What (if anything) would you think if none of the adult offspring in a family had chosen not to have children?

[Skarossinkplunger]

Just that really. Neither my sister or I have children, through choice, no fertility issues. A recent conversation with a work colleague has made me question what people thought about it.

Their choice!

I might privately wonder, but I'd never actually ask. It's none of my business after all.
I do know of one family of 7 siblings, only one of which went on to have their own children. Do I wonder why? Well yes, I'm only human. Doesn't go any further than that though.

I'd think you're parents had done a bloody good job of raising you both!

Cigars "I do know of one family of 7 siblings, only one of which went on to have their own children"

that's one side of my family - my aunties always say what an extreme relief it was to be able to move into adulthood without the noise of children.

I was talking to friends who have parents who were one of 9 and 10, and none had children - because they'd all had more than enough of children or just family life.

@Dances It sounds like the only reason you'd consider having children is because of your parents or from fear that you might later regret not having them. FWIW, I think you sound content and happy as you are.

I praise you for deciding to not want children much better than having children that you didn't necessarily want. I don't think its a reflection of your childhood at all and I don't think its that weird either.

with 5 children, no money, stretch marks and screeching grandchildren I would say well done you sensible lady

I would think the same as your colleague but I wouldn’t say it.

I'd think you're parents had done a bloody good job of raising you both!

I actually agree with this^^. I would probably think it was great that you both decided for yourselves instead of bowing to societal pressure to have children.

I have two dcs and I absolutely love being a parent, but I strongly object to the expectation that EVERYONE must breed and anyone who doesn’t want to, (especially women), must have something wrong with them, as your colleague was apparently suggesting . It would be so much better if everyone was secure enough to make their own decisions instead of just following the crowd.

Rude colleague. I'd have pointed out that people want children because they had a bad childhood and want to show they can be better parents than their parents were.

I would just think you and your sister and respective partner's don't want children for whatever reason that's your business not mine.

I don't like how people who are childless by choice are somehow expected to explain themselves when people rarely question why people with children chose to have them.

There are 4 of us, had a wonderful childhood, but non of us have kids, although brother does have a stepchild he lived with from about 8 (grown up now). My Mum loves kids and probably would've adored grandkids, but I'm disabled so wasn't fair to have a child that would end up a career, one sister doesn't like kids, other would've liked to but never with the right person at right time so didn't happen; but certainly no reflection on our parents / childhoods!

In my family most of my cousins have no children. The few that do make up for the rest though

I wouldn't think anything of it one way or another.

It wouldn’t occur to me to even think about it tbh.

If someone brought it up I might wonder whether there was a genetic condition that people didn’t want to risk passing on, but that would be no more than a fleeting thought and certainly never one I would echo out loud.

Unless she knows your circumstances then she should STFU. Even if she did know she should still STFU. Perhaps you're focusing on other areas in life, perhaps you haven't totally ruled them out or perhaps you just don't want them.

The notion that childfree women are some kind of bizarre specimen is a damagingly pervasive view.

I have five dc aged 30 to 15, I suspect I will most likely never be a grandparent. The reasons are varied but the youngest two have autism and unlikely to be independent adults and so the eldest three have seen that parenting is hard work and there is the added disincentive of a possible genetic connection.
My older ones enjoy their careers and their social lives and seem content as they are. So long as they are happy then I'm happy at the end of the day.

Bloody hell I was so caught up whether to write ‘adult children’ or ‘offspring’. I completely missed the double negative. Thankfully most of you made sense of my
oafish grammar!

I’m glad most of you wouldn’t give it a second thought. I had a really good childhood by the way, not that I particularly care what my spectacularly rude colleague thinks.

My husband''s SIL comes from a family of 4 children - two male, two female. None of them have had children. Two of them are in long term marriages but childless by choice. Two of them have stayed single.

I'd just think what a shame that the family line stretching back beyond all memory was coming to an end. Wouldn't assume a bad childhood at all.

I made a decision not to have kids - with my brother it's more that he hasn't met the right woman. I have always thought that the greater concern is people that have kids because they feel society expects it of them - not because they have a burning desire to be parents. If you don't feel strongly that you want kids, I suspect you shouldn't have them.

Your colleague is a rude fool. But some people only feel validated when they have children.

A former colleague and her sister were childless through choice. I was a naive 20 yr old at the time and thought it unusual but felt sorry for their parents. However, I never made a comment to her as my parents had instilled good manners in me.

Now I'm a grandmother myself I appreciate my sons for deciding to have a child. They give me amazing pleasure

DancesWithOtters I agree, what does it matter in the great scheme of things? I speak as one who could not have children.

Agree who cares if any family line comes to an end! So what?