30 People Respond With Their Pettiest Reason To Choose A Childfree Lifestyle

People honestly answer what’s their pettiest reason for being childfree.

OCT 18, 2023

If you ask someone who has chosen a child-free lifestyle what motivates this decision, they may respond with an answer such as finances, overpopulation, or some such practical reason. However, no matter the main motivation, everyone has their own less common personal reasons that may slightly influence the decision too. So when one netizen inquired “What is your pettiest reason for not wanting kids?”, the responses received were quite interesting as you can see below.

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#1 I take pride in proving wrong every one that said I'd change my mind

Image source: drunkenAnomaly, Maryia Plashchynskaya devotedtodreams: This applies to me because I've known since my early teens that I didn't want kids. The "you'll change your mind" argument was made often, but I was never convinced because I knew with all my heart and soul it wasn't what I wanted. Hell, back in university/college (never sure which one's correct), a classmate said he'd make a bet that in 10 years, I'd be a mother. I took that bet with a s**t-eating grin because it's an easy win. Haven't seen him since, but I'm still winning!

Image source: Jo_Peri, cottonbro studio Amelia Jade: I thought this too. My cat was the center of my world and so spoiled. When I had my first kid, I was so worried that she'd be upset. But she adored my daughter. I have so many cute pics of them together.

Image source: browsergirl33, solod_sha

#4 I want the option of leaving whenever I need to. I'm happy where I'm at, but I always want to be able to travel or just straight up move without worrying abt a child's schedule. I would van life, but a kid deserves space and I don't want to be one of those vanlife influencers who think a curtain is a wall.

Image source: LukasHughes, Amanda Klamrowski

#5 I hate children's tv shows. Loud, high pitched, etc etc. If something in my home is loud it better f*****g be deathcore.

Image source: M3tal_Shadowhunter, senia Chernaya

#6 I love my freedom. I want to go out one evening on the whim? I can just do it. I can travel during term time, sleep in, walk around the house in just my knickers and a t-shirt lol

Image source: Fantastic-Picture360, Julian Jagtenberg

#7 I like to be alone.

Image source: CandyCaneCrossbow, Keenan Constance Turtles (She/her): Teen gurl here - totally normal. I get u

#8 Might be cruel but every time my sister complains about how rowdy her kids get, I think 'never going to be me'.

Image source: Medysus, Keira Burton Wysteria_Rose: It would be cruel if you said it to her face. It's not cruel to have honest feelings. There are plenty of times I see my friend who had twins the first time and then proceeded to have two more that I am VERY relieved that I don't have that many.

#9 So that whenever anything bad happens in my life, I can say 'at least I don't have kids.' Every morning I wake up happy to not have kids. Also kids' music sucks.

Image source: Individual_Road_9030, bruce mars

#10 Not having to answer “why?” even once per day to anyf*ckingone

Image source: lightninghazard, Lisa Fotios Lene: Haha! Often the best answer is "because that's how things are". Sometimes followed by "and there's nothing I can do about it, even if I wanted to".

#11 I didn't want to gain weight. I've had body image issues since middle school. 4 years ago, I lost weight and kept it off and I've been much more confident since. I don't want to lose that.

Image source: Covert-Wordsmith, Andrea Piacquadio

#12 Loud noises hurt my ears.

Image source: Nimuwa

#13 I like money, silence and a tidy house.

Image source: BinaryMonochrome, Andrea Piacquadio devotedtodreams: Me too. After a long day at work, coming home to my apartment where no one else lives but me is such a beautiful thing, perfect for recharging those social batteries :)

#14 I'm not done being a kid myself. Making up for lost time during my childhood now.

Image source: nsfwnoise, Elina Volkova Wendy Forrest: Can we change the question as to why people want to have kids? Apart from mini me's and immotality. Why not adopt the many unwanted children?

#15 To prove my mom wrong from that time when I was 10 and she told me—after [foolishly?] telling her I didn’t want to have children when I grew up: “but…having children is the MOST IMPORTANT thing I woman can do with her life!” I have done some seriously cool s**t with my life since then that did not in any way involve having a child.

Image source: Hokuopio, Marcus Aurelius Lene: Having kids is not the most important thing in a woman's life. What a weird thing to tell your kid !?!

