Am I the only person in the whole wide world?

[justbugged]

I am one of those people that loved babies. I wanted 10 or 12 kids. After having the second kid die, and I had gotten pg by accident just for she died. So we ended up with 2 living kids in the end. I somehow knew that I was not going to be able to raise more by myself. So DH got vasectomy, and I grieved over the loss of the children that we chose not to have. I did find that as I hit the end of possible child bearing, that I have no desire to have babies around. I do miss having teenagers, that was my favorite years with my 2 kids. Sometimes I still wish that we had had the other kids, but then there are way too many times when I realize that I love having the house to myself most of the time.

At this point I don't think that I will ever be a grandmother. I can't tell you how grateful I am that my children have not reproduce. I can say that I just don't need short people around anymore. I often get my short kid fix at the grocery store. I will talk to other people's kids. I love watching the expressions on their faces. On the other hand I hate the screaming kids that shouldn't be in a store. I can't stand listening to kids that should be at home and having a nap. I can tell by the screams that they are either hungry or exhausted. I figure it's poor parenting, and that these people have no clue as to what their kids really need.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Actually, no.

And I'm one of the very few childless/grandchildless women of a certain age that I have ever met, that DOES like kids, and I mean ever ever ever met.

And while many younger childless women like children, within my age group, I am in an extremely small minority.

I suspect that there is aproximately one of me.

Screaming, crying, having a temper tantrum, picking their nose, you name it, I think it's adorable.

If it is running around the store slamming into me and making me drop my shopping selections of china figurines, I still don't get mad. I'd be more likely to start a quiet, sensible discussion about having good manners in public.

Most of my friends would start screaming louder than any child ever could.

When I go to a restaurant with my female friends, I am constantly the one beaming at the parent with the loud child while the rest of them are telephoning the police.

I got very, very tired, frankly, of listening to my many peers complaining endlessly about children, I've stopped socializing with the worst offenders as I get tired of their endless discussions of 'annoying children', which go on for a great long time after the offending child has disappeared. Sometimes the same annoying child is discussed for years.

And there were so many of them and they did it so much, that I decided there had to be a biological reason for them acting that way. I've decided that once females get to a certain age and their estrogen levels plummet, there's a direct effect on their hearing, which starts to go in such a way that the specific wavelengths at which small children scream, are distorted beyond all compass in their hearing.

I have a lot of scientific, objective observation to back this up. For example, of those women of a certain age who are childless, I'm sure you've noticed, how very frequently they shout at their partners, 'WHAT???????', even if the partner is sitting right next to them.

Obviously their hearing is starting to go in exactly the way I've theorized.

I LOVE kids. ANY kids. ALL THE TIME. If I don't think they're currently being adorable, I think they're being funny. If they are acting REALLY awful, I just blame their parents....LOL...just kdding. I know parents can't stop everything a kid does.

I get three reactions when I complement parents on their children's deportment in public:
1.) Bursts into tears
2.) Stares at me as if there is a train coming at 55 mph behind me
3.) Narrows eyes suspiciously and backs away cautiously

I'm fairly sure that is, again, because I am the only one of my species. A childless woman OACA (of a certain age) that likes children.

But the only thing I find more entertaining than kids is their parents.

I have a tradition I've kept up to honor my mom who always did this - there was always in the house, some popsickles or ice cream in the fridge, and some games and kid's books. Always. Even when we were all grown up and a kid hadn't been in the house for years. My mom was always ready in case a child should just happen to wander by, or on the off chance that someone would donate one.

My mom loved all children of all ages, she said, "Of course I love children. I even love your sister".

My sister was 28 at the time, but she was acting like a brat.

The best kid event that ever happened to me was that once I was window shopping at a mall, and a little tiny kid can running up to me, the mother was in hot pursuit and was trying to grab him, and making gestures like, 'DON'T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO WHAT HE IS ABOUT TO SAY!!!'

He stood there, all snowsuity and serious, and asked, 'DO YOU GO TO THE BATHROOM IN A TOILET?'

Having some idea of the most burning issues on the mind of the average child of that age, I said, 'Yes, I like to use a toilet, it is fun'.

The child stared at me with a very serious puzzled expression, as if I had two green heads sprouting from my shoulders, and I could tell that using a toilet was about the LAST thing he was considering doing at all willingly.

