Is it offensive to ask why someone never had kids? kid

[Roundtheroundabout27]

I come from a religious community where ppl mostly get married young and have families and life revolves a lot around family lifestyle. It would be offensive to ask anyone in the community why they didn't have kids.

I'm highly pregnant and going to meet an elderly'ish client out of the community who never had kids.

Just trying to understand if it would cause offense to discuss if this came up?

Imagine if this was the other way round would you like it? I was sick of hearing people say similar to me took us 11 years to have our son

I’ve got close friends who’ve never had kids. I wouldn’t dream of asking them why. It’s a deeply personal question.

Incredibly rude to ask Why Not.

MYOB.

It's such a can of worms I wouldn't go there.

To an elderly client, yes it's offensive or at least rude.

It is a conversation I'd be happy to have with a close family member or really close friend, depending on the relationship. Never with a client.

If the childless person brings it up and wants to talk about it, fine; but not acceptable to raise the topic yourself. Just as it wouldn't be acceptable to look at you and comment that you're very young to be pregnant and was it planned.

About the only situation I can think of where this would be appropriate with an elderly client is if you need to have a conversation around their next of kin, power of attorney and so on. Not why they don't have children, but what support networks they've got in place and who should be contacted in an emergency.

In what capacity is she a client of yours?
How would you feel if she asked you why the hell you're bothering having kids?

Maybe if you are ghostwriting her autobiography.

Of course it's offensive, generally asked by thick as pig shit other women trying to get a dig in in my own experience. I've started to respond honestly, whereas I used to try and be tactful. They don't seem to like the stories of baby deaths for some reason, makes them uncomfortable. Good.

And even then, that’s not going to be in session one!

It's inappropriate and also implies that having children is some sort of default. Do you also go round asking people why they DO have children?

Quite a few of the replies saying it's wrong are making that assumption

Can always turn it around to why did you???

Yes, don’t go there also none of your business.

Yes, but that opens the way to ‘you’ve never known love etc etc…’

Why did you have kids OP?
No really WHY?
What is the very specific reason why you chose to have children.

Fucking annoying isn't it?