Do you want to have kids?

[Joe Republic]

A friend of mine shared this on FB a few days ago, and seems very relevant to post here:

http://www.therooster.com/blog/10-brutally-real-reasons-why-millennials-refuse-have-kids

[Joe Republic]

A friend of mine shared this on FB a few days ago, and seems very relevant to post here:

http://www.therooster.com/blog/10-brutally-real-reasons-why-millennials-refuse-have-kids

Why do millennials think their problems are so unique?  It's a common theme.  Literally everything in that article could apply to any point in time ever. 

You can easily take away the "we millennials are the revolution!!" tone, and still be left with several very valid reasons not to want children.  (Although I would maintain that becoming financially secure enough to support children is happening later and later than previous generations.)

[Joe Republic]

As for not liking children, obviously that involves a sweeping generalization.  My toddler nephews are awesome, for example.  But I'm sure I'm not the only person who sees the similarity between being around small children, and being the only sober adult in a group of drunk people.  That sh**t is tedious and annoying, and I literally count down the minutes until I can escape from it.

[Joe Republic]

But I'm sure I'm not the only person who sees the similarity between being around small children, and being the only sober adult in a group of drunk people.

And that's a horrible thing to say. Small children are in a developmental stage that everyone goes through, they've done nothing wrong or shortsighted or even voluntary in being the way they are, and they ought to be fully integrated into society's everyday life and socialized in age-mixed company whenever practicable so they have a wide spectrum of possible adult role models and don't grow up atomized and depressed. Your (or any adult's) being annoyed with them is simply not as important to society or to the world as their being well-socialized and growing up well-adjusted.

Oh, calm down.  It's just an amusing observation my friends and I made several years ago (and hardly an original one, I'm sure).  Jesus.

[Joe Republic]

  Always a barrel of laughs.

[Joe Republic]

TRIGGER WARNING: not for those suffering from terminal intellectualism:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1LUHzr5vj8

https://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/reasons-kids-are-pretty-much-just-tiny-drunk-adults?utm_term=.glqNlb9a6K#.hozGmBlePy

[Joe Republic]

My username is 'The Donald' and my signature has a picture of Donald Winnicott in it, so, yes, I do think I have a pretty good sense of humor.

...

Um, if that sentence was intentionally funny, then I can't exactly disagree.  I mean, anything involving Donald Winnicott is guaranteed hilarious!! *



*who tf is donald winnicott tho

Certainly better than whatever the [Inks] 'Bingdu Mag' is.

For a moment you lost me.  At first I thought this some 15th century Burmese philosopher you were referencing for whatever tedious point you were trying to make... then I noticed it was the name of the YouTube account I posted...?  Not sure why that was relevant for you to point out, but anyway the video was intended for those without gray lives to enjoy.  I did post a TW for you, so don't blame me that you ignored it.

[Joe Republic]

As for not liking children, obviously that involves a sweeping generalization.  My toddler nephews are awesome, for example.  But I'm sure I'm not the only person who sees the similarity between being around small children, and being the only sober adult in a group of drunk people.  That sh**t is tedious and annoying, and I literally count down the minutes until I can escape from it.

If small children are acting drunk then something is wrong.

I have a feeling you might enjoy the video I posted above.

[Joe Republic]

Thinking about this thread a bit more today, I remembered my original post here:

A friend of mine shared this on FB a few days ago, and seems very relevant to post here:

http://www.therooster.com/blog/10-brutally-real-reasons-why-millennials-refuse-have-kids

... and that when my friend shared that article, she received about a dozen 'likes', and then sparked an interesting comment-discussion between her and several of her friends who all agreed that, in a nutshell, they were tired of society trying to shame them for not wanting children.  It certainly resonated with me, too.

[#analysis]
I guess I find it interesting that society has a way to ensure the survival and growth of the human race, by shaming those who don't want to participate in reproduction (* the only basic instinct that an individual can ignore and still survive).

"You don't want children?  What's wrong with you?"
"You often feel awkward and uncomfortable around children?  Are you sick?!  Children are amazing!!"

You could even look at one aspect of the gay marriage debate.  "Of course you can't get married; you can't even reproduce!"  Then once people realized that gay parents can and do exist quite easily, the wall of opposition suddenly had another hole smashed through it.
[/#analysis]


This thread in particular also made me understand that there is a gaping gulf between the culture of my RL social circle and this forum community.  (I now know how BRTD feels...!)  I don't know yet if that's necessarily a good thing or not, but it's certainly making me wonder if I should give AAD another try...

[Joe Republic]

Even I don't know what this thread is any more, or if it's an improvement.