To think if you can't spend the day with someone else's child, you're not ready to have your own?

[SabrinaHope]

Just what the title says...

Someone I know is starting to TTC, but she always says how hard it is when she looks after a 9 year old for the day or whatever and says "I couldn't have that all day".

I disagree.

Pretty much as every other poster has said, my kids were brilliant, other people’s kids were annoying.

Other people’s kids are like other people’s arseholes. We all have them, but nobody is interested in yours!

I totally disagree, I would struggle to spend the whole day with anyone else's child, with a few exceptions, however, I could still spend every waking minute with my own - and they are teenagers.

I have three DC of my own, the youngest is 11. I really don't want to look after other people's though. Especially other peoples kids who are not used to rules and discipline!

I will at a push, but don't want to and find most of them hard work.

I think having kids is like a computer game, level 1 is just sleep, feed, nappy. Once you've got that mastered they start moving- level 2. You build stamina. A 9yo is easier in many ways but still a shock when you're not used to it.

YABU because by the time your child is 9 you have learned quite a lot about parenting, if you haven't had a child you'd never know.

How many shocks to the system is having a new born, no matter how much you prepare and read up, it's still quite a different story coping with the lack of sleep etc.

She is politely telling you she doesn't want to babysit your child/ have your child tag along when you meet up.

I used to hate looking after, or even spend extended periods of time around children before I had my own, and still do to be honest. Even if it’s a family member like my niece. It just feels like massively hard work to be honest. I have my own baby now and love him to bits. I still have no inclination to look after anyone else’s. Just because someone is ttc it doesn’t mean they should suddenly be enamoured with children or babies!

One of my friends has one of these ‘unschooled’ illiterate badly behaved brood of children that she never says no to or disciplines for bad behaviour.

I can’t deal with them swinging off my curtains all day, pulling on my cats tails, breaking my kids toys and drawing on my walls.

I mustn’t be ready for kids then. I’d better send mine back.

I love spending the day with my DD but unless a friend/family member is completely stuck I would rather not have to look after anyone else's.

I cannot be doing with another else kids Mine are awesome though :P

Kids are like farts, your own are OK.

Haha. No. I had never babysat anyone or even held a baby before I had my own. I have spent a bit of time with my nieces when they were little but I am quite awkward around children and often don’t know what do do. At least you roughly know your own!

No. This twaddle put me off having kids for years as I thought I wouldn't be able to cope. It turned out I was fine with my own.

Kids repulsed me before my own. They physically made me recoil but DS is alright, I guess. I'm cooking two and three as we speak so I guess I'm going to have to at least bare them!

I'm joking I love my child/children

Wtf that is nonsense! I have 2 kids. I still have no interest in spending time with other people's.

YABU - you need to build up to a 9 year old. And if they're yours you tend to love them, which helps.

I couldn't babysit my cousin for a full day, hes a nightmare but i am fine with my own kid.

YABVVVVU. I either couldn’t stand or was ambivalent about other people’s kids before having my own. Am totally fine with my own kids and their friends here and there. Apart from that I still can’t stand or am ambivalent about other people’s kids.

YABU i love my child doesn't mean I like spending time with other people's children!

I think this is as about as unanimous YABU as I’ve seen! Agree with everyone else, looking after other people’s kids is a complete pain compared to looking after your own.

I don’t really like other people’s children despite having three of my own. I purposely chose to teach adults in college as opposed to primary or secondary school because other people’s kids stress me out. I love my own children but I’m not a big ‘children’ fan.

The thing about your own kids is that you know them, and can can therefore look after them reasonably well, and make reasonably accurate predictions about what they like/hate/are going to do next/how they respond to instructions/whether they will run into traffic or wander off if you turn your back on them for a second/whether they are capable of climbing a tree/how much help they need doing basic tasks/whether they need encouragement or a challenge etc. With other people's children, you don't know any of that and it's terrifying. Also, I panic more about breaking other people's kids.

This is like saying if you're married you should want to spend all day with someone else's husband?!

I've got two of my own and hate looking after my nephews of various ages.

YABU

You have to be nice to other peoples' kids. It's exhausting.