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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not find any other kids cute, except mine?

55 replies

Hendion · 10/08/2025 19:40

I don’t actually have kids but I only find my niece and nephew cute, never so much anyone else’s kids. I find most other kids just a bit irritating really.

Is this normal, or am I very cold? 😂

OP posts:
Didimum · 10/08/2025 20:04

It’s normal for me. I only like my own kids. Will only tolerate others, though I’m very kind and chatty with them.

LastKnownSurvivor · 10/08/2025 20:17

This kind of thread always has people falling over themselves to say how much they loathe any children other than their own 😆

Katemax82 · 10/08/2025 20:20

I dont often find other people's kids cute, but there have been exceptions. I cleaned for a couple who had the most adorable 18 month old ever..made me broody

meredithBe · 10/08/2025 20:20

I find other people's kids cute/adorable/lovely, but I think my son is beautiful and could spend hours looking at him when he's sleeping (he's a bit more annoying when he's awake!). It's a different kind of cute when it's your own.

HairOfFineStraw · 10/08/2025 20:20

Mine is fighting bedtime right now so I don't find him cute either.

NuffSaidSam · 10/08/2025 20:22

Yeah, it's normal.

Same as liking the smell of your own farts.

LadyTable · 10/08/2025 20:23

Your thread title is confusing if you don't have kids.

But it's not unusual to not find other kids outside of your own family particularly endearing.

HiCandles · 10/08/2025 20:24

Agree, it's normal. Tbh even my nieces and nephews I don't think are cute nor am I particularly interested in. However I am interested in my brother, their father, and I like seeing photos of what he's up to- but when the photos includes his kids which obviously is very often, I can't really be bothered to look! I've long thought that is very awful of me and I should never share it with anyone.

PassOnThat · 10/08/2025 20:46

I like kids and find most of them cute in some way, but I think I'm in a minority on MN.

Tbh I don't understand the cognitive disconnect which means that some people can say to themselves "I don't like any kids except mine, because my kids are fantastic and all other kids are gross/annoying/whiny". Even if on an objective level they themselves acknowledge that their kids aren't really that different from all the other (annoying) kids they see around.

What I would say is that I've grown into my kids and they've grown into me. So we can relax with each other. Which is both good and bad. We have great times together, and I love and cherish them because they are mine, but also they can trigger and annoy me in a way that no other children can.

Having said that, this is a parent's perspective. You're coming at it from a relative's perspective, which might be more akin to grandparents. And in most of the toddler groups we've been to, the grandparents attending absolutely dote on their grandchildren to the nth degree and think they're the most special little people in the world and no other children can compare. Which I find quite sweet really 😂.

x2boys · 10/08/2025 20:48

I think most people think their own children are beautiful even if Objectively they aren't mine are very beautiful BTW🤣

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 10/08/2025 20:50

I find all kids cute.

hooverthefloor · 10/08/2025 21:58

I don't normally find other people's children cute. I am not into children in general, and I especially don't get the obsession with babies. But there was a 3 month old baby visiting my house today who was. She had a cute face, and cooed a lot (my daughter never did that).

Yabberwok · 10/08/2025 22:00

A great philosopher once said " there are:2 things only you appreciate. Your own kids and your own farts "
Sums it up really

TheTwitcher11 · 10/08/2025 22:28

I like kids more now that I’ve had my own - wasn’t arsed before lol

Tillow4ever · 10/08/2025 22:38

Personally I love kids, I find them fascinating people. I love having a conversation with a toddler, their view of the world is so unique, they see things we no longer see as adults - they see the beauty and wonder all around us!

There are some kids who annoy the hell out of me - but this is usually after getting to know them. And in general, the older kids gets, the more annoying they get lol.

BourgeoisBabe · 10/08/2025 22:40

I find an occasional child cute but mostly just my own. I am nice to all children though!

EmeraldShamrock000 · 10/08/2025 22:44

You are missing out.
I find most children cute.
Whenever I'm feeling low, watching funny kid or pet clips make me smile.

PassOnThat · 10/08/2025 22:45

Tillow4ever · 10/08/2025 22:38

Personally I love kids, I find them fascinating people. I love having a conversation with a toddler, their view of the world is so unique, they see things we no longer see as adults - they see the beauty and wonder all around us!

There are some kids who annoy the hell out of me - but this is usually after getting to know them. And in general, the older kids gets, the more annoying they get lol.

Children do tend to reach a stage where they are no longer cute 😂. My older one is there - as the parent, you just have to keep loving them and hugging them!

Kids do get more grating as they get older because, as part of their development, they're learning more about how the world operates, especially social interactions, and they hear things and information but they don't know how to use what they know properly. So you get a lot of gobbiness and misjudged humour and generally annoying behaviour from them, as they're like little sponges reflecting what they're hearing but with a poor understanding of social boundaries and nuances. And they're still developing emotional regulation.

Tillow4ever · 11/08/2025 10:30

PassOnThat · 10/08/2025 22:45

Children do tend to reach a stage where they are no longer cute 😂. My older one is there - as the parent, you just have to keep loving them and hugging them!

Kids do get more grating as they get older because, as part of their development, they're learning more about how the world operates, especially social interactions, and they hear things and information but they don't know how to use what they know properly. So you get a lot of gobbiness and misjudged humour and generally annoying behaviour from them, as they're like little sponges reflecting what they're hearing but with a poor understanding of social boundaries and nuances. And they're still developing emotional regulation.

Show quote history

Completely agree. I still love kids, and I really enjoy how the conversation changes as they get older and they understand more of the world. I’ve always been so surprised in here as to how many people actually dislike children. I suspect that they even dislike their own, even though they do of course love them. I always thought most people liked kids the majority of the time, but it seems the default is that people don’t like them! I don’t understand that at all - but I guess I’m the weird one.

Fragmentedbrain · 11/08/2025 10:32

I can't abide the energy kids vibrate at. It stresses my soul. I also think they're kind of manipulative and mean (generally, with exceptions) because life hasn't taught them humility yet.

I don't understand why people find children cute at all they remind me of monkeys in a zoo.

Chinsupmeloves · 12/08/2025 18:58

I'm a softie and find most kids cute but many times not my own when they were being a pita lol 😆

PurpleChrayn · 12/08/2025 19:04

YANBU.

All other kids are gremlins.

SparklesGlitter · 12/08/2025 19:27

It’s normal. We’re wired to put our own children first. It’s how we survive. I like other children and some I find a little testing, but my own…I could chat to them all day. (Except that my 13 year old doesn’t want yo do that anymore 😆)

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 12/08/2025 19:34

@Fragmentedbrain

'I don't understand why people find children cute at all they remind me of monkeys in a zoo.'

I rather like monkeys...🐵🐒

Skybluepinky · 12/08/2025 20:07

Most find ones that are related to them are cute/beautiful etc and lots of others will think they aren’t, the school mummy mafia are always pointing out the ugly babies and for most they aren’t wrong but others would just not comment.