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While scrolling through your news feed, there is a high chance of stumbling upon a picture of your friends eagerly waiting for their third child, and your former going-out bestie posting a double picture from her recent ultrasound. And whether you have children or you are still doubting if this is the right choice for you, there are people who have taken the choice of not having any kids. The little bundles of joy bringing light to their parents' everyday life sound like a nightmare for some, and what other more convenient way can we find out everyone’s opinion if not from the internet?

This time, Reddit’s well-seasoned community of 32.3M people of AskReddit fired out a question that many people probably find themselves thinking: “To those who NEVER want to have a child, what are your reasons?“ Below you can read a wide selection of answers and we are dying to know what you think.

More info: Reddit

#1

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I enjoy money and silence

StinkFingerPete , Dustin Moore Report

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Treessimontrees
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If people were truly honest - I bet a ton of people would wind back the clock if they could and not have kids.

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lenka
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a parent who wasnt ever sure they wanted kids, and as someone who also loves money and silence (and boy do I miss silence - I mean WAY more than I miss money), I dont think this is true. I think most parents have, at some stage in thier parenting journey, wondered "what the actual f#@$% have I done?" and I suspect most of them sometimes daydream about the life they might have had without children (I know I do. lol). But I dont think "a ton of them" would EVER wind back the clock and not have their children. After the one millionth "look at me!" my daughter finally managed a freestanding hand stand today and I shared in her triumph. At the end of a long and exhausting (and very loud) day my son climbed into my lap and said "Mummy, your hugs make my heart happy" and I would never ever want to remove those experiences from my life.

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denzoren
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Money, silence and doing whatever I want to do when I want to do it.

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Roland
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2 years ago

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Be honest you wouldn't have much more money, you have silence enough in your life and you can do whatever you want when having kids also. Silence... As kids are banging the drum 365/24/7. You will be in the 50's one day..... And then you want kids so badly. But you don't have. Not your own and not grandchildren

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T J
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never had children . I don't regret it for a minute.

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Vicky Z
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Silence is underrated until you have kids!! Then you appreciate it

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lenka
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My kids make noise. Lots of it. Singing and laughing and pretending is noisy. I desperately miss silence but I would never take thier joy away.

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Zophra
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I saw a meme that cracked me up the other day. "My husband and I decided we do not want kids. We will be sitting them down to tell them tonight."

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idrow avatar
Id row
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They're loud, messy and expensive. And when they grow up they blame you for everything wrong in their life while still holding their hand out. Why would anyone want to sign up for that?

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Clearly sunny
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Earn more n pay a nanny is the only other solution I guess.

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Roland
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2 years ago

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What for. Be a first class parent and your kids will be lovely. They are how you raise them

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Iron ass
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why I don't want kids. I just hope mu future spouse feels the same.

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deanna woods
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I value the silence and my sanity more than anything else. After living with my parents and little brother for a few years, I am glad to be in a kid free place. It was mainly that I have anxiety and sensitivity to screaming and my little brother couldn't understand that. He came into my room while I was napping and would scream. I am so glad I don't have to worry about that anymore.

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Faith Hurst-Bilinski
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sitting in my big, quiet house laughing at people with a really shallow view of what having children is like.

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Mary Hurst
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh how wish the couple who live directly behind me had used birth control. Between their 2 young kids, a swimming pool, and parties almost every weekend…which usually includes the children of the adults, I can hear them inside my house with the doors and windows closed. And their house isn’t even that close to mine, and includes a privacy fence around their yard. But every time I hear a little girl shrieking or kids yelling Marco Polo…I want to put a 4-Sale sign in my yard.

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Maddie Star ⭐
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have money, a child and silence a lot of the time, this makes no sense.

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lenka
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Eh. I two children, no silence and less money than if I had no children so it makes perfect sense to me.

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m j m
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2 years ago

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1 twenty dollar bill on top of ones another fake pic

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#2

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I don't want kids.

There's literally no other reason.

KirinG , Hannah Olinger Report

#3

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I love my life too much. I hate mess and noise. I love travelling whenever i like. I love going for trips and meals out with my husband. I love being able to do what i want whenever i want. I dont want to spend my days listening to crying, arguing, whining, doing the school run in the rain and shopping for food. The planet has plenty of humans and we have done a great job of wrecking the planet and treat animal so cruelly - i dont want to add to that problem.

CurvePuzzleheaded361 , Kory Twaites Report

#4

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It Imo, I should justify why I want kids instead of finding reasons why I don't want them.

In my case, I don't have a reason to want them.