#16 sticky fingers, why are they so f*****g sticky!

Image source: hardwiredtostaymad, ROMAN ODINTSOV sbj: Yes! and why am I always their target

#17 I like not hearing screeching, banging, and thunderous stomping inside my own home. I like having a beautiful garden with lots of plants. It's nice when the plants don't get trampled or otherwise destroyed.

Image source: LogicalStomach, adriana carles Jane No Dough (edited): Furbabies can be even more destructive yet we love them fiercely anyway. Material things and even the effort we put in to obtain them are not important in the grand scheme. I vehemently believe however, that anyone who doesn't want children for ANY REASON shouldn't have them.

#18 Babies are ugly.

I struggle managing my weight and I don’t want to gain it from getting pregnant. I like to sleep I like spending my money on myself. Image source: prosecutie05579

#19 I like delicate, pretty things. Children damage delicate, pretty things.

Image source: strongmanass, Roberto Nickson pug nose curly tail: Children will break an anvil. Mother of 4 here.

#20 F**k the patriarchy is my pettiest reason, but I don’t really have a reason I’m just not interested - the fact that there’s a lot of advantages to that lifestyle is just a great bonus

Image source: tawny-she-wolf, Andrea Piacquadio ADHORTATOR: That's ok, if you don't want kids, don't have them - no other reason needed

#21 The bloodline dies with me, and I am not giving my bio. mother the satisfaction of spreading her genetics through the gene pool. Also, maintaining my anti-social life and being able to keep up with my Art hobby <3

Image source: BerryFilledEggs, Steven Aguilar bbfa: Ditto, all the way. My mother's paranoid hate bloodline and dad's narcissism ends with me. This week I spent $140 on art pens and pencils without a second thought.

#22 I'm self-centred. I don't like having to live my life around others needs. Making myself happy is my primary goal in life. I live for me. I view my purpose in this life as being able to cater to my every need. I want to be able pursue whatever I like, whenever I like, however I like with no restrictions. To be a parent means you need to be selfless for decades. That sounds like pure hell! I'm not cold or evil, and people have always come to me for advice/support and find me dependable, but I know if I had to be a parent, I'd resent my kids so much, and no child deserves a parent like that.

Image source: hellasweetnutella, Jeys Tubianosa Mrs. Ginger McSarcasm: EXACTLY! A child can feel if they're not wanted. I would know. I would never ever ever make any children of mine (if I have any) feel unwanted.

#23 They don't belong in breweries. They also smell worse than dogsh*t.

Image source: hedge_ball, Teja J pug nose curly tail: LMAO! You're not wrong!

#24 My mil wants me to

Image source: NoshameNoLies, Luke Miller Milady Blue: I was told that I "owed" my parents grandkids, that I would miss out on my "prime biological" reason for existence, and that I "owed" the family to keep the bloodline going. Nope. I have plenty of cousins who very enthusiastically took on my share for me.

#25 Sleeping in/going to bed late

Image source: nolechica, Polina Kovaleva sbj: Being able to do what I want to, when I want to

#26 I enjoy my quiet peace and copious amounts of sleep. Kids would ruin both.

Image source: Fierywitchburn333, Ivan Oboleninov

#27 It hurts. I don't want to ruin my body. I HATE bodily fluids (snot/pee/vomit/s**t), I do not want any of that disgusting mess near me (that includes pet's fluids too).

Image source: B4cteria, Alexander Grey

#28 It's something of an official "F U" to the religious upbringing I had telling me the ultimate purpose for uterus bearers like myself was becoming a STAH broodmare

Image source: Dense-Department9405, Athena Mrs. Ginger McSarcasm: Stay at home broodmare. Now that's a statement.

#29 Not having to worry about school districts or being close to schools when moving or relocating.

Image source: merRedditor, Max Fischer

#30 Because I like my afternoon naps uninterrupted and free weekends. Also, not giving my homophobic fundie religious Narc dad any grandkids to abuse with threats of damnation and fear of demons wanting to destroy them for being born "sinners" is high up on my list also.

Image source: Zealousideal-Wing524, Meruyert Gonullu