to not enjoy the company of some children?

[londonlogin]

I know I'm the grown up and I keep my polite face on when in their company but some kids I just don't like.

I have permanently fallen out with a certain branch of my family over my cousin's charmless, indulged and poorly-behaved children. However, to be fair, I blame their parents more for that.

My own DD is now 15, and I don't mind admitting that I find very small children, especially when they are pre-verbal, very wearing. (I make allowances for children with SN without speech).

I have found that when I am not keen on the children I find their parents very annoying

Most children I like and young children seem to really like me the probably sense I am a push over a mile off

A friend has three girls. One of the girls I really do not like being around she is rude cheeky according to my friend and sneaky and spitful or spirited I avoid seeing her in the holidays

There are a number of the dcs' friends I don't like. They are not always the rude or wild ones either - sometimes I can't put my finger on why I dislike them, but I do!

Oh god I've got a friend, a really good friend, and I feel like this about her child.

He is spoilt, hyper, rude and he and his mum "clash" something rotten.

I feel awful thinking it, we went to to zoo together on Saturday and although we had a nice day her ds did his usual, screaming, demanding things, telling my(much younger) dc to shut up, telling me to shut up, running off out of sight etc.

It's exhausting but imo she doesn't deal with it well, she is quite shouty and gets so stressed(understandable) but you can see the tension and stress seeping back and forth between them.

It's hard to take, and I feel for her as he is a handful but a few hrs with them is enough.

Yup, a kid who plays in the street with my daughter and all the other kids. She's taken a strong dislike to my child and is insidiously nasty to her all the time, I'm not being precious mummy here but in this case (which is rare, admittedly) my daughter really hasn't done anything to this child. The other kids, their parents and general neighbours have witnessed this kid's spite towards her but as a rule I don't get involved in kid's arguments because they generally sort it out themselves. But now this child's younger sister who is best friends with my daughter (and this kid is lovely) has been banned from playing with my daughter on account of horrible child's manipulative lies.

She's to be reported to the teacher if they're caught playing together.

Yeah, we'll see about that. I saw her playing in the street the other day and blatantly stopping another kid from calling for mine, I really had to stop myself going out there and giving her hell.

Why on earth would that be unreasonable?

It is not unreasonable to not enjoy the company of some people.

People who are young are not automatically more enjoyable to be around than adults. It's often the other way around, they can be less enjoyable to be around because they have not yet learned the social behaviour that we use to be less annoying to others.

Thanks everyone, remember this is an anonymous forum so confess away...

One kid I've never liked, never warmed too, his parents are great but as he's moved from toddler to an eight year old you can see he's so competitive and it's tipped over to mean.

One perfectly lovely girl, nice manners, good attitude, etc I wince when I hear her squeaky voice.

In real life it would be totally unreasonable to voice these miserable observations about young people so I keep quiet but I'm sure the kids pick up on it somehow.

I quite like most kids but I strongly dislike very manipulative kids (and I know a few aged 5/6/7). They are often little dictators who get thier own way above other adult/childrens needs. They also dictate what other children have to be/say/do in play situations to the point of bullying. They have no idea what being fair is.

I also dislike very competative children that HAVE to be better then everyone else.

I work with young teens and there are some I really dislike. I can cope with them being horrid to me when its obvious they're not really thinking about it and just want to do their own thing but some really go out of their way to be nasty and upset you. Even that I can cope with after a break but its when they are nasty and spiteful to others around them that I really start to dislike them.

Out of the few hundred I work with there are maybe 3 or 4 I feel this way about so its not common.

Also they would have no idea I feel this way as I am very good at being ever so calm and pleasant.

Well done Madam Folly, I could never be a teacher or work fulltime with young people, I'm sure my facade would quickly crumble.

• Can't stand being around 'sick' people, no professional distance would get really upset or 'pull yourself together, nothing in the midddle so that ruled out another huge sector.

Definitely not unreasonable. I am not keen on other people's children either. Teaching or childcare would my idea of career hell although I am appreciative of those who good at it and enjoy it

some children are just not likeable though are they?

What a relief to find this thread! I,ve started avoiding a very good friend because I just can't stand her child! (Not that I never show it), totally the parents fault as she,s been completely spoilt but she's sneaky, demanding, has to dominate every conversation, pinches other children who don't do things her way...etc etc.... She,s a little shit and unfortunately it's becoming obvious that other kids don't like her. I know this upsets my friend but I don't know how to say to her that its because her daughter is a spoilt little madam who needs a good telling off!!!!

And I normally love all kids, I think they each have something fun about them, just not this one particular kid!!!

I feel really guilty typing this but I find this with some children. There is one in particular and I feel such a bitch about it but I find him very demanding, lots of tantrums and not very polite. I think the thing that bugs me is the parents / relatives response, there are times that his behaviour is very embarrassing and spoil things. As my DS and he get on well they are often pushed together by the families so we see a lot of him and get manipulated into having him on sleepovers.

I have seen a lot of threads where the OP will have a specific instance and wants advice about a problem child and they are slated for it.

DD is 6 and the way some of her peers parents allow their children to speak to them is shocking. What these soppy weak parents don't realise is they are giving their DC the message that this is an acceptable way to speak to other adults. I don't appreciate being ordered around like a waitress in my own house by little lady madams. It makes you automatically detest the child when actually its the parents fault for being too drippy to teach them manners.

That said most of the kids I come across I like, some are particular favourites. DD2s best friends are adorable.

I could wok up to a whole thread about A child.

Shall I park it here or vent my spleen elsewhere?

YANBU. And thank you for voicing it.

There is a child in my family (not my DC!) who I dislike and always have done, since babyhood. For reasons I can't put a finger on, although more recently I have disliked how they behave towards my own DCs.

I feel awful for admitting it here and hide it IRL of course.

Yet the sibling of this child - I adore. Perhaps because the sibling is smiley and the child I dislike is more sullen and prone to just looking at me (as if I am something picked from the sole of their shoe). Perhaps because I am one of the few people who says "no" to this child?

I don't truly like many people. Children are people. Ergo...

Spill, Holly!