What’s your favourite thing about being child free?

[BlueberryVelvet]

For me it’s weekend mornings.

I love waking up early on Saturdays, having a coffee with my cat in the kitchen, journaling and doing my jigsaw.

Sunday mornings DH and I make a full Irish around 11am and then watch a movie or go for a long walk in the woods.

Not having to share my chocolate

When you've bought yourself something as a treat you know it's not going to disappear before you get around to using/eating it.

Freedom to do things on impulse. And just… freedom to do things. I have my 4th pre-Christmas celebration tomorrow, each of them with a separate group of friends / colleagues, & they’ve all so far been great. Then I can get home, go to bed with the cats & know I’ll be able to have a quiet, relaxed breakfast the next morning.

Or the freedom to get up at 6 & spend an hour in the gym before work.

Or to just wake up on a weekend & have a long, quiet, lazy day with books, crochet & cats.

Although I couldn’t handle living with anyone, regardless of age.

There isn’t just one thing. I just love everything about my life.

Everything. I can't think of one negative.

Not having to be at the beck and call of one or more tiny Hitlers. They are either demanding something, wrecking something, hungry, thirsty, bored, overstimulated, in some kind of danger, shit themselves, sick, hungry, refusing to eat, injured, about to injure themselves, fucked off about life, shouting, screaming, crying or worse still silent and marker penning the wallpaper.

My friend has a 5 year old and a 2 year old. We haven't had a proper conversation in 5 years because there's always a situation to be intervened in, immediate death or destruction to be averted or a child demanding immediate attention.

Fuck that.

I’ve just realised a superpower we all have…..we will never fall prey to those text scams of “mum, I’ve lost my phone/passport/wallet and am using a friends phone and bank account out in Tenerife please send me ££££££”

No, but we could have fun with them!

“I’m not sending you anything until you’ve tidied your room, emptied the dishwasher and finished your homework.”

@EmpressaurusOfCats 😂😂

Being able to do stuff in one go. Drink a cup of tea, read, watch something, do crafts, talk, sleep! Without having to constantly stop to cater to small people.

As many others have said, the freedom to do what I want especially at weekends. Having a lie in with DH. City breaks and holidays in term time.

Nice walks, long country pub lunches with no worry about kids getting bored and having to take them home.

Watching what I want on tv. Reading, jigsaws, painting, crafts etc. in peace.

Planning and cooking what we want to eat, not having to worry about making the kids' tea early and separately.

I love my nieces and nephews but I do find it quite boring after a while trying to keep them entertained so knowing I can walk away and get back to my tidy and peaceful 'grown up house' (as my friend recently called it!) is bliss.

Adult-only resorts on holiday.

Not having to listen to high pitched screeching/shouting/yelling.

When I'm ill being able to stay in bed/on the sofa and not speak to anyone else let alone carry on as normal to look after anyone else.

Disposable income. I work hard for my salary but I am very grateful to be able to walk into a shop and not have to think too hard about if I can afford something or feel guilty if I spend something on myself instead of my kids.

But one of the main things for me is not having to worry about how to keep my kids safe online/in this age of social media. It terrifies me that my siblings' kids will get into all sorts of trouble online and I know I'd be in a constant panic if I had my own.

Never being a single parent . Too stressful .

@XmasCrumble reminds me of something I absolutely cannot stand about children, and that’s the fussiness over food. The descent into screaming meltdown and instant ruin of a nice lunch, because even though you picked a place with a children’s menu, and even though you made sure that children’s menu included chicken nuggets, THEY AREN’T RIGHT because they’ve got herbs on them. Having to sit and witness that as a one-off is barely tolerable. I can’t even imagine the stress and tedium and frustration of actually having to manage it, on a regular basis.

omg yes @LoobyDop meals out are so stressful I honestly don't think its worth it. So many things change, like a 'holiday' simply isn't a holiday anymore... at least not how you remember it. A meal out isn't a 'nice thing' anymore for the reasons you have mentioned. You can't relax and enjoy it having to look out for the kids. Obviously they aren't all like that and as they get older I'm sure it improves but I can imagine the younger years feel like a very long time to get through!

Spontaneity in particular just going out for dinner or on a city break without having to plan.

Peace and quiet. And being able to do things which are boring for kids, whenever I like.

Great point. I wonder if this is one reason I remained childfree - seeing how unhappy my DM was as a single parent.

Overall lack of 'mental load' is my main benefit - worrying, organising, arguing.

I came on to say something very similar. I need space and solitude like I need air. (I'm neurodiverse and I think this is partly why.) Fortunately DH is the same, so we work well, but I can't imagine how I'd have been with children in the mix.

I also strongly doubt that I could have been a good parent because I think the lack of space and time to myself would have made me feel resentful no matter how much I loved my kids.

All of the above but mostly - clichéd as it is - the holidays. All the holidays!

Also currently view myself as childless rather than childfree although trying to move towards the latter.

I like being able to do what I want without being responsible for a small, stuff-wrecking human (although my cat has his moments). For example this morning I had a lie-in with my cat and a podcast. I’m about to go read a book in a cafe.

I have lots of nieces and nephews and I love the noise and chaos of being around them, but I’m trying to enjoy the fact I have a choice and can also choose peace and quiet.

Too many to list but after being stuck in a queue this afternoon next to a child who was screaming and shouting (small child with piercing voice) I would say the peace and quiet. Not blaming the parent for the child getting restless by the way.

Being able to read in peace

Freedom. I have the freedom to live anywhere without having to consider important things like schools, childcare, children friends, ‘the village’ etc, freedom to change careers, freedom to spend my time and money however I want and to do what is right for me and makes me happy. I’m grateful everyday that I’ve never wanted children because I’d obviously have to give that up if I did.

Quiet. Order. Peace. Tidiness. Savings.
And I like that DH and I get to be each other's most important person.

its hard to pick just one.

Freedom. Independence. Peace and quiet.

After seeing the ridiculousness of what children are asking for for Christmas these days not having to deal with that absolute shit.

The ability to spend a Sunday, lounging on the sofa with a candle lit and a good book in hand and know that no little voice is going to disturb me.

I have a one year old nephew and he’s amazing but I can’t imagine dealing with him all the time.