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Do you want children?

Do you want children?

  • Yes

    Votes: 78 50.3%
  • No

    Votes: 77 49.7%

  • Total voters
    155

*Nightwing

Member
No, they drain the life out of you. Stress is such a high factor in premature aging, as well as a cause for so many symptoms that keep you from running at optimal condition and caring so much for another individual that is outside of your control is a huge stress factor. Parents are set up for failure to the point success has to be watered down to how their offspring end up and it’s amazing testimony to the human spirit they manage to make it still.

I’ve already spent the first half of my life caring for both great grandparents, grandparents, and my parents by helping in their businesses before I quit all that and decided to spend the rest of my life focusing on myself, kids are not part of that equation and in fact quite detrimental to it.
 

AJUMP23

Gold Member
I have 2, they are great, even when they are bad they are great. It is a lot of work, but they are worth it. Best thing you will ever do is get married and raise children into responsible adults.

There is no joy like the joy of you child telling you they love you, or hugging you, or leaning on you.
 

nkarafo

Member
I know i won't be a good father or husbant so no. Most likely my wife will take the kid/s and leave so i will end up alone anyway.

At least now i can be alone without paying alimony to a bunch of people.

I also don't like kids at all and especially nowadays in the smarthphone/social media era. Kids are now more obnoxious and narcissistic than ever and so is the society i will have to raise them.

I don't know if i have the will or energy to make them avoid all this shit. I mean, i don't even want a dog because i feel it's too much of responsibility.
 

Aesius

Member
I would have said hell no in my 20s and even early 30s. Then I warmed up to the idea and now have a 5-month-old son. He's awesome. Yeah, I don't have as much time to game, but I also know people whose kids are a little older who have plenty of time to do whatever. Or they game with them and share their hobbies with them. It's just all about time management and prioritization.

That said, I'm struggling with the idea of having another one. I don't want him to be an only child but having just one kid is also pretty easy.
 

kraspkibble

Permabanned.
No, I can’t stand them. So annoying with the constant whining and crying. Also, too expensive….shit’s expensive as it is. Oh and the world really doesn’t need more people polluting the planet. You might call me selfish but I think it’s selfish and cruel to be bringing kids into the world right now knowing where we’re heading in the next <70 years.
 
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mekes

Member
Had my first last February, right before shit hit the fan with Covid stuff.

To be honest I was 50/50, it was the quality of my relationship that made me say yes. She wanted a baby, we had the means and I thought she would be a great mum. So I wanted a baby with her.

And I love the little guy, he is cute as anything. All he wants to do is play and explore at this point. He laughs and smiles all day long. It is exhausting sometimes, but if you can settle into the new routines. The relationship becomes give and take with somebody having to be with the baby at any and all points. So far so great, but I'm aware it's a long ride and I'm at the extremely early stages. My outlook is all positive at the moment.

The bigger difficulty this year has been lockdowns. The baby has honestly been easy mode compared to the effects of Covid on general life. I'm in London, England for reference.
 
Undecided, to be honest. I worry too much i'd make a terrible mother. My girlfriend and I have briefly touched on the subject for way down the line if we get that far. She definitely wants kids. Which means either adoption or in vitro in our case, most likely.

For the record, I don't think anyone should ever feel like they're being selfish or feel guilty for not wanting kids. We all want different things out of life in that regard. There's no right or wrong answer.
 

SKM1

Member
Yes. For me it is a moral imperative. But I'll most likely wait until I have tenure or something like that.
 
Honestly, I think I'd just rather be the cool uncle that hangs around and buys the kids cool shit. Pretty sure my sister will have kids eventually, she's the only one who can manage a stable relationship, so... yeah at least I got that coming.
 
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Yes. I don't need to state a reason, either. Life should perpetuate life. This is how it has gone on for millions of years. Having children is the natural way of the world. This is how biology is set up.

But there are a lot of reasons. I don't want to die alone, having a wife and kids would mean my legacy is secure. I want to know the joy of witnessing the miracle of birth. I want to see life in it's most vulnerable state. I want to fulfill my biological promise. I want to introduce my kids to my favorite records.

There are about a million reasons to have kids. The only reasons not to seem to be either selfish and self serving (you want free time) or wrapped up in the liberal death cult (not having kids is "good for the planet").
 
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Aesius

Member
Had my first last February, right before shit hit the fan with Covid stuff.

To be honest I was 50/50, it was the quality of my relationship that made me say yes. She wanted a baby, we had the means and I thought she would be a great mum. So I wanted a baby with her.

And I love the little guy, he is cute as anything. All he wants to do is play and explore at this point. He laughs and smiles all day long. It is exhausting sometimes, but if you can settle into the new routines. The relationship becomes give and take with somebody having to be with the baby at any and all points. So far so great, but I'm aware it's a long ride and I'm at the extremely early stages. My outlook is all positive at the moment.

