Parents hate the Childfree

And if they did envy them, for most it's a fleeting thought. No one is going to seriously regret having children for the sake of a lie in/ holiday/ night out. I get that people are happy with their choices and live their lives the way they want but childfree people don't have feelings towards a child that will never exist, versus the way parents feel about their children and knowing what it's like.

I sort of prefer childfree people. My friends with children spend a lot of time talking about them and their issues and it can become a verbal mine-field. My best mate is childfree by choice (largely) and she’s a good advisor. She tends to see it from the kids’ POV cos she’s not got the lens of parenthood. Sometimes I think she’s maybe not totally realistic but then again, who is.

Exactly this. The 'mothers envy the childree' type posters act as if women with children were born with children! 😆 They had a childfree life before they had children. YES they really did!

🙄 THIS is the kind of divisive, goady nonsense we don't need. Just stop it! Parents/mothers do not envy the childfree FFS. Any more than the childfree envy them. Give your head a wobble.

What do they envy? They had the same things the childfree have and chose a different path.

I think those who snark are bitter, and envy the childfree.

That isn't what that post says at all.
It just mentions child-free people possibly being embittered.
It didn't say that parents dislike child-free people.

But you're doing the same thing. Looking for the minority voice and turning the proverbial molehill into a mountain?...

I've just had a quick look and it's virtually identical to this. 200 posts saying "don't care really" but a small group determined to highlight the odd post that doesn't. Then, identical to this thread, most people get frustrated at the deliberate cherry picking to misrepresent the situation and state so, and this guarantees a response of "well you must be so bothered by me because you're replying 🤣🤣🤣". Three or four of the same posters all backing each other up, ignoring 99% of posts, until they shout over everyone else, then declaring how they've cleverly defeated another "attack" of the parents.

The ones I've just read are definitely like this OP.

I do appreciate you'll get a smattering of people like that in all walks of life, who do a disservice to most of the silent majority of the group they represent.

One of my dearest friends is childfree because she did not ever want them or feel that she had any interest in them. I am the opposite and yet we have a wonderful friendship. It really is not an issue for me, people should do what they want and I think that at least today there is less pressure on women to reproduce. In the past parenthood was not really seen as optional, people just seemed to see as inevitable rather than a choice. I do sometimes wonder if I would do it again if I could go back in time

As a parent I’m too busy to be thinking about the “child free” very much 🤷‍♀️

When I meet another adult, unless they are actually accompanied by their children or in a place where they wouldn't be if they didn't have children, I have no idea or real interest in whether they have kids or not.

I don't judge people based on whether or not they have children, I just do it based on the adult in front of me.

Why are you making your entire personality about having or not having a child OP?

Why "hate" @Youstolemygoddamnhouse?

Why so immoderate? Why the capitals on Childfree? It's not as if it was a political party.

I don't hate the childfree at all. Some people are obnoxious about it and how much they hate children and parents in their turn and they're annoying but it is what it is.

Why the hell is this such a contentious topic?

Is it the new jam or cream first?

Eh? You do realise that childless people can be friends with people with children, they can be colleagues with them etc. Of course paths cross.

I was thinking this too. I chose to have my children because I wanted a life with my own children in it. So it makes no sense that I would be jealous of childfree people when they’re literally living the opposite of how I want my life to be.

This. Whether someone is childfree or not is none of my business and doesn't change how I feel about them one way or another. Who cares

One is a period of time. The other is a lifelong mindset. And how would someone with children know what a whole life without children is?

How so? And how would a childfree person know, given they have not lived both experiences?

If that's your experience fine, but I was childfree until 33 and never once came accross that. Just childfree people ramming it down others throat.

I definitely see a lot of posts about childfree people not being considerate on here. You only have to look at the outrage when someone gets invited to a childfree wedding then there was the thread yesterday about childfree people hating kids and the one about neighbours not being happy with noisy kids and that’s just this weekend. I’ve got kids myself but on MN everyone expects other people to bend over backwards for their kids otherwise they are haters.

Not true. Life without children is not the same as life before children.

Yes they do. Not often, but we have had people come on to tell us we’ll regret it when we’re old and lonely, “mark their words”. And many opposed the setting up of the board in the first place and came on to argue the toss about what childfree really means.

What you forget OP is that everyone who has children knows what it’s like not to have them. Choosing to stay without them isn’t a special or exciting thing deserving of praise or attention. You’ve made a whole thread to paint yourself as both special and a victim.

Do they...or like this thread, does the OP cherry pick the minority that suits their narrative?