Do you want a kid/kids?

[JustaLilBitaLuck]

Absolutely not. Never. No way.

I have an extremely strong dislike of children. I go out of my way to avoid children. I don't even like children that are related to me (my cousins drive me up the wall). I really only have two dealbreakers in relationships - must love dogs and must dislike children. :d

 

[sassafras]

Nay, and that ship has sailed anyway. I enjoy being an aunt, though.

 

[Greenmagick]

I never wanted kids growing up. Around 20ish (after I had been living with now DH for a couple years) I started thinking maybe after I was 30. Then all of a sudden at 24 I got an urge. I started doing what I always do lol, read read read. And for me, that made the difference. I felt confident (well as confident as you can) in becoming a mother, a family and the next year we decided to start trying (after we got married). First time took lol. I thought I wanted three. Then Lilah was really really hard. But we got through it. The nice thing about children is things change, they do grow When she was a year we decided to try for a second and again, first time took. They are 21 months apart and for me that is just perfect. Lilah was young enough to not really realize everything changed with adding a brother. She was old enough to not need me constantly. I did tandem nurse for 2 years but that was not a big deal and I think was actually a plus...instant bonding/calming time with bonus of rest for me

 

[elegy]

Not really. Plus I'm 34 and hopelessly single, so I may not ever get the option if I wanted it. :-/

 

[LostAndConfused]

I voted undecided, leaning towards yes.

That said, I'm very much OK with the married w/ no kids gig we've got going on and being the world's most awesome aunt. If we do decide to do the kid thing, it'll probably be 3-7 years.

 

[*blackrose]

Yes, I do. I don't know how many (two or three sounds nice) and being pregnant/going through childbirth scares the ever loving crap out of me, but I do want to have kids. My boyfriend and I were talking about it the other day and he asked me when I wanted to have children. I had never really thought about it, but having one or two by the time I'm thirty sounds like a good idea to me. Five years sounds like a good time line for me. LOL
I think a big thing will be what his Navy career ends up doing...I'm not sure how I feel about being pregnant/giving birth/raising a child without him being there for it. We'll cross that bridge when we get there, I suppose.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

We're financially ready and have a stable home life, but I'm just not... ready for a lifestyle change for something I'm not 100% I want. The last thing I'd want is to regret having a child. There is so much that I would miss and so much I haven't experienced yet. I love traveling internationally with my husband. I know you can still do that with a child, but you can't really pub crawl in Ireland or go ziplining in Central America with a young child!

And then, there's the teenage stage where there is a good chance that your child will want nothing to do with you! Thinking about that makes me not want a child at all! LOL.

my brother has done both of these--and has three children ages 6, 3, and 1. As for teenagers--my experience is that they love/hate you--and what happens is really all about communication.

 

[LauraLeigh]

My guys were surprises, when I was very young and far from secure. I don't have any regrets though it would have been nice to be more financially stable when they were young... In a way though I think our early struggles helped them in the long run in a way, they understand struggles and have a natural empathy for those in similar situation.. (Not saying you have to struggle to understand or empathize with others going through it, it just gives you an "I've been there" kind of empathy)

Having said that all my life I wanted to be a Mom, from as young as I can remember so even if it had been later, it would likely have been the same end result... My daughter is the same and managed to find a Husband who was, even at a younger age looking to settle and have a family, they are trying for baby two, but not having any luck yet

 

[MinPinOwner]

No, I'm not used to kids and wouldn't be a good parent.

 

[Blue_Dog]

I like kids, I'm at school to be a history teacher and I've always enjoyed being around them. However I have never wanted kids. When I was little I asked my Dad where babies come from and he told me that God put them in women's stomachs. I prayed to God everyday for ages to not make me pregnant because I thought he didn't give you a choice. XD And then when I was like 9 I thought you had to have kids when you got married and so swore off marriage. So as of right now I really don't want kids. I don't ever see myself with them either.

 

[Paige]

I never wanted children until I ended up pregnant. My whole mindset is different now. I love Briggs. I am excited for my second. I'd consider a third with more of a gap between too. I am considering fostering and adopting too when I'm in my 30s. Having Briggs made me not care about the missed opportunities I may have because of being a mom. To me I am missing out on nothing. Instead I get to do things childless people would be missing out on. It isn't even a sacrifice. It's just the way it is and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[ThoseWordsAtBest]

Nope. I'd rather eat my own hair than have a child.

 

[Maxy24]

I said undecided but leaning towards no. I really enjoy kids, love them a lot, but only infant through elementary school. I don't like the idea of having a "kid" forever lol. I'd more enjoy working with little kids. I also don't expect I'll ever get married or have sex since I don't seem to really form meaningful relationships with people anymore and have zero desire for such things, so where these children would come from I don't know. I am also really looking forward to emersing myself in dogs, getting a job in pets, getting into dog sports or activities, volunteering at shelters, etc. I just feel I'd be the type of mom who loves my dog as much as my kid and the kid would notice. My roommates step mom is really focused on her dog (more so than she has ever been on him) and he is seriously jealous about it and resents the dog because of it.

 

[sparks19]

I never wanted children until I ended up pregnant. My whole mindset is different now. I love Briggs. I am excited for my second. I'd consider a third with more of a gap between too. I am considering fostering and adopting too when I'm in my 30s. Having Briggs made me not care about the missed opportunities I may have because of being a mom. To me I am missing out on nothing. Instead I get to do things childless people would be missing out on. It isn't even a sacrifice. It's just the way it is and I wouldn't have it any other way.

This

I don't feel like I am missing out on anything. I wOuld be missing out on so much more without Hannah. She has provided more opportunities for me than I ever imagined. I've met so many people because of her and have new and wonderful friendships because of her

I've sowed my wild oats. I did my partying and jet setting, etc. i don't have much desire to be "the old lady" in the bar anymore lol.

I also really hope that when hannah is my age that we have the relationship that I have with my mother. We had our ups and downs. At one point my mom kicked me out of her house. We didn't talk for probably a year but eventually I grew up and realized what a brat I had been and how horribly I treated her at that time (although really most of my life we had always been extremely close). Now she is my best friend (tied with hubby lol). Becoming a mother made me really miss and appreciate my mother so muh more and in a way I hadn't before

 

[JessLough]

Erm... Reading comprehension. I don't has it.

 

[Whisper]

I have no idea. I don't think so. When I was only about 10 years old I was sure I would want a daughter, then some years later it turned into "HELLS NO! NO KIDS EVAR!" Lately it does feel like that inner clock is ticking, but when I picture my future there aren't kids in it. Mostly lots and lots of dogs.

 

[blue]

Watch the movie Idiocracy.

 

[Hillside]

No, nay, never. I have never wanted kids, have never enjoyed being around them. I can't think of anything that would make me more miserable.

 

[iwantmypup]

No. I'm all morbid and stuff, I don't think I'm living for 50+ years, so I don't want to really have kids...there's so much else I want to do.
And at the same time, I don't want to get married either.
A life of being awesome and solo? Heck yeah

 

[puppydog]

Hell yes! We are going to start trying July next year. It seems a lifetime away!