Grapezard , Edgar Chaparro Report

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lith
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this! having children is such a huge HUGE thing, this will prob get some ppl mad but imo too many ppl have kids for the "wrong" reasons, by that i mean things like: they want to continue their legacy, they think they're cute, its expected, the one ive heard that i find the most frustrating is "i want to have that bond withy partner", i know this is just my opinion but i think ppl should have kids when they are ready to fully commit to caring and nurturing another human being, thats what should matter imo. also i feel like its concerning how many ppl would give others a hard time for not wanting children? its a massive responsibility & if someone says no to that i think thats showing they know whether thats something they can fully commit to & that should be a gooD thing. anyways nothing against em but ive never wanted kids lmao.

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#5

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I have never seen a person with children and thought to myself "i want that life"

kn8ife , Unknown Report

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#6

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It As the eldest sibling in my family, I’ve already lived out my maternal dreams.

Mental and chronic illness runs in my family and I can’t risk passing it along.

I don’t want to put my body through pregnancy.

It’s a lot of responsibility and I rather live for myself and all the other things I rather do in the world.

overthinkingdreamerx , Unknown Report

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*me*
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly I’d rather go snorkeling in the Bahamas than watch curious George all day

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#7

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It This world is stupid, corrupt, full of a**holes. Why would I want to bring anyone into this mess?

Western-Monk-8551 , Antoine GIRET Report

#8

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I was born this way. Have just never desired children. No particular reason.

tennesseewaltz , Andrik Langfield Report

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SBW71
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same here. Knew at the age of 14 I didn't want any. I love kids and being around them....as long as they are not mine and I can give them back!

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#9

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I'm too mentally unstable to provide a quality life for any potential kids

guutarajouzu , Zachary Kadolph Report

#10

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I don’t have the patience to deal with them

zion100799 , Ross Sokolovski Report

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*me*
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same they’re just so needy and dirty and annoying and they require lots of effort and I’m very impatient

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#12

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It To sum it up:

- I like having my time and money to myself. Fancy sitting in bed late, drinking beer and ordering takeout? I can do that. Going out with friends at the drop of a hat with no worries? That too.

- My mental & physical health. Some issues are genetic in my family and I'd never wish that upon a child.

- This frankly isn't a world that I'd like to bring anybody into.

- I'm frankly quite selfish (I'd never, ever neglect a child however). I'd prefer the new clothes and games that I bought recently to a nappy / diaper bill.

I've just become an uncle so I totally understand how people can want a child, it's just mot for me personally.

Brainwrongs_ , Unknown Report

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Vicky Z
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately time is not yours anymore when you have kids and that's what I'm also thinking

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#14

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It Bro I can barely handle a full-time job and taking care of a cat. I do not have the time, money, patience, or desire to raise a kid. I want to live my life, not be weighed down with a responsibility I don't want and wouldn't be beneficial for me. I like having the freedom to not have to deal with all that.

TheSorge , Nancy Sims Report

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#15

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It You need a good reason to have a child. You don’t need one to not have one, just as you don’t need a reason not to have a f****** giraffe.

BobAteMyShoes , Marina Abrosimova Report

#16

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It Your vagina getting ripped during childbirth, 9 months in hell (pregnancy) but then childbirth and pregnancy arent even the hardest parts of parenthood. Staying up at night, getting little to to rest, changing smelly diapers, post-partum depression, physical and mental exhaustion, the financial strain of having a child, the unavoidable health damages of pregnancy. The list goes on.. seriously, what is there to like?!

grim_bonecollector , Rob Rhyne Report

#17

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I understand the immense responsibility & sacrifice they are and choose instead to work on myself and continue to nurture my own experiences and growth through the one life I have.

_soch , Tim van der Kuip Report

#18

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It ... I can barely take care of a cat. How do you think I would do with a child?

TipsyNate , kim smith Report

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Nicole
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish more people were this self-aware before they had kids.

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#19

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I don’t want to go through birth, I don’t like the baby stage, children and toddlers are fun and can be adorable but not 24/7, I like money and the piece of mind that I won’t do anything to screw up their lives, everyone I have said I don’t want kids to will say I told you so

And finally I’m not responsible or mature enough.

Ghostofmeow , Unknown Report

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#20

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It Since I am the oldest I call my experience “the free trial” and to make things short I don’t like it

EmergencyUnhappy7454 , Shawnee D Report

#21

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It Our society is structured so that nearly everyone but the wealthy are living hand to mouth. I feel no security in my life and find life stressful. I can't imagine how bad that would be if I had to worry about another soul.

Harvey1977 , Kinshuk Sunil Report

#22

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It Mental health - I have extreme anxiety and ADHD. I don’t want to have a kid and potentially put them through what I go through.

They’re expensive.

Pregnancy is terrifying to me. Never want to try it.

Spite. Got tired real quick always being told I’d be a great mother, even when I announced that I don’t like kids and never want any.

Vinekyrie , Joice Kelly Report

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Mavis Garland
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate to hear young people being hounded to have children. I Loved the joke about a young woman hearing "You're next" whenever she was at a wedding - so she began saying the same thing to people when she attended a funeral.