The bigger difficulty this year has been lockdowns. The baby has honestly been easy mode compared to the effects of Covid on general life. I'm in London, England for reference.
You're a lot further along than me, but I always get envious when I see parents walking around with two kids who are like 7 and 10. It just looks like a ton of fun, especially family vacations. Makes me remember family vacations at that age and how enjoyable they were for all of us. But when you're in the weeds with a baby, it can be hard to keep sight of that. There are a lot of struggles along the way to get to the point where your kids are fully autonomous people under your roof. And then you only have a few years to enjoy with them at that stage before they become sullen teens and then they move out!
 

NewComer

Member
I would say "no". In my current situation, I cannot afford children financially and won't be able to for a very long time. Personally, I don't think I'm parental material as I tend to think too selfishly and often struggle just to take care of all my own needs as well as the needs of my mom. I do wonder what it be like if I did have them from time to time. Would that improve my daily behavior and energy? Probably? No clue what else to really think here.
 
This thread is very depressing and is a sign where our society is heading.
Cry about it to your android caretaker when you're old and decrepit.

Many people have to choose between stability and whatever society tells them they should be doing in life.
 
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Valonquar

Member
I do not want children. Growing up as a single child, I had a lot of friends with younger siblings. I remember watching them destroy everything in the house. As I got older, a few of my friends had kids way earlier at 16~18 and I watch their happiness and dreams disappear. I was always asking if they were happy, and there was always this kind of half-truth to their reply. A friend of mine in his 40s has 2 little girls and he has gone from an energetic super-bro to a fucking zombie. I asked him if he was happy and he said he'lll have to time to be happy when he's dead. Fuck all variants of that.
I see people use kids as an excuse, people being shitty parents, and honstly just see them as tiny plauge carriers. Keep them away from me please.

 

johntown

Banned
Yes and no. Yes of course I would love to have kids. No becasue I am not sure I want to bring kids into the mess this world has become.
 

GHG

Member
At this stage in my life, absolutely not.

To be Frank, I'm too selfish, would be a shit parent and I've never been a fan of kids in general.

So no thanks, I'm good.
 

Dural

Member
Yes, I have 4. My kids are my pride and joy, I can't imagine life without them. No possessions will bring you the happiness your children will.


Yes and no. Yes of course I would love to have kids. No becasue I am not sure I want to bring kids into the mess this world has become.

If you don't bring your own kids into the world and teach them your values, the world is lost to the crazies.
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
I have 2, and don't want anymore, but glad I have the 2 I have. Kids are full of fucking energy and imagination, and yeah its tiring trying to keep up, but few worthwhile things in life aren't.
 
have two myself, first couple of years are hell then things get much, much better. tons of work, makes it hard to schedule in 'me' time (or 'us' time). there are very precious moments, though. i taught my daughter classical guitar from the time she was quite young, and the first time she played Cavatina completely was just one of those special moments. same with my son, upbringing was hard work, but as he grew older he became more of a friend than just a son. we have great discussions about anything/everything, have a lot in common, really nice relationship. i guess i lucked out to some extent, kids aren't for everyone, and frankly some of them turn out bad people not matter how good a parent you are, so i understand why some people choose not to have them.
 

Termite

Member
Yeah, but given my lack of dating success it's not really an option for me.

In my late 30s I have plenty of money, own my own place, and I've had enough of my hobbies (games, travel, golf, water/beach sports) to last a lifetime.

My younger brother has two with a third on the way. My younger sister has two and I've just been made godfather of one. I absolutely love any time I get to spend with them and find myself looking forward to seeing them months in advance. (We're all in different countries)

It's gonna be a real battle of mental health with the regret of not having any of my own.
 
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Alcibiades

Member
Yes, I think they will make my life richer, just as my niece and nephew do now. As I heard on a podcast recently, people with children report more stress, problems, etc... BUT they add "thickness" to your life. Living a comfortable life is nice, but I think it will fill like something is missing without children.

The podcast I was listening too was equating having children to people with anxiety and social problems in real life loving the COVID lifestyle and not wanting to go back. Sure, it sucks to have to face your fears and maybe even fail in life now and then, but it adds something to your life to actually be out there living. Would staying stuck at home be easier on mental health for these people? Yes, but that's not what life is about.

So with children, yeah life would be "easier" without them, but they would really add something.
 
My daughter just turned 4. She's easily the funniest person I've known, makes me laugh on a daily basis.

With that said, I'm good with just one, luckily my wife agrees.
 

regawdless

Banned
Me and my wife always wanted kids, and had a very rough road with miscarriages, artificial fertilization etc. Took us three years to finally get our first daughter, with my wife nearly dying at birth.

Then another three years full of crazy shit that I won't detail, we got twin daughters.
Our oldest daughter will be 5 this summer, the twins are one year old.

They are the most important things in my life, they basically give my life meaning. It's hard but so damn much fun and such a joy. I love being a dad and invest a lot of time and energy.

They all are smart and funny as hell. Our oldest daughter started to write her name, mum, dad, grandma, grandpa, names of her friends, etc. when she was three years old.

All that said, I think I'm gonna kill myself when all three will go through puberty simultaneously. They will give me so much shit and going by how my wife and I were as teenagers - yeah, good fucking luck to myself.
 

