Becoming a parent feels like a blessing, but everyone does not share this same opinion. For most millennials and younger generations, having kids is not a priority.
They marry late in life, are unable to afford their own homes, and are even avoiding having children altogether. There’s a lively Reddit thread that shows why people are choosing to never have kids.
They don’t know how to care for another human being.
Taking care of a baby means answering all of their needs.
They had a bad childhood.
“Did you have a bad childhood? I did and I don’t want to pass on the dysfunction to the next generation. Also, I feel like I didn’t really have a childhood, so I deserve one now.” – Redditor GirlDwight
They love being able to do whatever they want.
This Redditor painted a peaceful picture of being able to do whatever they want, like sleeping in on a beautiful Saturday morning and hitting the gym without getting a babysitter first.
They’re too self-absorbed.
This Reddit user wrote that they would make a terrible partner and a lousy parent since they are “aromantic and self-centered.”
At least they’re honest, right? Kids are expensive and take up a lot of time.
They don’t envy how tired other parents are.
“I’ve been to plenty of family gatherings where kids are screaming and running wild basically, and all I can see is how tired the moms are. I’ve never left thinking ‘yeah, that’s the life I want’ either.” – Redditor idrodorworld
They already had to raise their siblings.
Imagine losing the carefree freedom from childhood because you’re too busy raising someone else’s children.
It would take the excitement out of having kids, like it did for this Redditor.
They prefer being an aunt or uncle.
This Redditor summed it up pretty nicely, explaining that you get to take the kids out for a while, be a big kid as you pump them full of sugar, and then return them back to their parents.
They don’t have the patience to deal with them.
“I now work at a place with lots of visitors including screaming rowdy kids and entitled parents. Seeing both, I don’t have patience for kids and I don’t want myself to turn into my kids’ adults.” – Redditor I_love_pillows
They are terrified of developing postpartum depression.
PPD or the baby blues are a very real thing.
Many celebrities have been outspoken about it before and the impact it had on their medical health. “no thanks I’ll have to pass,” wrote one Redditor.
They’re too expensive.
It costs a lot of money to raise children.
Between the endless diapers to the childcare to feeding and clothing them, it’s not for those who want to keep those purse strings tight.
They don’t want it to affect their marriage or relationship.
This Redditor made a fair point: having kids can put a lot of strain on a relationship.
We hear about it and see it all the time in movies. Couples struggle to maintain the romance with kids.
They have too many medical issues to care for them.
“Too mentally ill from childhood trauma and have various auto immune diseases. Wouldn’t be fair to have a child when I’m not completely present for them. Love kids but not for me.” – Redditor sheakat1997
They like to travel.
“My wife and I want to travel and enjoy ourselves. Having a kid means not being able to do all that, and it is just not fun to deal with all the stress that comes with having a kid.” – Redditor NotBreaking
They’re terrified of pregnancy and giving birth.
“I’ve always had a lifelong fear of pregnancy and childbirth and I’m a very small person who suffers from a number of physical conditions that would make a pregnancy extremely difficult and risky.” – Redditor a-wheat-thin
They’re afraid.
“Im terrified at the thought of sharing my body with another being. Im terrified of giving birth. I’m afraid of being unable to take care of and raise a child. Im afraid of being unable to afford a child. I’m afraid of my past affecting my children.” – Redditor Next_Wing_5577
They don’t want the responsibility.
“I want to live my life, not be weighed down with a responsibility I don’t want and wouldn’t be beneficial for me. I like having the freedom to not have to deal with all that.” – Redditor TheSorge
They don’t want to bring kids into this messed-up world.
This Redditor said it best:
“This world is stupid, corrupt, full of [expletive]. Why would I want to bring anyone into this mess?” Given the world in 2020, this makes sense.
They don’t want the stress.
“Everytime I see parents out with their kids, the parents look tired and frustrated. Grocery store, restaurant, movie theater, etc. It makes me uncomfortable and sad for them. Why would I do that to myself?” – Redditor Cyber2354
They simply don’t want children.
“I don’t want kids. There’s literally no other reason,” wrote this Redditor. Another echoed that they were simply born that way.
“Have just never desired children. No particular reason,” they shared.
They value their own individual mental health.
