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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

584 replies

BirdPlanet · 17/05/2025 09:23

Increasingly I've heard people saying some variation of the statement 'I don't like children'. I don't see why this is in any way acceptable. You wouldn't say that you 'don't like' any other category of person. If I said I didn't like the elderly or middle-aged women as a group, I'd get slapped down, yet somehow people think it's okay to talk about children as if they aren't human beings. Is it because they can't speak or advocate for themselves? Children aren't some kind of homogeneous entity. They have personalities and different temperaments, just as adults do.

Inevitably people will say that it's used as a shorthand for disliking the behaviour of some children, but even so, that’s more of a reflection of poor parenting than anything else.

OP posts:
Rumbley · 17/05/2025 09:39

Who are these peculiar people in your life airing these views freely to you Op?

PeapodMcgee · 17/05/2025 09:39

No, I don't like the seemingly increasing amounts of specifically badly behaved, rude and obnoxious children we are expected to tolerate in public.

Neither do I like large groups of pissed up men on game day.

Neither do I like vacuous judgemental people who look you up and down if you're not 'polished'.

Neither do I like the hoards of racist, judgemental old people in my rural county who still act surprised and comment at encountering black, gay or any other person outside of their bubble

apostrophewoman · 17/05/2025 09:38

GenderFluid90 · 17/05/2025 09:32

I don't like children and prefer adults only places 🤷🏼‍♀️.

I don't like children either. It's not a crime. I don't like lots of other people as well, but especially children.

And we're allowed to be on Mumsnet, ffs, children aren't a prerequisite and there are many other subjects to talk about.

Pricelessadvice · 17/05/2025 09:38

People can like or not like whatever they want.
Some people don’t like dogs, some people don’t like drunk people and some people don’t particularly like children.
In most cases it’s not actually children they don’t like, it’s the children’s behaviour. There’s a difference.

Redpeach · 17/05/2025 09:37

Fireandflames · 17/05/2025 09:36

Yabu. I don't like other people's kids and i really don't like people in general. People are allowed to dislike whatever they want.

Even racists

GenderFluid90 · 17/05/2025 09:37

whitewineandsun · 17/05/2025 09:37

It's not the children, it's the incredibly lax parenting. For that reason, I would happily pay for childfree flights, for instance, and meals out in the evening when it's likely that no children are around.

Yeah to be fair it is the parenting that seems to bother me I think.

NotSmallButFunSize · 17/05/2025 09:37

I don't really like children and I have 3!

I like my own and (mostly) my friend's and family children. A hell of a lot of other children I just find annoying tbh

whitewineandsun · 17/05/2025 09:37

It's not the children, it's the incredibly lax parenting. For that reason, I would happily pay for childfree flights, for instance, and meals out in the evening when it's likely that no children are around.

Fireandflames · 17/05/2025 09:36

Yabu. I don't like other people's kids and i really don't like people in general. People are allowed to dislike whatever they want.

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 17/05/2025 09:36

People just mean they don’t like the lack of communication skills / noise / physicality / ceaseless questions etc etc

Young children behave in a unique way - there’s no equivalent of this in any other group of people

So I understand why anyone might dislike them

But agree that, depending on the context, it’s tactless to say so

FuzzyPuffling · 17/05/2025 09:36

It's no different to saying "I love children!", which is just as general and doesn't seem to get the same response.

Dutchhouse14 · 17/05/2025 09:35

I think it's pretty lazy tbh.
It would be totally unacceptable I don't like elderly people but it's perfectly fine to say I don't like Children.
It probably stems from the children should be seen and not heard type culture in UK.
But ultimately if I hear someone say this I take it with a pinch of salt. They usually don't literally mean they hate children. It's more that they are intolerant and don't like being slightly inconvenienced in any way by children.

GenderFluid90 · 17/05/2025 09:34

Mostly the life advice forums and the chat. Also aibu is very entertaining a lot of the time.

KoalaPineapple · 17/05/2025 09:34

GenderFluid90 · 17/05/2025 09:32

I don't like children and prefer adults only places 🤷🏼‍♀️.

What brought you to mumsnet which is primarily a mum forum just out of interest?

Redpeach · 17/05/2025 09:33

dudsville · 17/05/2025 09:30

Children haven't been fully socialised yet, they're still growing up. Therefore, they require patience. I am patient, but I don't enjoy having to be patient.

Plenty of adults are not fully socialised

Butchyrestingface · 17/05/2025 09:33

GenderFluid90 · 17/05/2025 09:32

I don't like children and prefer adults only places 🤷🏼‍♀️.

And along comes one person to say it! 😂

GenderFluid90 · 17/05/2025 09:32

I don't like children and prefer adults only places 🤷🏼‍♀️.

Butchyrestingface · 17/05/2025 09:32

Increasingly I've heard people saying some variation of the statement 'I don't like children'.

Can you be a bit more specific to as to ‘some variation’?

I haven’t really encountered many people saying they didn’t like or hated children. Are you seeing this a lot, OP?

Have heard plenty say they don’t WANT children but that’s not the same thing.

Picklechicken · 17/05/2025 09:32

Hmm I think it’s okay - that’s why you get adult only holidays and adult only spaces. Children are annoying- okay, they’re not all loud but if they’re not my own I would rather not have to listen to them.

Caerulea · 17/05/2025 09:31

Whoarethoseguys · 17/05/2025 09:26

I agree. It's ok to say I don't want to have children , or I don't want to work with children, but a blanket I don't like children is odd and unacceptable just as I don't like old people is.

Edited

I was going to say that I don't have an issue with it cos kids are noisy, messy & unpredictable and I LOVE them.

But you're totally right - it would be considered horrific to say that of elderly people, so yeah, probably not acceptable at all really.

dudsville · 17/05/2025 09:30

Children haven't been fully socialised yet, they're still growing up. Therefore, they require patience. I am patient, but I don't enjoy having to be patient.

KoalaPineapple · 17/05/2025 09:30

Yeh I hate it you can decide not to have children that’s fine but don’t say you don’t like children they’re not all the same it’s a horrible thing to say … tbh I just mentally switch off from people who say it (which I have encountered in life…)

Hoppinggreen · 17/05/2025 09:30

I am not a fan BUT I am not daft enough to say it in real life either

HardbackPaperback · 17/05/2025 09:29

A lot of Mners don’t like people in general, so I suppose it follows that they’re not going to like any subcategory of ‘people’.

BirdPlanet · 17/05/2025 09:29

'I don't like elderly women, they're annoying.'

Can you not see how offensive and silly a statement this is? I don't see why it's different for children. And not all children are noisy, some are quiet, some are loud.

OP posts:
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