Poll: No children: a turn-off?

[runnernda]

I honestly am not sure whether I want kids or not, so someone who is so opposed to them might not be the one for me. I mean, I think I'll eventually meet someone on the same wavelength as me, and they'll be the one for me. I think I'd make the decision based on whether I want to raise kids with that person or not.

Although the whole pain of childbirth thing is not something I am looking forward to, should I end up having kids.

 

[shogunblade]

I live in a very backward kind of life. My first girlfriend (my only girlfriend) wanted to have kids. The main reason I didn't want to reproduce involve issues with my dad.

The thing is if I had married my ex, I would have been against having kids because she wanted to have them so badly.

Now, I am against having kids, but if I ever did meet a girl who thought having kids would be a bad idea, I'd change my tune after a few months and I'd suddenly want kids.

It's an opposite attract sort of thing.

 

[targren]

I have no problem with that. In fact, I demand it. I decided a long time ago that I never want kids, and I learned the hard way to never, ever seriously date a woman who already has them. Not for the usual "kids are a pain" reasons, but because when it goes bad and you stop seeing her, you might be glad to have her out of your life for goodd (I know I was), but you still miss the little blighters...

 

[Slayer_2]

I'm honestly shocked by the amount of guys saying it'd be a turn-off. So far, the results seem almost the same for males and females (ratio wise, obviously guys have larger numbers here on the escapist).

 

[commodorejohn]

Being as I most definitely want kids, yes, that would kind of be a problem...

 

[Zenn3k]

I have no desire to have children, so finding a lady friend who also felt this way would be a major PLUS.

 

[Kevlar Eater]

Actually, it would be a bit of a turn-on, as I don't want children, either.

 

[Proverbial Jon]

I fucking hate the little hellspawns, they can go drool, puke and be generally annoying to some other poor sod.

THIS.

I have to put up with my sister's twins often enough and they are not even mine.

OT: Susan Arendt said in a recent podcast about Skyrim's child killing mod, that no one actively hates children and they only wanted the mod simply to gain attention. This is not true, whereas I have no interest in killing children either in real life or in a game, I have no liking for them either. I do not get on with them, they annoy me to no end and I simply cannot stand being around them. Come back and talk to me once you're in your twenties and have a more defined personality, brats.

 

[red the fister]

had to go with Oranges. but on a slightly more serious note: some people are so awesome that children are not required for a fulfilling relationship... and some people are that special type of bat shit-crazy where having kids makes them utterly impossible to be around... thus, i went with Oranges.

 

[Dystopia]

I really want kids in the future, so eventually yes, it would be a deal-breaker. Right now, I'm not looking for anything serious so it's not an issue. However if it became serious, then either they'd have to change or I'd have to end it.

Unfortunately I may very well not be able to have any anyway so I guess it's a moot point.

 

[CityofTreez]

I would want at least one kid in my life.

 

[Broggles]

Nope, because I never plan on having any children myself.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

Hard to say on my side. I honestly hate kids, but they make me smile when they smile at me, and they can be kinda fun when they're behaving, but every other moment I'm near one I'm repeating in my head "shut up shut up shut up oh for the love of God shut up" So... Idk. Probably would say yes to having a kid with a girl many years down the road, but right now, not a chance.

 

[RastaBadger]

I don't particularly want kids in the first place so them not wanting kids would be a plus. Though now I look at the full poll I wish I had answered "Oranges".

 

[MetalMagpie]

I want spawn. at least one. i like kids. what I don't get is why so many escapists HATE kids. it seems odd to me.

I'm guessing because the average age is reasonably young. Few teenagers with their head screwed on right want kids (or even believe they'll want them in the future), because all the reasons against (the loss of freedom, the nappy changing, etc.) are very understandable at that age, whereas the reasons for having kids are quite difficult to comprehend.

I was a mad child-hater up to the age of about twenty. Since then I've been progressively sliding into the not-sure-maybe-someday camp. My mother is confident that by the time I reach thirty I'll have decided that I want them. Much as that annoys me, statistics are on her side!

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

Nope. I hate children. They are loud, disgusting, expensive and take up far too much of my time. After work I want to go home and relax, not deal with children. Besides, I have one life to live and I'm not going to spend 20 years of it raising a child.

 

[gazumped]

Absolutely not. I don't want children, nor have I ever wanted to have children. A partner informing me that they wanted them someday would, in fact, be a deal-breaker.

Indeed. My ex wanted kids and so I figured if I stayed with him 4eva+eva as I wanted to, I'd compromise by adopting with him.
Now that I'm with someone who hates kids as much as I do, it's such a relief. I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THE SCARY PLACE.

 

[Exosus]

I think there should be an option for "I don't want kids either so yay for not having kids!" The poll paradoxically asks us to respond to a question about people not wanting kids while, itself, not allowing for such people. It's a world gone mad, is what I'm saying.

 

[Wolfram23]

It matters to me.

I think that no matter what you shouldn't start a proper relationship with a girl if you know for a fact that it can't work out in the end because of something like this. I suppose there's always the "maybe she'll change her mind" excuse but seriously, you're basically going into a relationship with the idea of breaking up with them and finding someone else, eventually. That's very disrespectful.

 

[Jonluw]

Also while you've hinted at it in the OP, Jonluw, you've been here long enough to know what the average Escapist is like with kids so don't expect a response representative of the general population

Yeah. I was prepared for that.
I didn't think the results'd be of this magnitude though.

had to go with Oranges.

You sure you shouldn't have gone with the nonsensical option?

You need to bold "We're not talking marriage plans here though" OP, because I totally didn't see it before I voted.

Good idea. Fixed.