"Americans are a little too complicated about everything"

New Yorkers are all abuzz about New York mag's cover article this week: Why Parents Hate Parenting.  As someone without kids who also doesn't want kids, I find this sort of candidness incredibly refreshing.  As you know/can assume, having kids is the more popular choice, and I have heard everything from "Oh you'll change your mind" to "I just feel like my life had no meaning until I had my kid," which um, hmm, puts me on the defensive.  If everyone would just be like, hey, yes, I chose this but it's really hard, I don't always know what do do and my whole life isn't always transformed for the better because of this, it's just another choice with pros and cons alike, I know I'd be a lot more likely to want to jump in and help out, from babysitting to listening to shaking up a mean martini.  Lord, if we all didn't have to project perfection all the time, wouldn't like be so much more bearable?

Ha - great comment by scpimpjuice:

so... of the commenters on this thread... parents are happy! Great!  The childfree are happy! Fantastic!  And everyone would be happier if the other group would stop criticizing the other's choice! Wow, so simple.  If someone says that they don't want kids, or that they want 25 kids, the best response is, 'How lovely, I wish you all the best'. Then change the subject.

 

Eh, not that simple.  Can I also have a shower and paid work leave and less taxes because I'm not putting anyone through school?  Just sayin'.