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.

Yabu. I don't like other people's kids and i really don't like people in general. People are allowed to dislike whatever they want.

It's not the children, it's the incredibly lax parenting. For that reason, I would happily pay for childfree flights, for instance, and meals out in the evening when it's likely that no children are around.

I don't really like children and I have 3!

I like my own and (mostly) my friend's and family children. A hell of a lot of other children I just find annoying tbh

Yeah to be fair it is the parenting that seems to bother me I think.

Even racists

People can like or not like whatever they want.
Some people don’t like dogs, some people don’t like drunk people and some people don’t particularly like children.
In most cases it’s not actually children they don’t like, it’s the children’s behaviour. There’s a difference.

I don't like children either. It's not a crime. I don't like lots of other people as well, but especially children.

And we're allowed to be on Mumsnet, ffs, children aren't a prerequisite and there are many other subjects to talk about.

No, I don't like the seemingly increasing amounts of specifically badly behaved, rude and obnoxious children we are expected to tolerate in public.

Neither do I like large groups of pissed up men on game day.

Neither do I like vacuous judgemental people who look you up and down if you're not 'polished'.

Neither do I like the hoards of racist, judgemental old people in my rural county who still act surprised and comment at encountering black, gay or any other person outside of their bubble

Who are these peculiar people in your life airing these views freely to you Op?

People often say it a bit light-heartedly. Children can be annoying, and also a bit difficult to relate to and interact with if you don't have any and don't regularly spend time with them.

I'm a teacher, so I spend all day with kids, but secondary age. I wasn't that keen on little children until I had my own. Lots of the kids I teach say they would never be a teacher because children are awful and annoying

Exactly. Like I'd never be mean and I'll play and help a child if they need help. I just really prefer adults.

Also munsnet is a forum with plenty of topics not just for mums. I agree with that. I love the forums here.

Of course you can say you don’t like children. I love my own children (now adults) dearly but I have no time for other peoples’ children. My husband and I say that we don’t like other peoples’ children. Other people don’t have to like your child. The world doesn’t revolve around your child, although of course yours does.

Some people just don't know how to relate to children and aren't naturally comfortable being around kids. Sometimes when people say they don't like kids they really mean they don't like their behaviour and the fact their parents aren't parenting them so they're disturbing other people. It can be a kind of shorthand.

Maybe they just don’t like your children

Not something i have ever heard anyone ever say

People say they don't like all sorts of categories of persons 😂 why should children be different.

You're allowed to dislike anyone, for any reason. What you're not allowed to do is mistreat them because of your dislike.

I can understand and accept that some people do not like children, in the same way that some people do not like cats (FWIW I like both). But it is weird that it's acceptable to say "I don't like children" but it is completely unacceptable to say "I don't like Jews".

YANBU. But remember it’s not down to just the kids - it can be down to the parents & their lax parenting skills.
More kids would have a lot more potential in life rather than going out destroying buildings, setting fires, being a “thug” if their parents had stepped up when needed.
obviously not ALL kids - but yes parenting can be a issue.

Haven’t had this tired trope in a while!

There are plenty of topics on MN that have nothing to do with parenting or being a mum. Wild that this has to be pointed out.

I am really surprised that people, including some on this thread, agree that they don’t like children.
I always say, I don’t want to hang around with children, don’t want to make friends with them when I’m out and I am glad the children of friends and family are now young adults.
But to say I don’t like all children would be, as you say, like saying I don’t like adults. Some are funny, interesting and clever. And some aren’t.

Below a certain age though they're almost always sticky 😁

I don't like elderly people. They're slow and get in the way and hold up queues unnecessarily in the post office when they decide to go in for a long chat at lunchtime.
Oh wait that's offensive.
(I don't mean this by the way I have no particular view about any age of people, just showing how it sounds the other way around)

For some reason I find children very over stimulating such as age 4,5 etc. All the questions and loud voices.

^100% this. I feel like some people forget this!

Oh not again...

There's plenty of content on here that isn't child related.

I think it’s different from the ‘I don’t like elderly people’ type comparison. Because. And I can’t think how to articulate it. They all have one thing in common and that’s that they haven’t been alive very long with many experiences. So, it is objectively true - for the adults who love discussing inner behaviours for example - to group them all together as a cohort where every single one of them cannot contribute interestingly to a life experience discussion. Whereas, the elderly have lived and have many different experiences, so it’s possible to find some interesting and some not. Whereas for some people, they could meet every child on the planet and not find a single one of them interesting.