"Why I didn't have kids"

Trying to limit thread drift elsewhere.....

nepa wrote

ScottyJack wrote

Good God every day that passes I’m happier I will not leave children behind to inherit this mess!  

I couldn't agree more... precisely why I chose not to father children.  I feel sorry for the Kids.

I absolutely respect anyone's decision not to have children.  Bully for you knowing how you wanted to live your lives, and realizing kids weren't a part of that.  It's great, really.

However, when I see people say they didn't have them because of something like not wanting them to inherent our political/economic financial mess?  I don't buy that as THE reason.  Ancillary benefit, sure.  Reason?  No.

A century from now, God willing a meteor not smash out planet to death, the world will be around and, while it may find a few new ways to be fucked up, it won't be much more or less fucked up than it is today.  So, if you had a way back machine or could jump in the Delorean with Doc Brown, would you go back and abort yourself so you didn't have to be saddled by our fucked up political/economic system over your lifetime?  Hey, by not having kids you might have deprived the world of the saviors from this whole mess!

Total respect for someones choice about having kids..
But , I bet Napa or Scotty would say the same thing in 1914(ww1) or 1929(depression) or 1939(ww2) or 1951(korea) or 1962(cuban missile ) or 1967(vietnam + extreme social unrest)..you get the idea, it was f'd up in the past and it will be in the future..Ya just can't give up...

Good point. World has always been violent and ruled by the greedy.   I may have chosen to procreate in those time frames, but given that the population is hurling towards seven billion I decided not to add to it.  I still could from a physical stand point but after careful consideration and soul searching - which definitely included contemplation of how much joy I would personally gain from raising a child in the manner in which I was reared - I declined.  

I do believe a century from now this planet will be way more messed up from an environmental stand point - at least the natural environment.  There are many places where the population has already exceeded its carrying capacity.  A century from now, the sure volume of humanity may necessitate complete annihilation of wild creatures and plants.  Room for humans, their crops and livestock only....  

Interesting thread JTG, to some extent, you're probably right about the ancillary benefit.

To be honest, I knew I did not want to be parent from a very young age.  My wife is the same.  I'm not exactly sure how to describe it.  We don't have strong parenting instincts.  

Hey, I get that.  Lots of people feel that way.  Everybody's different.  I think, in the context of this discussion, many people just decide kids aren't for them.  They don't feel the parental bug calling, they don't expect they'd get enjoyment out of kids, they are super expensive, it's a whole different lifestyle.  All perfectly respectable reasons, and I respect those choices.  I just think there are probably very few whose sole/primary motivation for not having kids is not bringing a child into an overpopulated and fucked up planet.  Those would be friggin saints, people who want kids but don't have them expressly to spare the planet and the kid's eventual suffering.  I could be wrong though, as I'm certainly wrong often enough!

Ps....don't let my wife know I said that.

JTG4eva! wrote

I just think there are probably very few whose sole/primary motivation for not having kids is not bringing a child into an overpopulated and fucked up planet. Those would be friggin saints, people who want kids but don't have them expressly to spare the planet and the kid's eventual suffering.

Adoption.  The "green" parenting choice.  

(Disclosure: one of my kids is adopted.)

I have three kids...couldn't imagine having to take the garbage out without help two days a week, lmfao  
Also needed someone beside my wife to yell at!

All my swimmers do the backstroke apparently.

I didn't have my son until I was 37.  I was too busy building my career earlier. Being a parent is a frustrating but rewarding endeavor that we were put on this planet to do.  I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.

Having only one child is still a green choice for those so inclined.

I'm not a racist Z.  I'd love my child no matter what color they turn out to be.

I don't want to thump my chest over whether or not I have kids, where I ski and the fact that I use a mac is all the proof I need about how cool I am.