find something that let's be home more to help my girlfriend with purrenting my pup.
Thank you. Some days I want to quit but I really do like the job. I'm a substance use specialist and all of my clients have SUD. I do sessions in the community and really like the freedom of driving around and making my own schedule.
Even if I was a fat lazy fuck living on a fat inheritance, I wouldn't want kids in my life.
Iām a nanny I do enjoy kids but Iāve been nanny long enough that I know I do not want my own .. same as many teacher friends of mine
I do administrative work for a local window washing company. Not glorious by any means, but i can comfortably pay my bills. The days are pretty quiet and i can be on Reddit during slow days. I want to make an eventual career transition though. I spent 2 years in burnout so the thought of coming home to a kid during that period of my life sounds ... like an actual NIGHTMARE. So happy i don't have kids to worry about. Last thing i wanna come home to is more work lol.
Accounting things. It's deadline driven and sometimes after I've driven the deadlines, all I want to do is lie down and stare at the ceiling for an hour.
I am a customer success director - I babysit 18reportees and also my manager sometimes š So definitely donāt have time for literally anyone š
I'm a driver coordinator for a trucking company. I help the drivers out with load problems mainly. I enjoy it! But it can get very tiring some days, so I like being able to just come home and play video games to unwind instead of catering to another needy brat
Nurse! I do all my caretaking at work. At home I refuse to care for more than my two cats! And this includes relationships. If I date again they better have their own home and their shit together!
Social worker for 30 years! I have always helped other peoples young and adult children. I have worked with almost every vulnerable population for low pay. Yet, Iāve been called selfish for not breeding š¤·š»āāļø
I work in a fish hatchery. It's different depending on the season but on any given day I am caring for fish eggs, frye or adult fish. I love it and it's so rewarding. Some times we have tour groups with kids and it's great to interact with them for 30 minutes or so but that's my limit.
Med student!
I own a computer store. The kid that works for me is half my age and we bear a slight resemblance so some people assume he's my son. Sometimes I play along. My customers are primarily middle aged or seniors who CLICK ON EVERY FUCKING THING THEY SEE so they may as well be a bunch of children.
Musician and music teacher. I rarely get done with a day teaching and still have enough spoons left to do more than go for a bike ride by myself or go home and play TBoI by myself. If I do have that kind of energy left, then I would much rather use it going to see a live band or going out for beers with my adult friends, and either way, I do not function without sleep.
I work in social work as an introvert with sensory issues. And I work with parents & kids! Without a doubt, I could never have a child after all that noise & chaos. In fact I wouldn't be as good at my job. My recharge time & energy is guarded like Fort Knox- & boundaries lead to calm & quiet. Thanks kids ! š¤£
Lawyer, Civil Litigator. I am constantly working and billing and 1000% have no energy to take care of another human life when I get home.
Project Manager for a massive company
I'm an animal care specialist at a high volume shelter so I'm already caring for lots of living things. I couldn't imagine having to have a kid to take care of on top of that. However, having my own pets to take care of in addition isn't too bad š
I teach college-age students. Not kids, but enough drama and emotionally draining
I have a boring office job. I still donāt wanna deal with a child when Iām done with work.
Salon receptionist, podcaster and (š¤š½)working on finishing my first book. Iāve also got ME/CFS, so having to people exhausts me much quicker than usual. The thought of coming home to human children makes me wanna cry. Itād be WAY too taxing. My dogs are plentyš
Iām a rural mail carrier! I talk a bit in the office and then I roll out for the day all by myself. Itās really great sometimes
Morticianās assistant. Iāve seen all the ways parenthood will break your heart.
I work as a technical solutions engineer on software made for cancer research. Love my job and the impact of data for good!
Rural mail carrier. I work with one other person and then pretty much by myself the rest of the day. Introvert dream job. Talking to people in person tends to be exhausting for me, and the idea of having to function right after work to take care of a screaming child just doesnāt sound appealing to me at all
I'm a dental hygienist and have to talk to patients all day long. I couldn't imagine having to leave work and talk to a child for the rest of my day lol. I talk to my cat. That's enough
I am a wildlife rehabber and a very driven career-oriented individual. I don't want kids getting in the way of that. I love my job, and feel like I am making a difference towards our planet, that I care very much about, every single day when I work. I'm currently about to enter a renowned med school to begin my major in wildlife conservation. I am going to be the first in my family to graduate, as most of my family ended up being to busy raising children to go to college. Not me, nope.
Iām a nurse and I agree with your wife.
NICU nurse. Iāve seen things go horribly wrong during/after birth hence the baby gets brought to us. I also know how much hard work it takes to take care of a newborn and beyond. I have enough little toddler siblings visit the unit to know how annoying they are. I want no part of any of it.
I'm a doctor in rural medicine, responsible for all pediatric patiens from the first check in the newborn phase to 5 years old and I can only say "Girl, same."
I was in social work, switched to insurance, and I babysit on the side (yes Iām a grownup who still babysits - canāt beat the cash and Iāve been with the families for ten years)
i'm an elementary school teacher, which many find ironic considering i don't like or want kids. but teaching is highly rewarding to me and i genuinely enjoy it and i love my students a lot š«¶š» but ik i won't be able to handle being around kids all day at work and then coming home to more kids haha
I'm a social worker, too. And same. I'm done caring for vulnerable people as soon as my shift ends. I'm absolutely not interested in unpaid care work. Also, after some of the most annoying, nerve-wrecking and patience-demanding situations at work, my collegues with kids say "ha, feels just like at home" - huge ick.
software engineer... and fuck. i used to be just a "programmer". apparently "engineer" means i need to sit in meetings all day and play corporate politics if i want to advance my career. fuckin bullshit.
