Nieces, Nephews, and Pets: The Better Alternative to Children?

Yeah. My mom keeps joking about me having kids one day and I think just pregnancy would be triggering for me, and my moral values make me against having biological children. It wouldn’t even be reasonable for me to raise a child because I feel like I can hardly function as an adult and I wouldn’t want to pass down any of my mental conditions.

My best friends are pregnant or trying to become pregnant and I’m over the moon to spoil some babies. I am also over the moon that it’s them not me knowing that I couldn’t dedicate the necessary energy to raising one myself!

I have a child but I support people who feel this 100%. It’s not for everyone and no one should make you feel less valid for not wanting children.

I’m an only child so if I wanted kids, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I have a rare autoimmune disease and I’ve had two strokes which required a bypass surgery. Left carotid and right subclavian. I’m currently dealing with lymphedema caused by a fractured ankle. The wounds are healing but I still have a ways to go.

I became an aunt a year ago. I absolutely love it! It is the joy of children without the work, I just love spoiling her! As for pets I feel like they are intuitive and cats tend to be quieter, something that really helps me

Yup

I completely agree but kinda I’m a different way. I don’t really want biological kids, because I don’t wanna pass on my genetics cuz they suck I might adopt one day but that’s up in the air. I’d rather enjoy hanging out with a friend’s or relative’s kids because it’s not as much commitment you just hang out and then give them back lol

Definitely I do!!

I know. My mother talking about "when I have kids" as if it's just a given... even though I told her I prolly won't.

Wow sorry guys, I am just so passionate about peoples assumptions about people like us having children.

Yeah, people don’t understand. Having mental/chronic Illness is so destabilizing, just doing what everybody else is doing and getting pregnant can be a terrible decision. I can hardly care for myself, I lost what little I knew about myself to PTSD and chronic Illness, and now I should just give up the rest of me to raise somebody else? People should really be more considerate about what they say on the subject and not push it when they don’t know the full story.

It's hard enough taking care of myself, having kids would be way too demanding for me. I love my nieces though. I relate to that sentiment.

Oh yeah. I want to be the fun aunt but I will never have any responsibility for keeping one of those things alive lol