this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2026
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[–] EggInDisguise@lemmy.blahaj.zone 50 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I have had people telling me "you'll regret not having kids when you grow up" all through my 20s, and now that I'm in my 30s I've only had more and more people ask me when my spouse and I will be trying for kids because "it's almost too late"

Since medically transitioning, a disturbing number of people have decided to butt in and tell me I should be storing sperm "for when you decide to have kids" and if I don't, then I won't be physically able to have them.

I've even had a couple of people (mostly one specific person) telling me after I inform them I had a vasectomy over a decade ago and my spouse had a tubal ligation at least 5 years ago, that vasectomies are reversible and "it doesn't have to be your wife" (my spouse is NB but seemingly nobody except the Trans people we know seem to remember that)

I find it funny that people with kids keep telling me specifically that I will regret not having kids and giving me their opinions, yet never once have I gone out telling new partners NOT to have kids.

Also hilarious is how people with kids get defensive about their decision and go on about how people without kids make it their whole personality.

And its always fun to guess if I'll see "well you people are creepy for making this one page I have only just found and decided it's all you ever talk about also here's an anecdote about how much I totally love my kids and never think like this" type comments before opening the page.

And honestly with so many fascist governments pushing us to have more kids for their meat grinders, climate change making the planet hostile for life, and everything being more expensive, it's a wonder anyone would voluntarily have children today.

[–] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

All those people also seem to forget that you can also adopt a kid if you cannot make one btw

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[–] Chromebby@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It’s always old people being pushy about it. Even after I tell them I’m not traditional like that. Like I want no kids, no marriage, just a low responsibility lifestyle. Some of em wanna lecture like you need guidance. Or the most offensive is when they respond with pity, like oh you poor thing. So fuckin weird and nosy. Like I would never do the same vice versa, wtf?

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[–] AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world 32 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I find it telling that every reason people try to give why "you'll regret having kids" is just selfish.

"Who will take care of YOU when you're older?" "Don't YOU want people to always be in YOUR life?" "YOU won't know love until YOU have a child." "Don't YOU want your bloodline to survive?" "Don't YOU want purpose in your life?"

[–] mursejoy@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 week ago

Oh don’t forget the “you’ll die alone” guilt trip.

Lmao good, I hope it’s quiet.

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[–] CharlesDarwin1809@piefed.world 30 points 1 week ago (6 children)

I know this is a childfree community so all of you might dislike this comment, but I saw this post when looking at all posts, so here are my worthless two cents:

I think both desires (wanting kids, not wanting kids) should be considered equally valid, and both should be respected, without people trying to convince you out of your preference.

[–] mursejoy@lemmy.zip 18 points 1 week ago (6 children)

I agree, and I’ve never met anyone trying to convince me to not have a kid.

We constantly get questioned/pressured/guilted about having kids that we’ve never wanted.

It’s just like religion, nobody is putting up billboards about atheism. It’s always the people in the group foisting their beliefs onto people outside the norm.

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[–] likebudda@reddthat.com 23 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I never wanted kids. I have nothing against them but it really seems like something you really need to want to do or have a good reason for doing it. "Milestone" just wasn't doing it for me, and it didn't help I never met anyone remotely interested in having kids with me.

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[–] EfreetSK@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago (8 children)

Please don't hate on me, I know the name of the community, I'm just trying to explain.

To me it's the same as saying "You look like shit after you exercise". Well, yes, but it kind of misses the point of it. I'm doing it for let's say "a greater good". Sure, exercising is hard and at times you want to say "fuck it" but in the end you're more healthy, skinny and you feel better both physically and mentally. Also I don't value my own comfort that highly - it's kind of fun to push myself actually. Sure I could eat fast food daily but - I know myself and I'd get bored and would try to find some new challenge.

To me it's the same with children. If you don't have these feelings, that's fine.

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 week ago (8 children)

This analogy doesn't really work for me, because I don't really see any benefits at all to having children.

With exercise, it's pretty obvious why you'd do it, but with kids? Honestly, I just see downsides that lead to more downsides.

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[–] dkppunk@piefed.social 15 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (6 children)

I don’t entirely disagree with you, but that is like saying people who are childfree don’t contribute to “the greater good”. I happily pay my taxes for other people’s children to be educated, I chat with the parents and kids in my neighborhood frequently, I support their school fundraisers, I helped hide a bicycle that the neighbor kid was getting for Christmas gift so it would be a surprise etc. Just because I do not have children, does not mean I do not contribute to the greater good. I push myself in other ways, I don’t need kids to push me out of my comfort zone. It’s ok that you do, but not everyone needs that

It gets incredibly tiring to be constantly told I’m not a real woman^tm^ because I don’t want children. Or that I’m going to regret it. Or that I’m not going to have anyone to take care of me when I’m old. It’s near constant up to a certain age for women to be harassed about having children from everyone when people should just mind their own business.

What’s really funny is that I live in a very family centered neighborhood with 30+ children in my cul de sac and not one of those parents have harassed me about having kids. They ask if it’s in the plans and when I say I don’t want them, they just say “that’s cool” and the conversation moves on. They are all super chill about it.

And all of my comments are from the perspective of a woman who would have very much kept and loved the child I miscarried, the child I never even knew I was pregnant with before I was miscarrying on a public restroom floor. But that was before pregnancy would have impacted my spinal fusion.

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[–] destructdisc@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

To me, there is no "greater good" to having children. From where I'm standing all you guys are doing is repeatedly dropping a rock on your feet and going "see this is so much fun, you should do it too!"

No thank you. I'm glad this brings you joy or whatever, but I do in fact value my own comfort and joy and peace of mind quite highly and so I will not be doing that.

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[–] UnequalExchange@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

"A moneyless society will never work! How do I know? A billionaire told me of course!" Type Energy 😂🤣

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