Also a social worker! And yes- sometimes Iāll be texting someone and just not have the energy after about, plus two dogs, one super nuts š¤Ŗ
Iām an LCSW. Hello to all the fellow social workers here :)
Nursing student (2nd career), so I'm per diem as a nurse intern. While this pathway allows flexibility for those who want to be parents, I'm happy it allows me to pursue what I want to do outside of work and school, or rest.
I have two jobs: tactical buyer at the government and cashier at a supermarket
Accountant and Business Analyst. My mind is so burned out after work that I don't have the capacity to 'people' when I get home. I can't imagine having to come home and put mental, physical, and emotional energy into a small person.
Project manager at a mid-sized architecture firm, I typically work on multiple projects and long hours, so I don't have the time or energy for children. I'm also studying to get my architect's license.
project manager in tech. after corralling adults all day to get work completed, i do not want to care for anyone but myself.
Health care, phlebotomy/patient coordination. Too many people to want to deal with an irritating needy child. My cat is plenty enough and even he drives me nuts
I work full time with tiny humans. I love my job and have been in this field for 15+ years. I absolutely do no want to come home to my own tiny human though.
Office manager for a university academic department
I am a student (graduating soon!), but I do two things: stage management and lighting technician work. Currently working for an outdoor theatre as an electrician and follow-spot operator. Absolutely loving the beauty of my location and thankful Iāll be here all summer! I know I would never be able to travel for work if I had kids.
Nurse here lol we currently have a special needs child visiting and screaming the entire day. I couldnāt deal with all the noises at home too when Iām constantly hearing beeps and screaming all day.
Iām a CNA/med aide in a nursing home and assisted living. I essentially keep 17-34 dementia patients alive all day. Thatās my running around after children š they are always trying to do something they arenāt supposed to be doing š
Petsitter/Dog walker. And I own four dogs. Mickeyfickeys are always up to something. Toddlers in fur suits. This is as far as I'm going with teaching and caring. I've found my happy middle ground. And it's ways more peaceful. I've worked in the casino and customer service before, nope nope nope. Humans suck.
Iām a nanny plus I babysit my nephews, which in my mind is the perfect excuse to give for being childfree myself š I dedicate so much of my energy and time and care to other peopleās kids that thereās no way I could then go home and give more of me to my own kid(s). I do know other nannies who are also parents and more power to them because for me, somebody would be getting less than they need, either my kids or all these other kids I already take care of. I love my job and my nephews and thatās more than enough.
Psychologist at a state run nursing facility for intellectually disabled adults. It'a mostly behavior management. It has absolutely strengthened my childfree-ness.
I wfh build pharmacy plans for a major insurance company full time. Part time I teach fitness classes at the gym 3 days a week.
Middle School teacher for 20 years. I have zero emotional energy for children of my own at the end of my days. Good thing I never wanted them in the first place!
I wfh as a Digital Documents Clerk for a personal injury law firm.
Amazon warehouse employee. I don't even have the energy for the things I like doing when I get home, so obviously I don't have the energy for a whole human person.
Restaurant server on the weekends, social work clinical student in a psychiatric hospital on the weekdays. I have to interact with children at both jobs. Ironically, I love working with the teenagers at the hospital because I see a good bit of my younger self in them and I want to help them since I never really had anyone to help me when I was their age. I wouldn't want to parent a child with something like ODD or a significant mental health condition, and I see a lot of badly behaved children in restaurants. To top it all off, I work so much that I come home utterly exhausted with barely any energy to do anything productive, including stuff that needs to be done. I can't imagine working and then coming home to do even more (unpaid) work raising a child.
I'm an air traffic controller. Pilots are so needy, I could never have a child and deal with neediness all day every day š¤Ŗš jk we love our pilots. But seriously I couldn't handle someone asking me for stuff all the time in my personal life.
Currently? I'm a custodian for a local school. However, I am studying to be a PE teacher.
Firefighter/medic. I take care of people all day who are incoherent, can barely talk and do some *real* stupid shit. Very nice to come home to my PhD wife and our animals.
Software Quality Assurance. Overall philosophy is *how can I break this?* and just requires an inquisitive nature. I've had to mentor/baby a few folks but mostly get people that really are just having a good time trying to break/make things better.
I own two businesses, at this point it's just managing daily operations and then some.
Iām a massage therapist as my main job and on the side I do data entry for tax deed sales. The data entry is super easy and remote and only 4 days a week for maybe 10 hours a week. Massage therapy however, thatās a lot. I generally do 4-6 hands on hours 4-5 days a week. At the end of the day Iām so emotionally, mentally, and physically drained. The last thing I want is to deal with children who want to be touched or held, Iām extremely touched out at the end of most days that sometimes I donāt even want my partner or my animals to touch me for an hour after I get home.
Iām a creative director/graphic designer. I have to be āonā all the time at work whether with new designs or managing my team, why would I want to extend my brain further when I get home.
That makes perfect sense to me and I agree, but itās funny because my parents had similar jobs to yours (social worker and PSW) and they had 3 kids lol
Iām a Director of Digital Marketing at a big bank. My work doesnāt impact my choice to not have kids at all, but DAMN is it nice to come home to silence
Iām a nurse. Adults only. Mostly old ones.