To think it's unacceptable to say you don't like children?

Individuals, regardless of age, can be annoying for a variety of reasons. Disliking a sub section of humanity without any specific reason seems lazy to me.

Of course some kids are irritating, loud, unruly and attention seeking (some might use the word ‘brat’). But so are some adults. Some children are an absolute joy to be around, kind and sweet and bring a lot of happiness wherever they go.

If someone doesn't appreciate this "type" of child, there is no hope for them and it may be best to avoid them. They are probably misanthropes.

Pizza?!

Every single time 🤦‍♀️

Just out of interest, what makes you think that you have to have given birth to have an opinion on 90% of the different topics on MN? Such as FWR, Telly Addicts, Relationships, Chat, Sporners Corner etc?

To be honest I’m not mad keen on kids. I loved my own (they are adults now and I still love them) but I’m not very good with other people’s kids. I’d always choose an adult only hotel etc. I don’t find interacting with them easy but maybe says more about me than kids in general.

Is it not obvious it's a shorthand for 'I don't like [generalised behaviour typically associated with children]' and not a blanket 'I despise everyone under the age of 18'?

In the same way that saying you don't like dogs probably means you don't like the smell or being jumped on or being licked. I've probably said I don't like kids in the past - for me that would be shorthand for 'children aged about 4-10 ask loads of questions and monopolise conversations and tend to get in your personal space', I actually love babies and teenagers are fine and 4-10 year olds who aren't noisy and conversation-hogs are also fine. But it's just something people say, isn't it?

I admit it does sound wrong to generalise like that, but on the whole I wouldn't choose to spend time with children. That's because I don't like doing the sort of things children like doing, I'm not very patient and I don't find children's conversation very interesting. If I go on holiday, I'll avoid children-friendly places in the same way as I'd avoid dog-friendly places. So in that sense, I don't think it's wrong for me to say I mostly am not keen on being with children. It doesn't mean I think children are horrible.

Anyone who says something so unbelievably generalised as “I don’t like children” or “I don’t like old people”

aren’t exactly the sharpest tool in the box so I’d probably chuckle if I heard someone say this.

Thankfully… I never have!

I can see both sides. I love my own kids, but there are lots and lots of children I wouldn't choose to spend time with.
I don't like cats either. I'm sure some cats are gentle and some are playful and some are independent etc. But I don't like cats. I find the basic thing that makes them a cat to not be to my liking. So I can sort of see how people feel the same about children. Children have some innate qualities to do with purely being young, that I can see why people would find irritating, however nice the individual child is.

I prefer dogs. If I ask to stroke your dog it’s fine but I can’t stroke a random child lol

I don't think it's unacceptable to express a dislike for anything or anyone! If you don't like my personal opinion on something, then that's your problem.

I don't like pizza, bigots, anyone who rides a bike on a public footpath and cats, but that's just me expressing my personal preference. If people don't like children, that's their choice.

Well the OP

Unacceptable to whom?

I like all the subjects….EXCEPT the children centric ones! I’m not interested in those ones. I’m not overly fond of children, l prefer not to be in their company, but as others upthread have said, I often dislike their parents even more!

I like spending time with my children and also their friends and our extended family with young children. I don't like loud parents who seem to be more common these days or people who are competitive about their children but anyone else is good!

What do you suggest we do? Get sacked from our jobs? Get de-platformed? Stigmatised by the colleagues and miss our promotion? What do we do? Obviously we continue to lie and then express our views at the ballot box. But in the meantime we keep schtum, which is the most sensible thing to do - in real life, again I stress, in real life. On MN people (I hope) can express their real anonymised views.

I like my children but I don't generally like others people children. I don't see an issue with saying that at all.

“Only in the UK”…

What nonsense.

I don’t like children? I love my own and I’m fond of those of my friends and family etc but as a general rule, I don’t like children. Don’t get me wrong, I’d never hurt a child, I just don’t like them…so any jobs that involve children like teachers, summer camp activities supervisor etc would be a hard pass for me! I don’t see a problem with saying it, it’s fact 🤷🏻‍♀️

This only says lots about the poster and absolutely nothing about children.

Abd when do some people actually reach this 'grown up' status ?..... hmm!

I’m the same as you. I actually really like dogs but don’t want the responsibility. I totally understand people not wanting the responsibility of bringing up children. I also understand if they say that they can’t relate to children. I couldn’t, before I had nieces and nephews and then my own DDs.

Disliking all children IMO makes no sense. You were once a child yourself, as has been pointed out several times.

I don't like children and I don't like dogs - couldn't care less what other people think about that.

That was my reply and i disagree with your version of 'uppity'.

Carry on.

This is a weird thing to be bothered by.

Don't be daft.

People say it all the time about all types of people.

And happens allllllllllllllthe time on MN.

Were you not here during Brexit? or COVID? all the threads about Reform/the Tories/trans/dogs.

It's opinion. So long as the individual isn't actively harming the group they're talking about, it doesn't matter.

It's just opinion. And people are, and should be, allowed to have opinions.