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Pets are not children, you are right. But to someone who doesn't have kids, their pets may be someone that they have the same type of relationship with that you have with your kids. So to them pet loss may have some of the same emotions that you would feel if you lost a child.
All perfectly rational.
It's somewhat irrational to ignore over and over again the FACT that many people had pets and lived them before they had children. AND, to ignore that those o us who have had both pets and then children are telling you that th relationships are not remotely on the same level.
And then to continue to state that pets and children are equivalent is down right offensive.
Until you have loved a pet AND a child you have no business stating they are remotely the same.
So what? If that's how they feel, that's how they feel. why take offense? Really, your sensitivities are a bit fragile, aren't they?
Parenthood is a huge undertaking and I will admit, readily and with no shame, that I am offended when it is compared to pet ownership.
Likewise, I am offended children and the relationship parents have with them is equivalent to that of a pet and it's owner.
But mostly I am offended by how readily those claiming pets are equivalent to children, discount the experiences of those who have both. It smacks of the worst kind of arrogance "I love my cat so I know what it is like to lose a child". BS.
Wife and I are currently working on having our first child later in life, so currently our status is no kids.
Over the years we have allways gotten resentment from people who have kids.
I have had co-workers with kids tell me "Must be nice, all that money your sitting on from not having kids, you can do whatever you want".
or "you people with no kids, I wish I had your time and money"
Or as one ladys said to us. "There are those people with no kids, you know, the Rich People"(with a nasty tone).
Those words werent spoken jokingly either, there was resentment and jealousy in there voice and words. I know an older guy than me with no kids said he got that his whole life too.
Why do people have to be like that, they chose to have kids or had them accidently, but that is still on them, not my fault.
Just for the record, not all parents treat me like that, just a handfull. Most of the parents I talk to or know are great.
I honestly don't have a clue why some parents would say such things. It would never occur to me to initiate a conversation about the issue, unless I was asked my opinion about having children, much less question the validity of a couple's child-free status.
Parenthood is a huge undertaking and I will admit, readily and with no shame, that I am offended when it is compared to pet ownership.
Likewise, I am offended children and the relationship parents have with them is equivalent to that of a pet and it's owner.
But mostly I am offended by how readily those claiming pets are equivalent to children, discount the experiences of those who have both. It smacks of the worst kind of arrogance "I love my cat so I know what it is like to lose a child". BS.
I've never heard of such a case where people are "hated on" for not having children. Not saying it's not true, but just never heard of it.
Those who do hate probably regret having children. Some might have felt that their life could have been more eventful and not boggled down from having children.
Then again, we need to think, ever child born is a result of human selfishness.
Good post, overall. With respect to the bold, maybe JUDGE is a better word to describe the rapport than HATE.
I have had many pets in my life and currently have a cat who is 6 years old. Having a child and pet is in no way the same. The only person who would say this is someone who has never had a child and who obviously has no idea about the energy and love it takes to raise a child. Having a child is a 24 hour job. You can't just put a kid in a kennel and go out for a night on the town whenever you like. And then with having a child comes all the worries of school, college, are they eating the healthiest food, are they happy, are they being intellectually stimulated enough, are you hugging them enough, etc, etc. You would never worry about these things for an animal.
And I would never hate on a person for not having kids. Having children is a personal prerogative. Children are a LOT of work so I wouldn't have them unless I was fully prepared to to make all the sacrifices that come with it.
I applaud those who don't want them for not having them, there are too many unwanted kids in this world as is.
Well, not to say that my love for my son is not greater than my love for my dogs - but I can see where childfree folks could make this association and it certainly does not offend me as it seems to some others.
Actually, many do worry about the food their pet is eating; whether they are stimulated/exercised enough; leaving them too much; getting enough attention. They love them; take care of them; nuture them; enjoy the time spent together. It's like parenthood 'lite'.
As my father told me 17 years ago, when I was expressing some fears about upcoming motherhood, 'you tend to love those things you nuture and care for.'
So they call their pets their 'kids' or their 'children' - how does that hurt anyone?
Wife and I are currently working on having our first child later in life, so currently our status is no kids.
Over the years we have allways gotten resentment from people who have kids.
I have had co-workers with kids tell me "Must be nice, all that money your sitting on from not having kids, you can do whatever you want".
or "you people with no kids, I wish I had your time and money"
Or as one ladys said to us. "There are those people with no kids, you know, the Rich People"(with a nasty tone).
Those words werent spoken jokingly either, there was resentment and jealousy in there voice and words. I know an older guy than me with no kids said he got that his whole life too.
Why do people have to be like that, they chose to have kids or had them accidently, but that is still on them, not my fault.
Just for the record, not all parents treat me like that, just a handfull. Most of the parents I talk to or know are great.
Why on earth would anyone get upset over remarks like that? They have zero to do with the childfree person and everything to do with the speaker's own dissatisfaction with their choices.
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