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#23

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I would make a terrible dad, great uncle but a terrible dad.

RagePandazXD , Unknown Report

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Zoe's Mom
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Great Aunt here: I love being an aunt. Take them out, feed them, spoil them then take them home. My reasoning for not wanting children is that I was afraid that I would turn out to be my mother and that's not good. Plus, I didn't want to put my life on hold. I have my modest home, small savings and a comfortable life with my dog Zoe.

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#24

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It Kids are expensive

I rather spend money on travel than children

I want to retire early

I only like children in small doses

I rather do drugs at Burning Man than raise a child. I don't want to be that guy who tries to do both.

There is no decent return policy on kids.

I really like my me-time.

Every time I see people with kids, I have an overwhelming feeling of dread.

I find people who have kids a little boring, to be honest. Not always, but I know that their rockstar days are now behind them.

I mean, I'm happy for people who want to have kids. I've also had friends confide in me that they wish the hadn't have had kids. This should be a "f*** yes, or no" decision.

No-Psychology1751 , Upgraded Points Report

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SBW71
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree 100%. Seems once your friends have kids you no longer have anything in common anymore with them and the friendship slowly dies

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#25

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It They're loud, expensive, annoying, boring, time consuming and needy.

Instar5 , Leonid Mamchenkov Report

#26

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It Too mentally ill from childhood trauma and have various auto immune diseases. Wouldn’t be fair to have a child when I’m not completely present for them.Love kids but not for me.

sheakat1997 , Thought Catalog Report

#27

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It As a male who never wanted a kid and now has one, I can say I still don't want one.

Don't get me wrong. My buddy is now my whole world and I would do anything for him. But i never wanted a kid and now I definitely wish I never had one.

All my free time I had is gone. I don't really care about the money. He can have it all and all my crap I collect too. He can have it. I just want my time back. Or some time. Any time. I can't remember the last time I've a whole movie from beginning to end. I can't remember the last time I've just laid around listening to music.

And when i do get time away from him I catch up on stuff that hasnt gotten done and I really dont enjoy the time. There's no such thing as me time anymore.

Cant wait until hes out of the house. Just 16 more years to go.

westbee , Unknown Report

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AzKhaleesi
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it gets better. You're talking about a friggin TWO year old. My kids are early to late teens, and I get me time now all the time. Or you can make you time about you two time. Get him interested in music. Get him to watch a movie with you. My kids are huge music and movie buffs now. Because that's what I did with them.

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#28

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I'd rather live my life without being weighed down by a huge financial burden. Plus most kids I know are little s***

ThatOneBuilderGuy , 401(K) 2012 Report

#29

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I simply refuse to put a child into this world as it is,
I know too much about how ugly it truly is.

Massive , Wikimedia Commons Report

#30

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I am selfish so I am not gonna sacrifice my time for them. I don't want to bring kids into this world if they can't be unconditionally loved.

the1992munchkin , StockSnap Report

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Leodavinci
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Children do need that. It's unfortunate so many parents are incapable of giving it.

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#31

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It because i dont like children

i dont want to raise one for 18 years

id rather put that money into my dream car

Qwerteee8 , Wikipedia Report

#32

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It They s*** themselves and you have to change their diapers.

They’re expensive.

It’s the best thing you can do for the environment.

It’s a s**** world to raise a kid in. What if they were trans, disabled, gay, etc? I’d still love them but half the US population wants to deny them human rights.

They cry and b**** and require constant attention.

There’s so many reasons.

jh32488 , Wikimedia Commons Report

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Jhm Mke
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember as a young man that one of my grade school friends had an older brother who was cognitively disabled and needed lifelong support. Who would take care of his older brother, once his parents were not able to? It shaped me and I remember also hearing an interview about "The Population Explosion" a ~1970s book. All my life I worried about the risk of having a child who needed my help(for their entire life) and the risk of me dying and not being able to provide the necessary help? Also, how can the world we live in handle a constantly growing human population? The world population ~1970 was ~3.5 Billion and today the population is ~8 billion.... You do the math? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/book-incited-worldwide-fear-overpopulation-180967499/

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#33

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It The world is overpopulated and I don't want to spend the time and money required to care for raising a child.

bender710 , Nemo_Jo Report

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Mickie Shea
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, some space in the lower right corner just opened up. Hurry do it.

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#34

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It A friend told me once that I would probably be like the mom from Carrie and there's no f****** way I would condemn a child to such a miserable life.

Also, giving birth? F*** that

booksoverppl , Franco Seguer Report

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#35

Not Everyone Wants To Be A Parent And 35 People In This Online Group Get Brutally Honest About It I guess I don’t want my child to have an illness of some kind (Down syndrome, autism). Is it wrong to say I don’t want to have a child live like that?

ReptileRuairi , Bob Brotchie Report

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