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

Yes and I was annoying as a child. I will be a corpse one day too, that doesn’t mean I want to hang out with them!

I dont hate kids their just not important to me.
Most adults annoy me when they bang on about their kids.

It’s fine if you don’t want to be having interactions with children. Not everybody enjoys it but we were all children once and need to remember how important some interactions were. Some interactions people carry with them through their lifetime. Both good and bad.
Hopefully those who don’t like children would still help a child who needed help and would still refrain from negative and hurtful interactions.

I'm sorry, but are we going to pretend there aren't Andrew Tate types all over the internet proudly stating how much they hate women? And that's acceptable it seems, even celebrated by some.

It’s definitely a weird form of bigotry.

However I think it’s seen as more acceptable because being a child does affect behaviour. Being elderly or middle aged doesn’t. I think the people saying that more mean they don’t like small children when they are acting like small children.

I am wary of people who say that though - how can you dislike ALL children?!

I do think it’s fine to say you prefer to be in adult only spaces though. In my gym there is a small section of the changing room that is adults only and it’s the only section I use.

I don't get this either, I must admit

I say that to my own children 😂

I don’t really like being in the company of children for several reasons, but I don’t dislike/hate all children. Children seem to like me though so I generally make the effort to interact where I can, though I am always relieved to give them back to the parents 😂. I would also never let a child suffer in any way if there was something I could do to help. I’d pretty much do anything to help any child in need, stranger or not.

Thinking about it, it's bad behaviour I don't like. So it doesn't really matter whether it's obnoxious men, women, children, dogs, etc, it's just the way they behave that irks me. I suppose children who are still young and still learning about how to fit into society are more likely to fall into that category, but like badly behaved dogs, my resentment is reserved for the adults that are supposed to be parenting/training them into good behaviour.

Really, it's just people who are rude or nasty, inconsiderate to others, thieves, hooligans and vandals. People like that. I despise them because they don't give a monkeys about others. Kids are okay though, they might be blunter than necessary or prone to being noisy or thoughtless, but they're kids and still have time to learn social skills.

just to add thoygh: for some reason children seem to really like me and flock to me!

It is unacceptable to say anything that might upset anyone. If in real life people would say more often to themselves 'Who gives a shit about my opinion', and keep their gobs shut about everything apart from the weather and similar, the world would be a much nicer place. To express opinions without upsetting people in real life there is MN and other forums, where you can venture an opinion because everyone is anonymised.

Basically, in real life there is no need at all to say 'I don't like children' because you should realise your opinion is of no interest to anyone.

I don’t like children, I find them unpredictable and noisy. They make me feel on edge generally.

I would say this but only in a context where it was relevant. So if someone asked if I wanted to something where lots of children would be present, ie go to the zoo, I like animals, I would like to go to the zoo but I would choose a time there is likely to be less children present as I don’t like children.

If DH asks me to help out at his nephews birthday party he would know it’s a big deal for me as I don’t like children.

Those ginger kids are the ones you have to look out for

It's just a generalisation. Honestly there are bigger things to worry about. I often say i don't like people. And in truth i am very particular with who I like and don't. Not liking people isn't the same as actively disliking them by the way. I am neutral with the very vast majority of people, they do not interest me. But when I care I really do. I understand some people not having positive feelings towards children as a generalisation. It doesn't mean they hate all children. And as long as they still behave respectfully (as I do with people in general) who cares.

Yeah this. ^ I doubt anyone actually hates all children. Saying 'I don't like children' is a way for childfree people to shut people down who keep blathering on about them, like they're the bees bollocks. When you're childfree, some people with children think if they parp on about their wonderful offspring, that the childfree person in question will magically want a child! 😆

I've got two children but can't deny that overall children are annoying! Some people prefer adult company, I'm not sure what's so controversial about that?

I wouldn’t say that I like or dislike children. I do find there is more effort involved in spending time with children than with adults, and I’m a lazy low effort kind of person, so generally don’t have the inclination to spend time with kids. When you’re spending time with children, you have to adapt how you communicate, and children also often expect to be entertained- this is not the case with other groups. I prefer adult-only hotels these days because children are more prone to sudden loud noises than adults are and I don’t like sudden loud noises.

I do have children who are almost adults now and although I coped fine when they were little, I don’t really miss the noise and chaos.

Maybe it's to a large degree also how irritating some parents about their perfect children who are the most special people ever born a d to whom everyone else must pander saying you don't .like children ends the endless talk about these special ones.

Meh, how’s it any different to saying you like children?

At my leaving do (to have a baby) my boss told me that she hated babies and that "king Herod had the right idea".

Who exactly is anyone offending by saying they don't like children?

I always think along similar lines when I see signs on shop doors saying things like only 2 schoolchildren at a time. (And our local Lidl has security on the door before/after school, and a one out/one in policy for unaccompanied schoolchildren, so there’s always a long queue of kids either side of the school day.) I absolutely get why, but can’t help feeling it’s also strange that it’s acceptable to single children out in this way, when it wouldn’t be considered okay for any other group.
Having said that, my DH always says doesn’t like babies; once they begin talking, he thinks they’re much more interesting. I can understand that. And I also understand that young children in particular can be less socially aware — and their behaviour/noise as a result may not be everyone’s cup of tea…

Don’t be silly OP.

we police people’s words far too much.

It has been accepted for men to say they don’t like children for hundreds of years. What the issue is now some women are saying it:

They really mean, in the majority of cases, they have no interest in spending time with children. And that, of course, is absolutely fine.

as long as they aren’t harming children what is there to get so worked up about?

I'm not keen although I'd never say it. I loved my own children, now adults, and love grandson but wouldn't go out of my way to spend time with children and generally avoid where they gather.

Are we allowed to say we prefer chickens and ducks to dogs?