• currawong@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    47W. Never wanted kids. I don’t miss it. I’m happy when I see my friends’ kids but I really don’t want one.

    I have time for me and I couldn’t afford raising one but again, I’ve never ever felt the need to be a parent.

    No one has ever pressured me into having children. People knew I wasn’t the the type even when I was a kid. They never questioned my choice not to get married either. So no peer pressure.

  • pinkystew@reddthat.com
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    2 months ago

    Every member of my lineage: “I will never do to my kids what my parents did to me” before doing exactly that.

    Me: “I will never do to my kids what my parents did to me” fucking aced it

  • Zerlyna@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Just turned 50. Was childless by choice. But I Got custody of my 12 year old niece two years ago. (Very small family and There was no one else to take her.). I love her but I do miss my adult freedom.

  • cheesymoonshadow@lemmings.world
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    2 months ago

    When I’m out and about and I see parents dragging their whiny kids around, I’m filled with such relief I have peace and quiet in my life.

  • agent_nycto@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Turn 40 in about a month and let me tell you, it’s dope AF. I’ve got more friends than I know what to do with, having way more fun than in my 20s and I’m not tied down to raising a kid. I go to cons and adventures all the time that I couldn’t do nor afford if I had kids. Having kids always grossed me out. I’ve got friends with kids that I can corrupt as needed.

  • CaptPretentious@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Or has ups and downs.

    I always wanted kids. So it’s a constant source of regret and emptyness.

    On the other hand, life is cheaper. I can do what I want when I want. I’m not wrapped in worrying about my kids all the time.

  • nicgentile@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    43 Male. I want kids but I am currently financially unsuitable. At some point though, I plan on it. I can appreciate being single and childless. I have done quite a bit of stuff, but, I have the urge to raise kids and have a family. It feels like there is a part of me not quite there.

  • That_Devil_Girl@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    I sort of see the appeal of having kids, but I can barely keep things together for myself. There’s no way I can support myself and kids. Even with my boyfriends income and mine, it’s just not realistic.

  • OceanSoap@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    Honestly? Kinda lonely. I’ll be 40 in a few months. I’m a woman, if the perspective matters .

    I was engaged to the man I thought I’d marry and have kids with, but it didn’t turn out to be the case, and although I learned how to choose better and what to look out for, I also wonder if I’m ever going to get to have a family of my own. It’s been 6 years now since that fell apart, and I had to do a lot in that time to get back onto my feet, but the few relationships I’ve had since then are fleeting. Men seem afraid of commitment now, and it’s hard not to completely fall to the idea that I’m just too old, which is what society is consistently screaming at me.

    I don’t feel old.

    I am tired of searching though. At some point I will get to where I’m too old and that makes me sad to think about.

    • tamal3@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      At some point we’re too old to have biological children, yes, but my 72 year old father has been in a new relationship for about a year and they seem super happy together.

      (Edited for clarity.)

  • nutsack@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I am approaching 40, and I still don’t want any, but i am deeply lonely and depressed as friendships are fading out of my life due to their children and my constant movement and disinterest.

    i have no plan for the end of my life. since I won’t be able to do much at that time anyway, I’m not sure that it matters. I’m willing to suffer through it and possibly kill myself if it means that im able to live my best years with the most freedom.

    • aceshigh@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I’m hoping that assisted suicide will be a thing, but I have come up with a contingency plan if it’s not. The worst thing I can imagine is being stuck in a nursing home and not knowing what’s going on or be unable to do things for myself.

  • potate@lemmy.ca
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    2 months ago

    I wanted kids when I was younger, but wasn’t ready to give up my freedom. Once I was ready for kids the world (and the future in particular) looks so bleak that it doesn’t seem fair to the theoretical kiddo to say ‘hey, here’s a dumpster fire - good luck’. Instead I babysit for my friends and family, spoil the kids around me, and sleep in on the weekend. I also have more time for activism and trying to ensure a brighter future for kiddos.

    No regrets.

    • amzd@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      If you’re doing it for companionship, get male chicks so they don’t put them in the macerator.

  • grasshopper_mouse@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    It’s awesome. Sure, I have moments in life that suck regardless, but in those moments I always think to myself “Wow, this would be even worse if I had kids.”