I am going to say the one thing that makes people very nervous: I do not want children. I enjoy kids in small doses but settling in for a lifetime of tantrums, fighting, parent teacher conferences, and debt, seems unnecessary and unhappy. Yes, parents will tell you that there are moments that make it all worth it but as a former child I think I can say with authority, there will need to be a hell of a lot more to make up for the shit my brothers and I put my parents through.
I know I am in the minority and I know that it would be really easy to say that I haven’t met the right person or I will change my mind but as my friends know, I really do not like children. I get along better and prefer adults. Babies are needy, toddlers move faster than I am willing to, I actually enjoy children between the ages of 4-10, pre-teens are too much like teenagers and teenagers are…well…teenagers. I have noticed that once a teenager hits 20 I suddenly like them. Maybe cause I have flash backs to some horrible times I had with fellow teenagers in middle and high school and am so not willing to deal with their drama.
Since moving back from college I have been able to see and understand better not only how hard it is to be a parent but the cost of being a parent. I mean having one kid must be hard but then there are families that do it multiply times?! I had to babysit these two little girls one day from about 3 pm until about midnight. So we spent the day outside playing and by the time they went to bed at 8:30/9 I was exhausted. I had to take the entire next day just to recuperate. I realized that my mother did that as well. The mere thought of doing it as a single parent just gives me nightmares. I thought, I can’t imagine this day in and day out. They were also on their best behavior with me which I KNOW is not always the case. I mean are those amazing moments worth all the work. I hate to say it but from my vantage point it’s not. I respect anyone who decides to have a family but I do no think it is for me.
So will this change? Maybe. Can I reserve the right to change my mind? Yes. Am I completely satisfied with my decision as of now? Absolutely.
Erica Is A Professional 