How about this one: "Who is going to take care of you when you get old?"

As if you can count on that to happen? You can do everything right, and your kids can still end up totally screwed up, or (God forbid), you could outlive them, or they might not be able to afford to take care of you some day...(among the many things that could happen).

and, how is having kids so they'll take care of you when you're old not selfish?

Frankly my oldest niece likes me a LOT more than she does her mom. So IF I need someone to "take care of me" when I'm older I'm pretty sure I can count on her.

Funny story somewhat related. My best friend and I were having lunch the other day (she is CFBC as well). We were discussing the holidays and the fact that since we do not have children and neither of us very close with our siblings, what happens in 20 years when our parents are gone and the children are grown? My parents and my nieces/nephew are the only reason I spend time with my sister. Once they are gone, I honestly don't foresee spending holidays with her.

So the bf and I decided we will start taking couple's trips at that point for the holidays. Anyone else up for a Christmas cruise?

That's what my husband and I do on the holidays- Vacation! Instead of dealing with presents, kids, crazy family and unnecessary stress, we travel around the world! :happy: Ok, we still have stress, actually a lot right now... but it would be 1000x worse with kids. Leaving tomorrow for a Far East adventure starting in Hong Kong!

A child-free couples cruise would be awesome to do sometime!!

When people ask me why I don't have children, I tell them it's because I'm selfish. Because I like SLEEPING. (A lot.) I like going camping for a weekend without having to pack a minivan full of toys and kid supplies. I like making last-minute decisions. And I like spending my money on ME.

I've never been comfortable around kids. I've never wanted them. When I visit my family back east, someone is always trying to hand me a baby, because they think it's funny that it makes me uncomfortable.

I'm 36 and I've finally stopped hearing the "oh, you'll change your mind" comment. (At least, it's been a while.) I'm glad for that. It really is infuriating.

I have a 15-year old niece and two nephews, 5 and 10. The boys are fun, but exhausting - after spending a few hours with them, I am just done. I can't imagine how anyone does that 24 hours a day. My niece is a little clone of me at 15, so I'm enjoying lending my assistance to my sister with understanding where her daughter is coming from. But I guess that's because she's almost an adult, and I like adults. (Well, some of them...)

My parents are cool with it, and totally understand...especially at my age with the risks it would involve, but my mom was horrified when I told our old dog that she was her new Grandma...LOL! Then my youngest niece (7 or 8 at the time) came to visit and is very, very spoiled. Suddenly, she decided the pit bull granddaughter was looking pretty good!

no lie - my neice, who is FIVE, looked at me a month or so ago and said "when are you going to have a baby?". I replied, "Never." you would have thought i had set a puppy on fire and thrown it at the pope by how she looked at me!! she has it so ingrained in her ALREADY that women NEED to have kids. um, no. so i told her, "I'm an auntie, not a mommy" she still didn't get it. but i can't exactly look at a five year old and explain that i need me time, i like my brother's kids fine, love them to bits, but i get to send them HOME.

being a parent isn't for me. and if i had them only to cave to societal pressures... recipie for disaster much?

my mom has finally come to terms. She now calls Weasley her "grand dog"

That reminds me of one of my lil nieces, she's such a cutie......she said that she learned at school (she's 7) what a woman's "place" was - you know, to take care of the kids and such, and she looked at me and told me - not you Aunt Charity - you don't need kids to be complete! Awww. If a 7 year old can get it, why can't grown adults get it?!

The planet is over-populated as it is!

I don't know why everyone is expected to want to have kids! I just want my animals, and that's good enough for me!! I hate it when people expect a reason. I just don't want kids, that's all!

Best answer...I don't need a reason!

You're right...not sure why people feel the need to ask about that in the first place. Its such a personal decision!

I totally agree. I think choosing not to have kids when you don't want them is the least selfish thing. How is it fair to the children when thier parents don't really want them and just feel obligated to have them?
I've also heard that "you'd be a great mother" thing. Maybe I would be, who knows. I don't hate children, I just don't feel like I have to love other people's children the way they do. I may even change my mind about having kids someday, I just don't feel like my biological clock is ticking and I'm a slave to it.

I think it is funny that people are becoming aware of their carbon footprint, but neglect to calculate the carbon footprint of each child they produce and then the children those children produce....We have neighbors with 5 kids. They don't even recycle.

I am a nurse and can promise you that just because you have a child there is no guarantee that they will show up and care for you later in life. I have seen it many times.

My husband and I absolutely do not regret being childfree. Our lives are our own and we are more financially stable than we would be with kids.

Wow, it was really great to read all these posts. My whole life I always wanted kids and couldn't imagine NOT having them, but, at 37, I now cannot imagine having them. My brother has 5 kids, so my mom is set with the grandkids, but just the other day she said, "I never in a million years thought you nor your sister would never have any kids." My sister is gay and hates kids. I'm still undecided, but I do love my sleep and we travel 4-5 times a year, so the likelihood of me giving that up is pretty small. I'm so glad there are others on here who I can relate to.