To think it's unacceptable to say you don't like children?

[BirdPlanet]

Increasingly I've heard people saying some variation of the statement 'I don't like children'. I don't see why this is in any way acceptable. You wouldn't say that you 'don't like' any other category of person. If I said I didn't like the elderly or middle-aged women as a group, I'd get slapped down, yet somehow people think it's okay to talk about children as if they aren't human beings. Is it because they can't speak or advocate for themselves? Children aren't some kind of homogeneous entity. They have personalities and different temperaments, just as adults do.

Inevitably people will say that it's used as a shorthand for disliking the behaviour of some children, but even so, that’s more of a reflection of poor parenting than anything else.

The way children are currently parented in UK society (and many other countries too I'm sure), makes many of them not very pleasant to be around.

I find adults far more noisy and annoying, tbh

Objective means not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering facts.

You can say in your opinion not liking children is subjectively a dickhead opinion but it's never objective because there are no facts to be considered.

It's not a fact that children are great or not, or that not liking them is factually a dickhead opinion and your opinion on it is obviously influenced by your feelings and opinions, since you said it's the opinion of a dickhead.

I don’t think this is really accurate anymore. Lots of us non parents enjoy using the forum for other reasons including fertility and loss support, hobbies.

So what if some people don’t like children? I have two grown up kids but, as I’ve got older, I no longer enjoy the company of children. Neither do I look forward to the arrival of grandchildren but that’s nothing to do with me.

I don't particulary like cooing over babies and small children, except my own. I think that there is an expectation that women do and when I have said that it has raised an eyebrow or two.

Why is it unacceptable? What a silly thing to say, some people like children and some don't, like some people like cream cakes and some people don't, it's what makes the world go round.

And I guess support in coping with some of the obnoxious children motherhood brings one into contact with …

Lots of children are lovely, but some are really just not pleasant.

see i don't think that's fair on the dog.

Don't be daft.

People say it all the time about all types of people.

And happens allllllllllllllthe time on MN.

Were you not here during Brexit? or COVID? all the threads about Reform/the Tories/trans/dogs.

It's opinion. So long as the individual isn't actively harming the group they're talking about, it doesn't matter.

It's just opinion. And people are, and should be, allowed to have opinions.

This is a weird thing to be bothered by.

That was my reply and i disagree with your version of 'uppity'.

Carry on.

I don't like children and I don't like dogs - couldn't care less what other people think about that.

I’m the same as you. I actually really like dogs but don’t want the responsibility. I totally understand people not wanting the responsibility of bringing up children. I also understand if they say that they can’t relate to children. I couldn’t, before I had nieces and nephews and then my own DDs.

Disliking all children IMO makes no sense. You were once a child yourself, as has been pointed out several times.

Abd when do some people actually reach this 'grown up' status ?..... hmm!

This only says lots about the poster and absolutely nothing about children.

I don’t like children? I love my own and I’m fond of those of my friends and family etc but as a general rule, I don’t like children. Don’t get me wrong, I’d never hurt a child, I just don’t like them…so any jobs that involve children like teachers, summer camp activities supervisor etc would be a hard pass for me! I don’t see a problem with saying it, it’s fact 🤷🏻‍♀️

“Only in the UK”…

What nonsense.

I like my children but I don't generally like others people children. I don't see an issue with saying that at all.

What do you suggest we do? Get sacked from our jobs? Get de-platformed? Stigmatised by the colleagues and miss our promotion? What do we do? Obviously we continue to lie and then express our views at the ballot box. But in the meantime we keep schtum, which is the most sensible thing to do - in real life, again I stress, in real life. On MN people (I hope) can express their real anonymised views.

I like spending time with my children and also their friends and our extended family with young children. I don't like loud parents who seem to be more common these days or people who are competitive about their children but anyone else is good!

I like all the subjects….EXCEPT the children centric ones! I’m not interested in those ones. I’m not overly fond of children, l prefer not to be in their company, but as others upthread have said, I often dislike their parents even more!

Unacceptable to whom?

Well the OP

I don't think it's unacceptable to express a dislike for anything or anyone! If you don't like my personal opinion on something, then that's your problem.

I don't like pizza, bigots, anyone who rides a bike on a public footpath and cats, but that's just me expressing my personal preference. If people don't like children, that's their choice.