One of the most valuable traits a person can possess is being self-aware.
That’s why I have nothing but respect for guutarajouzu, who said that they simply don’t possess the mental stability to be able to provide a proper quality of life for a child.
They don’t buy-in to the idea that kids will care for you in your old age.
When someone tells you you'll grow old and lonely for not having kids believing their own will take care of them.
Go tell that to people in retirement homes whose kids don't even visit them.#childfree pic.twitter.com/lUdWo3kRTp— Yer a witch 🎃⚰️🇺🇾 (@alt17stuff) August 29, 2020
This is one tactic my own family has tried on me several times over, but I’m not buying it.
If you’re only having children so as to make them your personal caretaker, why not just forego children and save up for a live-in nurse?
They value their careers.
Being a parent usually means that either mom or dad winds up staying home with the baby while the other goes off to work.
Not only can this create a hierarchy in the house but it also breeds resentment over time.
They think that kids are annoying.
Not all people think it’s cute and sweet when kids are running around the house like hooligans.
Some prefer the peaceful ambiance of a tidy home and just find the prospect of entertaining/talking to a child to be an annoyance.
They don’t want to be judged by other parents.
Mom-shaming and dad-shaming have become increasingly more prevalent on social media. These days, first-time parents can’t even buckle their child into a car seat without incurring the wrath of the internet.
So why subject yourself to the scorn of perfect strangers unnecessarily?
They think that kids are too loud.
Mom holding crying baby: He just needs to be changed.
Me: Yeah hopefully into a puppy or something quieter.— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) July 5, 2015
The shriek of a screaming child is enough to break glass in some circumstances.
Just the idea of having to deal with a child throwing a public temper tantrum is enough to make me want to disappear.
They worry about overpopulation.
Redditor InternalCucumbers and his girlfriend feel that there are already enough people crammed onto this planet as is.
With the countless millions of children without proper homes and nourishment, they felt it irresponsible to add one more mouth for the world to feed.
They are worried that their child would be like them.
Reddit user AnnieCorleone writes,
“I don’t want to pass on certain traits & conditions. The list goes on. People always tell me I’ll change my mind or regret it but even if I did, I’d rather foster or adopt anyway.”
They simply don’t understand the mind of a child.
Whenever I get baby fever, I look back at the time my cousin got stuck inside of a claw machine pic.twitter.com/yaZs3k2fH2
— Gordon Bombae (@QTremendo) January 26, 2020
Some people would look at this photo and think to themselves “aww, how cute!”
But for those of us who don’t want children, the sentiment isn’t as sweet. I mean seriously, kid — what did you honestly think was going to happen when you climbed inside?
They think that being pregnant would be worse than prison.
Being pregnant basically means saying goodbye to all of life’s small joys and reprieves for nine whole months.
That means no smoking, no alcohol, coffee, sushi, etc. — the list is endless.
They fear that a global disaster is iminent.
Reddit-user tbaby expressed how they felt our world is teetering on the edge. “I’m honestly worried about global warming, our realibilty[sic] on resources that could be cut off from a climate catastrophe combined with bad government regulation,” they wrote.
They don’t want to change diapers.
This may seem a little vain to some, but I can completely understand not wanting to touch another human being’s…mess.
I don’t want to ever get to the point where I become comfortable with wiping human feces off on my pant leg.
They prefer pets.
I’m not saying that I don’t have a whole lotta love to give. I’m just saying that I’d rather give it to a golden-doodle or a retriever than a child.
What’s so wrong with that? Absolutely nothing.
They think that having kids is selfish.
Usually, it’s those who chose to forego having children that get labeled as selfish. But as this Reddit user explains, they believe that society has it twisted.
Mainly, because they’ve never heard any parent give any reasons for having children that weren’t inherently selfish.
They don’t believe parents when they say that they’re happy.
Have you ever met a parent who said “don’t have kids, you’ll regret it”? Of course not, because that would make them sound like monsters.
Instead, they all tell you that it’s the most fulfilling and rewarding experience life can offer, but don’t they kind of have to say that?
They don’t want to give up on their sex life.
No matter how you try and sugarcoat it, having kids can be detrimental to your sex life.
When your whole life is centered around your kids, finding time to be romantic with your partner becomes harder and harder.