Do you want to have kids?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Active dislike for children is one of those animuses that should be critically examined a lot more than it is.

What about a second side of the coin: "ZOMGZ I LOVE BABIES! THEY ARE SO CUTE AND I JUST LOVE THEM!"? Doesn't sound very healthy either.

[muon2]

Active dislike for children is one of those animuses that should be critically examined a lot more than it is.

What about a second side of the coin: "ZOMGZ I LOVE BABIES! THEY ARE SO CUTE AND I JUST LOVE THEM!"? Doesn't sound very healthy either.

From the point of view of evolutionary biology and species survival that sounds extremely healthy.

[DC Al Fine]

Active dislike for children is one of those animuses that should be critically examined a lot more than it is.

What about a second side of the coin: "ZOMGZ I LOVE BABIES! THEY ARE SO CUTE AND I JUST LOVE THEM!"? Doesn't sound very healthy either.

From the point of view of evolutionary biology and species survival that sounds extremely healthy.

That's what I've always found puzzling about not liking children. It seems roughly equivalent to actively disliking food, especially among women. I wonder what causes the dislike to crop up. I mean, obviously people who like kids would tend to have more. Maybe its something to do with modernity?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Other than that, it's kind of like what one of the interviewees stated in the article: I think kids are at their best when they're quiet, humble, and intelligent.  You don't get that combination much at all, unfortunately.

Ugh, is it really too much to ask to leave people alone and let them be whatever they want to be for at least a couple years in their lives? Don't worry, they'll learn soon enough that they have to turn into emotionless, disciplined, productive machines and renounce to everything that made them happy in order to survive in the world. Being quiet, humble and intelligent defeats the whole point of childhood.

[Mr. Morden]

A friend of mine shared this on FB a few days ago, and seems very relevant to post here:

http://www.therooster.com/blog/10-brutally-real-reasons-why-millennials-refuse-have-kids

Why do millennials think their problems are so unique?

I lol'ed at the part of that article where they talk about how the world is terrible now because of things like terrorism.  I mean, 30+ year ago, there was the very real prospect of the entire planet being destroyed by nuclear war.  And now we're freaking out about terrorism?  Sheesh.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

i have 1.  No regrets at all.  A fine young lady she turned out to be.

[Hatman 🍁]

Of course, having had one child, I do not want any more.. at least not for another 15 years.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Active dislike for children is one of those animuses that should be critically examined a lot more than it is.

What about a second side of the coin: "ZOMGZ I LOVE BABIES! THEY ARE SO CUTE AND I JUST LOVE THEM!"? Doesn't sound very healthy either.

I don't think that's equivalently bad at all, no.

I mean, another part of the reason why I'm not sure kids are in the cards for me is that they do sort of alarm and stymie me and I'm never quite sure how to talk to them or what to talk to them about, but I see that as my problem.

[JerryArkansas]

Yes and no, not biological kids, but I would love to adopt when I am settled down.

[RFayette]

Active dislike for children is one of those animuses that should be critically examined a lot more than it is.

Even though I don't have any desire to have children, I agree with this sentiment. I don't actively dislike children in general, and I've found it odd how widespread child hatred is on the internet.

I don't dislike children, I just dislike how most people raise them. The ones who haven't been weaned on television, junk food, violence, and competitive sports tend not to be so bad.

What's wrong with competitive sports as a kid?  Better than the uncompetitive, "give everyone a trophy" mentality that turns people into a bunch of wusses.  Competition is good and should be encouraged more among children, not less.

As far as violence is concerned, what do you mean by that?  If you're talking about kids getting into fistfights and actual physical violence, that's bad, but in many communities that is pretty rare.

[KingSweden]

At some point, yeah.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

People shouldn't need to be 'coerced' into having, at the very least, a neutral or mixed opinion of the young of their own kind. Practically everything bad that people say about kids is also, to varying extents, true of the elderly, and it's not socially acceptable or cute or chic to hate them.

I disagree; I think that the elderly are heavily stigmatized and outright excluded from social life in a way that we wouldn't even consider applying to children.

On further thought I'd agree with this.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I haven't seen this, at least not to the nearly extent that I have with children, but I'm not surprised that it exists.

In both cases it's unacceptable.

[SATW]

For the record, I think I'd be a good parent and I like kids. I just don't want to start a family or get married.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Yes.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Yes.

In the name of all humanity Wulfric should be precluded from procreating.

[windjammer]

Of course I want.

Apparently I will have 3 kids which is fine for me.

Hopefully that will happen, it's basically the goal of my life.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

A friend of mine shared this on FB a few days ago, and seems very relevant to post here:

http://www.therooster.com/blog/10-brutally-real-reasons-why-millennials-refuse-have-kids

You must be logged in to read this quote.

r.i.p. human race.

for me, yes, very much.

[Clark Kent]

Not right now. Give it about 5-10 years and we'll see how I'm doing.

[afleitch]

Yes.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I have no plans for the future other than catching my white whale so can't answer the question. But would echo that this is a sad thread; people have a right to make their own decisions about their own lives (of course!) but children are wonderful and I don't understand why some people dislike them.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Oh on the sport question the main thing is that ball sports are played. Excellent for development in all kinds of areas and there are so many...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Also, disliking children--children specifically--because one is 'an antinatalist' just strikes me as facially absurd. Everybody has, at some point or another, been born, and none of us had a choice in the matter.

It often (not always but often) comes across as very creepy. Jimmy Savile always said he disliked children, I note, something that really ought to have set off alarm bells given occupation but the 1970s etc...

[Figueira]

Active dislike for children is one of those animuses that should be critically examined a lot more than it is.

What about a second side of the coin: "ZOMGZ I LOVE BABIES! THEY ARE SO CUTE AND I JUST LOVE THEM!"? Doesn't sound very healthy either.

I don't think that's equivalently bad at all, no.

I mean, another part of the reason why I'm not sure kids are in the cards for me is that they do sort of alarm and stymie me and I'm never quite sure how to talk to them or what to talk to them about, but I see that as my problem.

Huh, I'm not the only one who has that weird social awkwardness around children.

Anyway, I agree with all your posts in this thread.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Active dislike for children is one of those animuses that should be critically examined a lot more than it is.

What about a second side of the coin: "ZOMGZ I LOVE BABIES! THEY ARE SO CUTE AND I JUST LOVE THEM!"? Doesn't sound very healthy either.

I don't think that's equivalently bad at all, no.

I mean, another part of the reason why I'm not sure kids are in the cards for me is that they do sort of alarm and stymie me and I'm never quite sure how to talk to them or what to talk to them about, but I see that as my problem.

Huh, I'm not the only one who has that weird social awkwardness around children.

Anyway, I agree with all your posts in this thread.

Ditto on both counts.

[Leinad]

Most likely, but not anytime soon.

I'm definitely not in the "not liking kids" camp. Sometimes I feel awkward around them, but I feel awkward around anything that moves.