Does my husband count as a child?

Some days I wish they had never been born, some days they are the best thing I ever did. There wasn't an option for that, so I lamely voted for the top one.

>> ^Lann:

Does my husband count as a child?

Yes but he does not count as your child, at least for the purposes of this poll.

Wife is currently pregnant with triplets. (Watching and learning about their development has certainly influenced my opinion on abortion, which may provide some perspective on a few of my recent posts.)

Congrats @ReverendTed!

I do not want to have children, not only for personal reasons but also because the world is overpopulated enough as is, and frankly, if I ever change my mind about having noisy shit-factories and nerve-wrackers I cannot be rid off (can you tell I grew up in a large family?), there are plenty of deserving children who did not choose to be born to irresponsible or now-dead parents and would need new ones. So yeah, if I change my mind, I'd adopt, but I do not in any way look down on people who responsibly choose to have children of their own, nor do I on those who decide to abort.

(edit: wanting to experience pregnancy is a very different, very selfish desire altogether)

I'm in the same boat as @hpqp. I also really don't get IVF. If you really want a child and you can't conceive, why not adopt?

That's not to say I don't like kids; I do. I actually teach a kids Aikido class at my dojo. I just like giving them back

2 sons, 13 and 9

Glad they're here to experience the place and would change another 5 million shitty nappys to make sure they have as good a go at it as myself so far....

>> ^chingalera:

2 sons, 13 and 9
Glad they're here to experience the place and would change another 5 million shitty nappys to make sure they have as good a go at it as myself so far....


Good to know that Videosift will not want for trolls when your time is up, chogs.

>> ^ant:

Younglings are annoying.


Like an ant infestation.

>> ^ReverendTed:

Wife is currently pregnant with triplets. (Watching and learning about their development has certainly influenced my opinion on abortion, which may provide some perspective on a few of my recent posts.)


Damn Ted, I feel ya brother, what a wirlwinfd of excitement and trepidation you must be a-wigglin' with right now!! Congratulations and Best Wishes!!

Advice: They have support groups for expecting fathers for gentlemen as such in your state of... uncertainty. I hear they're proctored by fathers of cheerleaders and career airline stewardesses

It'll be ok Ted, really!!!

>> ^ChaosEngine:

I'm in the same boat as @hpqp. I also really don't get IVF. If you really want a child and you can't conceive, why not adopt?
My wife and I did go through fertility treatments (and yes, that and a hefty dose of chance contributed to the outcome of triplets), but only hormone injections and IUI. However, we had decided that if it came down to trying IVF, we were going to adopt. That said, I can see why some might choose that route. We wanted a child who was ours biologically, and we decided how far we were willing to go for that outcome.
>> ^chingalera:
Damn Ted, I feel ya brother, what a wirlwinfd of excitement and trepidation you must be a-wigglin' with right now!! Congratulations and Best Wishes!!
Advice: They have support groups for expecting fathers for gentlemen as such in your state of... uncertainty. I hear they're proctored by fathers of cheerleaders and career airline stewardesses
Thanks for the sentiment, but I'll say I have a peace about it. I know that it's likely to be the most challenging years of my life, and I can't say I'm not anxious, but it is what it is. We almost certainly couldn't handle it by ourselves, and we're thankful that we won't have to. Our friends and families are there for us, and we're so grateful to them for it.

No kids. Not now, not ever.

Prolonged exposure to human beings makes me uncomfortable, not to mention forced interaction.

Let me give the same answer I gave to this question 10 years ago:
I'll have kids when either I or the world changes, and I consider both highly unlikely.

It's great being a cynic.

Just eat a lot of PF Changs. Virtually the same experience:
http://www.myspace.com/video/nick-y-gt/randy-taking-a-shit/20061693


>> ^hpqp:
(edit: wanting to experience pregnancy is a very different, very selfish desire altogether)

Being responsible for another life seems like a horrible stressful burden to me. It scares the shit out of me just thinking about it.

I had always figured, "Sure, I suppose I'll have kids some day." My wife didn't really dig the idea of kids, so I figured, "Sure, we'll be fine just enjoying ourselves for the rest of our days," because we always loved the idea of seeing the world and kids would just get in the way, we thought.

After returning from our first disappointingly anticlimactic trip to Europe, I started feeling, "Wow, is that all there is to life? There has to be more." Generally I started looking forward to my deathbed and knowing I'd look back regretting that I never experienced fatherhood. The seed was planted a month later.

My second son is on the way and due 7 weeks from today, and my first son is now 20 months old. It's just not possible to completely explain to someone else how incredible and fulfilling it is, but it has already been the experience of a lifetime, and I wish I'd gotten started when I was younger. Now I've decided I'm too close to 40 to have any more, otherwise I'd have shot for a quad of small fries.

Parenthood isn't for everyone, so I don't wish it upon anyone, especially not self-centered/egocentric people who would just bring more undesirable dipshits into the world.

How else am I going to be able to see the world through a kid's eye again?
Definitely yes, but not right now... I have things to waste time on.

Don't we all!



_{*scuttles off to argue lengthily on the intertubes*}>> ^luxury_pie:

...I have things to waste time on.

>> ^ant:

Adopt me.
Gladly! Now, all new members of our family begin with a ritual "chocolate bath". Don't worry, this is something we've all done and has absolutely nothing to do with your arthopodal nature.

>> ^ReverendTed:

>> ^ant:
Adopt me.
Gladly! Now, all new members of our family begin with a ritual "chocolate bath". Don't worry, this is something we've all done and has absolutely nothing to do with your arthopodal nature.


Are you sure you won't eat me?

Voting for this poll ended with the majority of users voting I neither have nor want children.

>> ^siftbot:

Voting for this poll ended with the majority of Sifters voting "I neither have nor want children."
...and the world breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Interesting... Actually, no - that's not interesting at all!