How many people actually like children?

[Whitehorses67]

I detest children.

Yes, I know that is a sweeping statement and that, as with adults, children vary but as a group I find them almost universally irritating, selfish and generally unpleasant to be with.

Of course at very young ages selfishness is understandable because understanding of others needs as separate beings is a developmental stage and I excuse that (but still don’t want to be in their company) however so many older children continue in this manner to young adulthood.

This is exacerbated by the modern cult of self which encourages “putting yourself first”, “living your best life”, “being your authentic self” and other bollocky catch phrases.

A generation of wannabe “influencers” and reality tv stars is created whose only aim is money and fame and enjoying themselves.

All very well but who does that leave doing actual important work to maintain society and support others?

Does anyone else admit to not liking children? Or at least only liking your own?

This is a pretty incoherent set of ramblings that don’t seem at all linked.

What are you doing to maintain society and support others?

Some (tedious) people make “hating children” their personality and it’s pathetic, frankly.

This gives me the creeps.

Thirty years as a nurse for people with learning disabilities.
Five years in animal rescue.
7 years as a carer.

Imagine being filled with hate for the most vulnerable members of society and then posting about it on a forum primarily aimed at the very people who love them most…

Why do you hate the children and not the adults who are raising them poorly ?

I love children. If there are children growing into teenagers/young adults as you describe then I would offer that it's a sign of pretty poor parenting. I know and have known many teenagers - they are on the whole funny, quirky, mostly trying to find their path in life in a world that is much more challenging than when my generation was young.

I don’t hate children.
That implies I wish them ill. I don’t.
I just heartily dislike their company. The word hate seems to be over used these days.
Disliking children is taboo. Especially for women.
I just want to find out if many others secretly feel much the same.

And?
Presumably you got paid in exchange for working as a nurse? It wasn’t really out of the goodness of your heart.

What does this have to do with hating children?

I love children (in an appropriate way of course!!!). Worked with them for years. They are brutally honest, often lacking in tact, fun, bolshy and can be brilliant company. Depending on the age they can be totally lacking in any kind of self awareness and it’s refreshing to see.
i love seeing the cogs turning when you explain something to them for the first time in a way that they understand and it all suddenly makes sense.
They are just smaller more naive versions of ourselves. My nieces and nephews, although mostly adults now, have always been brilliant people to hang out with.

I was answering the question asked regarding what I have done to support others.
As regards pay, well I think we all know about nurses pay.
And caring is unpaid as is animal rescue but you crack on.

Oh loads of people are also really intolerant of kids, I see it a lot on here. You’re definitely not alone!!

You’re the one who brought it up, what does it have to do with disliking children?

The reality is the majority of people chose to have children so yes you’re in the minority for viscerally disliking them.

I’m on the other side of this as I genuinely like children and enjoy their company most of the time. Even the badly behaved ones.

I'm maybe with you a bit here OP.
I don't think I dislike the children themselves as we are aware that they aren't fully developed into social norms and so on.

I don't particularly like being in the company of children that are not my own. My eldest is 11 now but some of her birthday parties a few years ago were painful.
Asking a child if they would like a drink and getting a blank stare back and then my daughter being sent into the kitchen to tell me Yes X would like a drink - bah!

Children are just half-formed adults. I like some adults some of the time, I also like some children some of the time.

I love my own child to the ends of the earth. But I'm not under any illusion she's perfect, she's as flawed as the rest of us.

I find it absolutely ridiculous to say you detest children. You detest everyone from birth to 18, and then they become tolerable? That’s so clearly untrue, it’s just nonsense.

Like a PP said, some tedious people make hating children their personality.

Personally I’m not particularly interested in babies, but will show polite interest because if it’s my friend’s child I’m interested because it’s my friend (in the same way I’d show interest in a friend’s pet/hobby/job/partner/house renovations because they’re my friend, not because I find those things inherently interesting).
And then I think once you get to toddlers and older, it’s pointless making generalisations because they all have different personalities so it makes as much sense to me to say “I hate everyone in their 50s” as it does to say “I hate everyone under 18”.

Why would people who detest children want to be on a forum whose very name suggests it’s intended for people populating the world with them. I don’t really care whether you like children or if you’re vegan, catholic or mother Theresa. It’s annoying that you think it’s relevant to anyone else. You are entitled to your opinions and welcome to share them, but it’s odd to make a thread which is in such glaring opposition to the idea of the whole forum. I’m off now to pistonheads to tell them I think the internal combustion engine is evil.

You said “detest”. Which is much closer to hate than simply disliking their company tbh.

I’m not a fan of other children, but my own was and is brilliant (small exception for when she was 2&3) I’ve met a few others over the years who are fun to be with, but largely I’m not a fan. And that’s ok. We can all have our own preferences, just like I much prefer dogs to cats.

Teenagers though, they are brilliant. This next generation will do amazing things, despite the fact we’ve fucked things up for them monumentally and it’s going to be much harder for them than it was for us. I look forward to them moving our world on to be a better place.

What makes you think this generation of children won’t do those things?

I love children and have plenty of time for other people’s kids as well as my own.

It sounds to me as though you're just a bit tired of people in general and children in particular OP. Perhaps a bit tired of the modern world too?

Jesus. That’s depressing.

Why is this acceptable to say this about children? Would it be OK if someone said that they detest all those aged over 50 because they are grumpy, boring and lacking in imagination?
Fwiw I think children as a group are fascinating and hilarious.