BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids List of Reasons for Not Having Children

16) I love my career. Mat leave would work but, I can't justify having someone else (daycare) raise the child for us. 17)Babies are cute, obnoxious ill beahved children are not.

First let me say I just found this forum and I am SO relieved that others feel the way I do. My best friend and I are the last ones of our friends and even our husbands friends not to have children. When either of us respond with "I just don't want to have children" this look goes over their faces as if I just admitted I was the unibomber. When meeting new women they'll ask "any kids?" and when I say no the woman usually finds someone else to talk to. I don't have the damn plague, I just don't have kids. My husband wants kids but can't come up with a reason why. Why should I have to get fat, change diapers, carpool and god forbid drive a minivan? Sure I'll work 40hours + a week at work, pick up the baby at that the sitters, run home to cook, bath the baby, clean the house and do laundry and then do it all the next day.. NO WAY! I like house and my life just the way it is, orderly and I know what to expect. So thank you to all for making me feel like I'm not the only one out there who isn't procrating!!!

17. I enjoy discussing politics and the news, not just what little suzy did the other day that was "sooo cute" and that billy just went pee pee in the poddy.

I like to keep my options open, and be able to change my mnd about stuff, without it affecting anyone else

I like to sleep in on weekends! Also, I can lock my ferrets in their cage when I have stuff to do and I don't want them underfoot (they're more curious than a bunch of kittens). You can't do that with kids!

Ah, I say something similar about weekend trips... when I want to go away for a short trip, I just fill up a giant food dish and put out an extra water dish for the cats, and away we go! You can't do that with kids either!

18. Children cost too much. Where I live it's hard enough to support 2 people in a good lifestyle with two large incomes. We simply couldn't afford to have a child, provide for it fiancially and still have the lifestyle we are used to and would want for our child. I'm simply not willing to compromise my lifestyle (especially given my reason #22). I only get one life; it's my choice how I want to spend it.

19. I'm marrying my BF to spend my life with him, not for any children that he could provide me with.

20. I've worked hard in university to achieve what I have, and between that and my job (and in the future my career) I don't see how I would have time for my job/career and still give my children the attention and time they deserve. (Let alone have time for my marriage or for "me time"!) I would have to rely on babysitters/nannies and, to me, why bother having a child if you're not going to be there to raise it? (I'm also not too comfortable with someone else imparting their values on my child, similar to reasons #5 and #9 from the original poster.)

21. My BF's family comes from a hard, rough world that I'm not too comfortable with and is very different from how I grew up and now live. While being around them doesn't influence me since I'm an adult and already have morals and values in place, I've seen the impact of my BF's family on his niece and nephew. I wouldn't want them to influence my children, but there would be no way to avoid this if I chose to have children.

22. I just plain don't like kids and never have. Although I like SOME children, it doesn't mean I like children overall. And I don't want to "test" my feelings by buying into the notion that my feelings would magically change if I had my own child. To me it's unfair to make this assumption because, if I'm wrong, it's the child who truly suffers. Ultimately, I have to be true to myself and what I do and don't want.

23. Being laid off from a job and not having to rush back out and find another job (which would be petty hard given this economy), and be able to go back to college and finally pursue my dreams.

I was laid off in November and after being VERY scared for a couple of months decided that I hated my job anyway and at the age of 48 would give up my condo and go back to school full-time to finish my Bachelor's and Master's Degrees. I had been wanting to do this for so long but was afraid to do it and now the terrible economy has made the choice for me.

I could not do this if I had a child. I would have had to rush back out and attempt to find a job IMMEDIATELY. I live in Northern Califonria and the cost of living here is out of this world. I was going to adopt a couple of years ago at the age of 45 but a very loud voice kept saying "DON'T DO IT". I am so ever glad I listened!!!!!!

Now, I can go on to live the life I truly wanted with includes studying abroad in Africa. Everyday I give thanks that I did not make what would have been the biggest mistake of my life, and what makes it truly wonderful is that I kept in touch with the adoption group in my area and the women who did adopt and have become close to their children. So, I have the best of both worlds--loving, fun relationships with children, seeing them grow up, learn and excel AND my childfree existence!!!!!

Child Free Living Is Good!!!!!

20. A marriage will stay romantic and each partner will get the attention and love that they planned on giving and receiving when they said their vows.

21. Once you have a kid, you still don't get away from judgements. "You don't want little Johnny to be an only child, do you? He'll grow up to be anti-social." (Mommy Wars)

22. Peace and quiet and relaxation.

23. Babies = loud and sticky balls of neediness that look like aliens; Toddlers = loud, obnoxious, and dirty creatures; Kids = all of the above + trouble; pre-teens = just plain annoying and dramatic + many of above; teenagers = kids whom think they are adults; Childish Adults = 20+ children whom stay at home...basically, you never get a break and no parts of childhood are any fun.

24. The ability to get up and go to dinner or an activity without worrying about a babysitter or Junior tagging along.

25. Better chances of financial security.

26. Better chances of keeping your sanity.

27. Better chances of enjoying everyday life. (For many child-free people, anyway, we'd rather be somewhere with adults rather than children...children make things unenjoyable for many.)

Those are a few that popped out for now.

20. I tense up at the way parents seem to schedule or plan every last second of their lives. I am a free spirit that doesn't even like making appointments for a haircut!!!!