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
At first no, but then yes. It’s better once they age. Your spouse won’t always be interested in stuff that you enjoy. Granted, you can’t share M rated games or R rated films with them at first. The worst of it has begun or maybe they’ve been occurring a lot more lately. In the last two days I’ve only gotten 2-3 hours of sleep. That’s because my child is teething their molars. He only wants to sleep when the alarm is about to go off. It was so bad that I had to tell my work that I needed some sleep today. So I slept for an extra hour. Nothing prepares you for it. Some nights they’re fast asleep before 8. Today was probably the worst and I didn’t want to have an accident because of it.

I get alone time and that’s plenty sometimes. You have to know your spouse or your partner because my wife can’t lift my kid at night. That means for the last two years I’m the only person awake. I drive a lot for work, so the two don’t go well together. I love my kid, but it sure does make you miss those days where you had extra time to kill. I can see where it can also cause resentment .

I’m not having anymore and I had the surgery. I do not want another child. I love my child, but that’s it.
 
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At first no, but then yes. It’s better once they age. Your spouse won’t always be interested in stuff that you enjoy. Granted, you can’t share M rated games or R rated films with them at first. The worst of it has begun or maybe they’ve been occurring a lot more lately. In the last two days I’ve only gotten 2-3 hours of sleep. That’s because my child is teething their molars. He only wants to sleep when the alarm is about to go off. It was so bad that I had to tell my work that I needed some sleep today. So I slept for an extra hour. Nothing prepares you for it. Some nights they’re fast asleep before 8. Today was probably the worst and I didn’t want to have an accident because of it.

I get alone time and that’s plenty sometimes. You have to know your spouse or your partner because my wife can’t lift my kid at night. That means for the last two years I’m the only person awake. I drive a lot for work, so the two don’t go well together. I love my kid, but it sure does make you miss those days where you had extra time to kill. I can see where it can also cause resentment .

I’m not having anymore and I had the surgery. I do not want another child. I love my child, but that’s it.
Is this you?


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Nester99

Member
I was unsure for many years leaning to no. My wife really wanted them. It took tremendous effort and expense to have them. They are a ton of work but it’s the coolest most rewarding thing I have ever done. Watching and helping mini me’s grow and experience the world is better than I could ever imagine. Did I mention it’s a lot of work? Mine are very young so I reserve the right to change my mind later ;)
 

IntentionalPun

Ask me about my wife's perfect butthole
No; I 'get it', but no.

More for them than me. Always an awkward thing in work situations when you get asked; you say no and people kinda stare at you... I always just say "didn't really work out and then I got kinda too old to start" which usually gets "you aren't too old!" but it's better than saying "Hey you don't know how absolutely fucked in the head I am co-worker/boss/client!"
 
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Jaxx_377

Neo Member
I never wanted kids and ended up marrying a woman with a 5 year old girl and we decided after her we would not have any more for 15 years held out to the point I actually had an appointment for a vasectomy scheduled when my wife notified me she was pregnant after almost 20 years together and that boy is the best thing that ever happened to me. sometimes never know what you want until it happens
 

Dark Star

Member
I’d rather spend my time, money and energy on my hobbies TBH. I already have two nephews and I’ve had the privilege of being an uncle since I was 20 years old. So yeah, I’ve had my fill already. It’s hard work taking care of kids, and it sucks seeing the older one grow past his toddler years, because I’m 100% positive he’s going to be a social media obsessed brat like every other kid born in the last decade haha. It’s inevitable. Most parents just hand their kids an iPad these days instead of actually raising them “right”, it’s messed up, but what choice do they have? Little Timmy isn’t going fit in at school unless he, too, has an iPhone lol.

I don’t want kids because I fear that I wouldn’t be able to protect them from the horror that is the internet of things, as well as the harsh reality of our bleak future ahead. Our world is kind of messed up in terms of environmental conditions, automation taking over regular human jobs, most college degrees becoming worthless, potential oil and gas wars, mega corporations taking over everything including privacy, etc. It’s not directly selfish, having kids in 2021, but it sure is a hell of a responsibility. Sure, there’s soooo much positives to having kids, and they definitely outweigh the negatives if you have money and time on your side, but it’s not something I’m prepared for. I’m not even comfortable with idea of marriage TBH.
 
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Cravis

Member
I’ve got one daughter. Would love to have at least one more but we’re finding it difficult due to my wife having celiac disease.

My daughter is my world. If not for her I more than likely would have killed myself last year during my bout with depression. The thought of her growing up in a world like we are living in without a dad kept me clinging on fighting the demons.
 

Ailynn

Faith - Hope - Love
I would love to have been able to have children, but I was born infertile. It wasn't meant for me, and I've made peace with that. Having four beautiful and precious nieces and nephews certainly helps. ♥️

My best friend and I completed foster care training together, but that was a few years before my gender transition. Being in Tennessee, I doubt I'm eligible for fostering these days, but my heart goes out for those poor kids. :lollipop_pensive:
 
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