Let's have a discussion about kids...

[Miller Tyme]

The wife and I are childless, not by choice, it just never worked out, and while there are times she says she would have liked to have had one, for the most part we are content to have a lifestyle that wouldn't be possible with children.

Besides we have plenty of nieces and nefews to spoil and then send home for there parents to handle............

 

[Steelman]

Ain't havin no kids!?!?!!? Whatchoo talkin' bout Willis!?!?!

 

[45fan]

Nothing wrong with making an adult decision that your wife and you both agree on. Kids are not for everyone. They change things (not just your bank account) and have a tendency to make life difficult sometimes.

That said, my son is my pride and joy, and I wouldnt trade him for the world.

 

[ludlow]

My wife and I married in out late 20s and were married 13 years before we had kids. Both went into our marriage agreeing to not have kids. When she hit 38 she started to reconsider. We had our first child when she was 40 and the second when she was 43. I'm two years younger than her. It's been a great decision for us. When I was in my 20s and 30s I definitely was not ready for kids, but as I got a little older I was comfortable with it. Kids aren't for everyone, but my experience is that my position on the subject is that things can change.

 

[PAMom]

I certainly respect anyone who determines having children is not for them. This is a major decision with lifelong implications. I was in my mid 30's when my sons were born. It was a difficult transition for me; we had been married 12+ years and had become accustomed to doing what we wanted, when we wanted. It took this independent female some time to adjust to having little ones dependent on me for everything.

I love my boys and can't imagine life without them, but it is a challenging job not to be taken lightly. My husband has been frequently a bystander in all of this which makes things harder. Wouldn't give up my guys for anything, but my experience tells me some times parenting is not for everyone. Our children are the ones who suffer.

 

[Wesley Willis]

I know people who never had kids and wish they did. I don't know anyone who has kids and wish they didn't. I feel bad for you, OP. You don't know the greatest joy in life.

oh boy, you're one of those...

 

[Wesley Willis]

Heck, I would love to see a no kid china buffet restaurant. They have no smoking laws, how about no kids.
:

Holy crap, someone else thinks the same thing! I don't know how many times I've said "there should be smoking, no smoking, and no kids sections of restaurants." Fort Wayne has a smoking ban, so now it would just be kids and no kids.

Although I do realize, that it isn't the kids fault. It's the horrible parents...

 

[dom1104]

It's interesting to read the posts and compare the pro and anti kid people.

Super interesting thread.

 

[Sylvain]

Holy crap, someone else thinks the same thing! I don't know how many times I've said "there should be smoking, no smoking, and no kids sections of restaurants." Fort Wayne has a smoking ban, so now it would just be kids and no kids.

Although I do realize, that it isn't the kids fault. It's the horrible parents...

I agree with that 100%.
In some kinds of restaurants parents should be polite enough to not bring their young kids.
Im talking about nice restaurants in the evening, where you go eat with your girlfriend or wife at a time meant for adults (by that I mean young kids should be in bed) and what do you find? A couple that couldn't find anyone to watch their kids while they wanted to have a romantic dinner, with their kid crying or running everywhere ruining YOUR own dinner.
And the parents dont do anything about it, they think their kids are so wonderful we should all be blessed to be around them.
When that happens I want to walk to those parents and slap them in the face and teach them to educate their kids, because it's not the kids fault, its always the parents fault.

 

[Mosinowner]

Also I find the ban on kids in restaurants thing kind of offensive. Its just like them saying I'm not responsible enough to own a firearm/ vote

 

[Sylvain]

Also I find the ban on kids in restaurants thing kind of offensive. Its just like them saying I'm not responsible enough to own a firearm/ vote

Well you are not when it comes to those things, sorry to be honest.
As for kids in restaurants I would say that you are a young teenager, not a little kid and that you probably behave better than some adults in restaurants.

 

[Mosinowner]

Well you are not when it comes to those things, sorry to be honest.
As for kids in restaurants I would say that you are a young teenager, not a little kid and that you probably behave better than some adults in restaurants.

I think I am responsible enough to vote. I can form my own political opinions. Firearms are all around my house I don't play with them. They are just there until me and my family uses them

 

[theweakerbrother]

No one has to justify their reason for having kids or not having kids.

To the OP:

What you and your wife have collectively decided is rational but abnormal. I do not mean abnormal in the sense that it is negative or insulting but that your decision deviates from the "norm" and you will spend the rest of your life explaining the why or whys behind it. You shouldn't have to but peoples curiosity will get the better if them before their control of their manners.

The mimic the sad commentary of what has been previously stated by another member: it often seems that those who have the ability of being wonderful parents often decide to not become them. It is a shame in that there are too many parents that do not give two s about the kids they do have. I used to have a few jobs working with kids from kindergarten through high school as a youth worker and it is a job that will break your to see amazing kids who have parents that would rather sit at home and get smashed than give their kids five minutes of their undivided attention.