The mother raced up, clapped both hands over his mouth and started apologizing frantically, assuring me that there was nothing about MYSELF that had caused me to be asked that question.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:

We were at the checkout line at walmart one time when the child and his father that we had been listening to scream the whole time we were shopping (the kid screaming, not the father) got in the line right next to ours. The kid was still screaming.
Loud enough for them to hear, I told our cashier that the child needed his butt tore up and if the dad didn't know how to do it, I'd be glad to show him (cuz I'm generous and helpful that way

). Without missing a beat, the cashier responded "and I'd be glad to help you!".
I have zero tolerance for kids acting up in public. My kids got one warning, after that it was off to the ladies room for an attitude adjustment. If that didn't work I took them home and put them to bed. Nobody else needed to hear my kids being brats.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

I haven't read through all of the posts, but have to mention the whole leash thing. I was never a big fan, until I had a child who was a "bolter". As soon as she learned two legged locomotion she was Jackie Joyner! She took off in random directions with no warning whatsoever - and boy was she fast!!! It was bad when it was just the two of us, but once I added an infant in a stroller it was horrible.

So I ended up gettin her a harness. She hated being trapped in a stroller. It was all but impossible to hold her hand and push the stroller and manage doors etc.... The leash solved a dozen problems all at once. She loved her leash. But, oh boy the stuff I put up with in public!

I once had a group of teens follow me through a mall barking at me. I asked them which one of them wanted to be responsible for helping me and her get through the shopping and keep her from getting on an escalator or just taking off into the crowd. I asked them if they were going to come with me and open and close doors etc and carry packages while keeping her from breaking things.

They walked away.

 

[Moabite]

Children are the number one sexually transmitted disease! But being around them makes me feel smart and capable. I knew better then to ever have kids all through my teens and twenties, but in my thirties I became spiteful and decided to seek revenge against society by reproducing. Now I actually believe that the world and I am better for it. Sick huh?

 

[Wifezilla]

Wifezilla wrote:

My stepdaughter has been visiting with her nearly five year old son and the child is a little terror!
That isn't a kid problem, that is a parenting problem. You don't hate kids, you hate stupid parents.

You are correct, but do you think the parents ever wake up and realize it?

Sadly many never get it. Then their formerly obnoxious spoiled brats who were never told no or given a good hide tanning when they needed it grow up to be hoodlums. Watching a real live case of that through a friend now. Sheesshh!​

 

[welsummerchicks]

It's not exactly true that every misbehaving kid is the product of JDP (Joe Dirt Parents).

Some kids actually have problems that prevent them from learning or behaving like other kids. I'm all for getting them out in public and getting them used to things, but there are these kids who can't understand what's going on and don't learn as quickly as other kids. For them, a little bit of tolerance for the parents is in order. And yes, YOU try having your autistic or schizophrenic child behave perfectly every minute. It's a different world - people who have not been there don't really understand.

 

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
Sadly many never get it. Then their formerly obnoxious spoiled brats who were never told no or given a good hide tanning when they needed it grow up to be hoodlums. Watching a real live case of that through a friend now. Sheesshh!

It's too bad when kids go bad. Lots of factors involved and not always totally in a parents control. We've been real lucky so far. However it seems like a seat of the pants ride a lot of times.

 

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
I never realized how many people had psychological problems before. Your other thread helped bring that into perspective a little more. As parents of adopted foster children. We are very attuned to FAS. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. It's amazing how many kids out there are afflicted with it. In their case it is truly the mothers fault. Usually the problem gets worse after birth because the mother has issues with drinking and the child doesn't get the level of loving needed to cope with the problem.

Kids need to be exposed to the public.

If I were able to go back 25 years. I would do a lot of things differently. I wouldn't change a thing as it came to my wife and kids though.

 

[acid_chipmunk]

I love my kids, but have a very low tolerance for other peoples children.

My kids were taught from the time they could understand to use their manners, not to throw temper tantrums, not to scream in public, etc. They know that I WILL leave in the middle of something if they act up and they WILL get their butts spanked for it.

I have no tolerance for people who think spanking is bad or harmful. I was spanked and turned out just fine. There is a difference between spanking and beating, though. I do not beat my children, though if you are close and my children are acting up, you may hear me tell them I am going to "beat their butt". Yes, I say it, no I don't actually do it.

I have no tolerance for other children in my kids classes at school or for my co-workers kids. These children think they are entitled to everything and have no manners. While my kids aren't lacking for toys or "stuff", they don't think they are entitled to something just because they see it. And then throw a fit when the parent says "no" to them. My kids know, if I say no when they ask for something, that means no and don't ask again.

I work in a 911 center and you wouldn't believe the number of people who call here and want a police officer to come over and deal with their kid who doens't listen. Or the ones who want to speak to Children and Youth because their kid won't come home from a friends house or something. SERIOUSLY!!!! It drives me nuts. Maybe if you would have disciplined them when they were growing up and not raised them to do whatever they please, you wouldn't have those prolems.