Children are boring

[Bobbin35]

Very much following on from a thread on here about Greg James. It’s very true for me children are boring and I don’t want children. It’s very annoying that friends of mine insist I be interested in their child beyond asking how they are. If I started ensuring all my friends liked dogs, horses (that I own) I think I would lose friends very quickly but many of my friends assume I am their friend so therefore have to also be interested in their child. I’m not a bad friend I just don’t want to talk children at all just as I wouldn’t want to bore anyone I know about my horses if they are not horse people!

As many have said, if something is important to my friends, I’ll listen and talk about it, even if it bores me to death. Some people can be quite boring about their kids, but to me it’s not the same as someone going on about a pet. Even in the case of a dog/horse/gerbil bore I’ll smile and have a conversation about it.

No, children are not a "miracle". They are the product of reproduction, of evolution, as with all species. Children are all individuals and unique. So are animals - every one is different. If you just eat them rather than spending years with them, you don't ever get to realise that, but perhaps it's convenient to believe horses and dogs are "simple animals with little to no meaning". That is such a breathtakingly stupid statement.

I’m not a bad friend I just don’t want to talk children at all

that’s extremely rude of you.

Why are you even a member of mumsnet? This is literally a place for parents

I find random kids boring, but the children of people I care about are extensions of them, and as such, important to me. Just as the pets of people I care about are important by proxy.

I think you need to expand your social circle to include my child-free-by-choice people.

Lots of things are boring but sometimes if you love your friends or generally just want to get on with people you try and take an interest.

I work in a team with people without children. I am very careful not to talk about them as I don’t want to be labelled a self involved bore. I do however listen to my work friend talk about her tennis club although I find tennis very boring. I don’t expect people to be mega entertaining all the time.

I do think there’s a meanness to people who boast about finding children boring. It’s like a cool thing to belittle. I think being a parent is a big part of my life and it shouldn’t be such a big deal to acknowledge it.

I don't understand why some people with children can't understand that the willingly child free don't find children interesting. If I did, I'd have my own. Obviously I talk to my friends about their kids or whatever is going on in their lives but there are limits. Once I had to just stand up and leave the room because my friend had been speaking about her kids for 48 hours straight (very inane stuf). The other people there were child free. Relationships are give and take. I'm sure me chit chatting about my garden doesn't set my friends' world alight but I don't talk about it incessantly.

This made me quite angry. You can't ever compare children to animals. Children are human beings. You should not belittle them. You were one once...

People are different. I have no interest in children but I love my dog. For me she is as important as a child is to you. I can't imagine getting anywhere near as much joy out of a child. You just need to accept that people think differently and have different priorities.

No, sorry. It’s literally incomparable even if that offends you.

To you. It's not to me. Even if that offends you.

I have children and dogs and many other animals. All lovely. No need to try to make it a competition.

No, I have both so I can make that comparison. You can’t. It doesn’t worse in reverse.

*work

You can't tell me how I feel. This thread is about people who find kids boring. You don't. What more is there to say.

I’m not telling you how you feel, I’m telling you that you can’t say you love your dog as much as a parent loves their child because you don’t have one. You literally have no experience of parental love and therefore cannot say it’s the same as you feel for your dog. Its illogical.

It’s illogical to think all parents love their kids the same amount. It’s possible someone may love their dog more than another person loves their kids. But we can’t measure it. No need for competition. I gave kids and dogs and many other animals. They’re all loved.

"For me she is as important as a child is to you". Direct quote. Not commenting on parents. Commenting on my view of my feelings for my dog. Look forward to the "you can't know real love until you have a child" nonsense next.

But she isn’t. Even when I was childfree/childless I wouldn’t have tried to pretend I loved my dog as much as an emotionally healthy parent loves their child - it’s borderline offensive. And I adore animals and my dog.

It isn’t about ‘real love’ it’s about parental love which is in a completely different league to friendship/romantic/familial love. It’s completely primal and if it wasn’t then the human race wouldn’t have survived until now.

Of course you can love your dog, as in actually love them - like you would a family member. But not your own child - you won’t find a single poster on here who would rescue their dog from a house fire over their child, no matter how much they love their dog.

Believe it or not, from Mother Nature’s point of view a human being is no more important than a frog, a bird, a bear, a whale, a banana or a potato. It is the arrogance of humans that make them believe they are the most important creatures on this planet. They are not. So be as angry as you want, it won’t change a thing. Your are worth as much as a potato for Mother Nature 😎

But I don't have a child. So in a house fire I would save my dog first, above all else. As I assume you would save your child first. You're being very tiresome. Not everyone thinks like you. If you can't accept that then I'm wasting my time responding to you.

Yep I’m with you OP!

Ah. We've reached the point where women who don't fawn over children are nasty and selfish. Took longer this time.

Of course you would! That’s my point, you can’t assert that you love your dog as much as we love our kids because you don’t have a kid. Only people with both can really compare, and nobody would rescue their dog over their child. You’re tiresome if you can’t understand that, it’s easy logic.

Mother Nature doesn’t exist.