I try to not let my curiosity get in the way of my manners when it comes to the issues of kids. Friends, family members and people I've known have not decided to have kids or are unable to have kids. A couple we used to know in college had a miscarriage and the wife was so torn up that she refused to try. I don't know if they ever had kids. Another couple I knew had one of the spouses objected to sexual abuse as a child and did not want to have kids because of their own unresolved issues. Others just can't have children of their own.

 

[Sylvain]

I think I am responsible enough to vote. I can form my own political opinions. Firearms are all around my house I don't play with them. They are just there until me and my family uses them

Im not saying you are not responsible enough to be around firearms, im sure your dad keep an eye on you and taught you about gun safety, im saying you are not responsible enough to own them or use them on your own, because since you are not an adult you are not legally responsible for what you could do with those firearms.
Children are not judged like adults, it's why you cannot legally be judged responsible until you turn 18.

 

[Benny]

Holy crap, someone else thinks the same thing! I don't know how many times I've said "there should be smoking, no smoking, and no kids sections of restaurants." Fort Wayne has a smoking ban, so now it would just be kids and no kids.

Although I do realize, that it isn't the kids fault. It's the horrible parents...

My son just turned 7 and he's MUCH more polite than most adults that you will ever encounter. I've lost count of the amount of times that he's looked over at an obnoxious adult at a restaurant/store/wherever in public and said, "Dad, big boys aren't supposed to act like that, are they?"

If anything, there should be a stupid/non-stupid section...That may cause some problems though since really, really stupid people think they are geniuses.

 

[Sylvain]

My son just turned 7 and he's MUCH more polite than most adults that you will ever encounter. I've lost count of the amount of times that he's looked over at an obnoxious adult at a restaurant/store/wherever in public and said, "Dad, big boys aren't supposed to act like that, are they?"

If anything, there should be a stupid/non-stupid section...That may cause some problems though since really, really stupid people think they are geniuses.

lol so true!

The problem is that the stupid section will be crowded very quickly and the other section would be almost empty.

And about your son, like I said, the problem is not kids, but kids raised by bad parents.
That's what I cant stand in restaurants.

 

[Benny]

Im not saying you are not responsible enough to be around firearms, im sure your dad keep an eye on you and taught you about gun safety, im saying you are not responsible enough to own them or use them on your own, because since you are not an adult you are not legally responsible for what you could do with those firearms.
Children are not judged like adults, it's why you cannot legally be judged responsible until you turn 18.

I get what you are saying, but judging by most of MO's posts, I'd trust him with a firearm over many of the "adults" here. I've seen more than one thread today that would prove my point. I'm sure you've seen them.

 

[LEaSH]

My wife and I have such a similar predicament as WeslyWillis and his wife. It gets increasingly old listening to the family wanting a baby from us. "Go adopt one! Many need a home", I'll say.

We are both in our 30's as well. No children. No goals of having children. Children are not going to happen. That was our understanding with each other when we were dating, through our engagement, and being married now, we are in full agreement that we will not have children.

It's safe to say that we take precautions and have discussions at greater depth than some people that do decide to have children.

I don't hate children. I'm a hero to my nephews and nieces. Cool enough.

When I hear from family or friends that I'm missing out, or that their children are the greatest achievement of their own lives, I can't help but feel the children are in fact, a means to validate a parents own existence. Of course I politely nod my head, but inside I'm thinking, "this guy's kid ain't all that great, and their future could go either way".

I don't need validation.

I'm thoroughly convinced that people that set out to become mommies and daddies are lacking in their own emotional security. It is an ego thing. Little girls played with dolls that look like babies - that's a primal instinct thing, it carries on into adult hood. They're pretty much wired to assume that they'll be Moms. Boys played with race cars and toy guns - cool stuff, aspiring to be a hero figure when they grow up. This is interesting.

Nowadays (and for at least 3 decades) dads are way into nurturing their kids. Both sons and daughters. Look what this has wrought. Look at kids nowadays. Look at how they behave. No, not your little snowflake, of course not. Yours is special. GTFO.

 

[Sylvain]

I get what you are saying, but judging by most of MO's posts, I'd trust him with a firearm over many of the "adults" here. I've seen more than one thread today that would prove my point. I'm sure you've seen them.

Yes I agree (and oh boy did I see those threads as well ), I would trust him too.Im only speaking about "legally responsible" which is different from "responsible".
The thing with the stupid adults doing stupid thing with guns is that they will be judged as adults, they are "legally responsible" even if they are clearly morons, but there is no legal definition of moron.
At his young age MO will more likely bring legal troubles to his parents if he does something stupid with his parents guns, that's why he cannot be legally responsible with guns.

 

[Mosinowner]

I get what you are saying, but judging by most of MO's posts, I'd trust him with a firearm over many of the "adults" here. I've seen more than one thread today that would prove my point. I'm sure you've seen them.

I've seen the threads. One guy shot his neighbors cat I think