To wonder if DINKs will be more lonely when older?

[Aintbaint]

Ok, so hear me out. This isn’t an US v Them thread …
I have a lot of Double Income No Kids friends - for various reasons, mostly choice.
So for most career has been their main focus, followed by their partner… Most have been very financially comfortable, travelled a lot, able to afford holiday homes, successful work wise etc basically all the benefits of no kids!

But now we’re all in our late 40s and 50s and slowed down a bit, retired early, separated or divorced, Quite a few just seem to to have lost focus, seem a bit depressed or unhappy, and don’t have the same focal point that having kids can bring.
I stupidly thought that kids would get older and we’d have our independence back but obvs kids are always there in someways - you never stop worrying or thinking about them or doing stuff with them. So still that focal point in many ways and Indaynthat as someone who does have a FT job they like and hobbies…

YABU - of course DINKs are just as happy and not lonely etc

YANBU - it’s harder as you get older when it’s just you or you+partner and work isn’t as important or you retire

You seem to be quite a literal person with limited imagination. Struggle to understand how people live differently than you etc etc.

if mumsnet is only for mothers, why is there a MNers without children board???

mind. Blown. 😂🤯

People find Mumsnet all kinds of ways. I’m here because I was sex trafficked by my ‘boyfriend’ and violently raped by hundreds of men before being rescued and found it hard to cope having to interact with men on a daily basis having seen their true nature. I searched online for support and found Mumsnet and managed to now be married to a man and spend time alone with men.

@Aintbaint most of the posts, and many of the sections, have absolutely nothing to do with having or raising children. So much so that there's a dedicated parenting section - I don't venture in there.

What MN provides is a forum that is largely women, which makes it quite an unusual space online and one of the few spaces where the female perspective is dominant.
So why wouldn't women in general want to use it?

At least you've made the agenda of your opening post pretty clear now, your whole disingenous "musings" were just a dig at women who choose not to have children.

People don't owe you unhappiness for making life choices different to yours.

@Claspsandgasps I'm so sorry for what you went through. I hope life is being kind to you now.

Thank you, that’s so lovely of you. I couldn’t have imagined how my life would turn out when I was in that situation and I certainly couldn’t have imagined the lovely life I have now and I appreciate it every day.

Crikey. Settle down. I was only quoting poetry as it seemed apt in response to a previous post, not endorsing the man.

Mmm, I just feel that quoting someone who was racist, horrible, bigoted and hated people sort of goes against the argument that childless people are happening some way …

‘
if mumsnet is only for mothers, why is there a MNers without children board???’

Has it? I had no idea, have literally never come across it. Where’s that hiding then? Hot bed of activity?

Ffs, how many times do we have to read this nonsense? Most of the site is not about parenting. It hasn’t been for years. There are whole sections devoted to other subjects - feminism, pets, travel, even - gasp - a section for childfree women. Yet we see this whine soooo often.

happening some way......? What what?

OP why are you being so unpleasant? Seriously, are you going through a difficult time personally and needing a target to lash out at? Because otherwise I don't quite understand your behaviour here.

Samsung started out as a grocery store.
Companies change and adapt.
Mn started out as a couple of mums at the kitchen table setting up a local site sharing things to do locally with young kids.

Most of mn today has nothing to do with being a parent.
I'm not going to email Samsung and try to get them to sell me some noodles. People need to see that mumsnet has changed and grown and accommodates a wide range of people.

Every form of refuge has its price.

I would assume the opposite. Parents more likely to be lonely as they put everything into their kids and have less time/ energy/ money to devote to friendships. I have 2 kids who are everything to me but due to their chosen career paths if things go as they plan neither will end up living near me. That's fine as I want the absolute best for them but they aren't going to be down the road keeping me company in old age.

I think you need a nap😂

Wow you are coming across really nasty and judgemental. I'm sorry if you are going through some stuff right now but its not DINKS fault.

I had assumed your post was lighthearted and answered accordingly but I think it was goady.

Having/ not having children doesnt make you better than anyone else.

That’s a bit unfair. The vast majority of posts on Mumsnet are nothing to do with children. I have two kids and am interested in that but also love the general interest threads. I read about feminism, the royal family, politics and Christmas. I really love threads about parking with diagrams and I don’t even drive!

I came for the feminism.

@Sallyh87 I watch stuff on youtube about cruising and I plan to never actually take one in my life.

clicked on your post just to know what a DINK is. No I don't think DINKs would be lonely at all, why would they? I'm an SI1K myself, not only is life most likely better and less lonely as a DI for obvious reasons I've yet to experience; it's almost regrettable that I even had a dc, purely because by OP's standards I'd be known as a SINK.

Argh thank you for that earworm! 😆

I really love threads about parking with diagrams and I don’t even drive!

I love that @Sallyh87

I love watching Gone Fishing with Paul and Bob. I only ever went fishing once with my brother and I cried when he killed a fish.

I'm a child free woman on MN for the fun, interesting conversations and insight into other lives and opinons different to mine.

Maybe we're the happening thing! Groovy, baby!

Why would you bother??

Why do you care?

How do you know?