this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2024
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politics

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[–] [email protected] 85 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (6 children)

Some of us find fulfillment in life without having to fill our emptiness with children, having change forced upon us. Some of us are perfectly capable whole human beings capable of bringing change into our lives at our own pace.

And some of us just don't like children and the life experience they bring.

I'm 56, Cis SWM, my home is paid in full, my car is paid in full, I'm debt free, and my monthly bills (minus food) are $400/month and I retired from being an FTE last year. I still do some contract work here and there, mostly just for fun and to stay active in the Infosec space.

It's fucking LOVELY

[–] [email protected] 32 points 3 months ago (3 children)

and the life experience they bring.

Preach. Some of us took care of our younger siblings when we were teenagers and that opened our eyes to how shit kids can be.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I babysat my cousin’s 3 kids under 5 for the year I lived in their basement (free rent trade)

And above all the noise and hassle and all, the day I knew kids definitely weren’t for me.. was the day the parents went out for one of their “be home tomorrow, probably” nights, knowing full well at least one of the kids had the flu.

It ended up being all three of them. All I did all night was give baths, sooth crying, change bedding, and clean up vomit.

I managed to keep them alive and relatively comfortable, but I don’t ever want to do anything even close to that ever again.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

For me it was opening a door finding my sister, her crib, and every surface in her room covered in shit. I cleaned her up but closed the door to her room and left the rest to the parental units and said 'never again'.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I've had 3x nephews over for several days in a row, more than once. Oh god no thanks I won't have children of my own. Was sure of it already as a teen long before that, have not changed my mind since.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago

Or took care of our older siblings children.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago

Shout out to all my fellow latchkey/free babysitter folks out there. I still resent that I never had a "real" summer vacation growing up.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago

Yeah, societal pressure to have children is ridiculous; I figured that I never felt any kind of desire to have a kid and that should be reason enough to not have one.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago

I'm married, 48, don't have kids and never wanted them. It's great, no regrets.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

My mom is REALLY hoping that I have children and can't accept that she'll never be a grandmother. Best I can give her is animals

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

I’m very close to you but I did get married in my late 40’s and my wife was mid-40’s. Neither of us ever wanted kids, nor had either of us ever considered marriage until we met each other. The marriage is more about dealing with elderly parents, insurance, shared assets like our home, etc. than anything else.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 months ago

Going against the grain is tough. As long as no one is hurt, you and I don't care for not conforming. But the reality is that others don't care what we care, and relish in putting down those who do not conform. But as Albert Camus said: "if you can't win, resist."