Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My wife and I do not have children and feel it has been to our advantage. As we do interesting things during the evening and weekends we are always saying to each other that if we had children we would be bored. The type of intellectual, cultural and educational things we do in our free time just would not be possible if we had children.
My brother has kids and he has turned out completely different as a result. All his time is devoted to the kids. He spends countless hours driving them to activities, sitting in the stands watching them play sports, yelling at them to finish their homework, and talking about the kids endlessly with his wife. It seems like every waking hour is devoted to either his kids or his job. He has no time for reading, intellectual or cultural pursuits, or activities to expand his mind.
It seems like my wife's family members who are parents are exactly the same. I feel that having kids now days limit you as a person intellectually. Agree or disagree?
It all depends on the "person". Yes, kids do change a persons life. For me it was by far for the better. Not everyone is ment to be parent. But you are wrong if you think that kids do not let a person have cultural or intellectual persuits....we involved our children in those persuits. For me personally, having children actually showed my real purpose for life. But that's me!!!!
for me, its expanded mine. I was much more shy and introverted. Being at games and activities for my kids made me expand my friendship network and meet all sorts of new people. Ive gone on various field trips w/the kids, and while some are things like pumpkin patch where you dont learn too much, theres been others to things like the marine biology center, the elk preservation, cultural festivals, art museums, a day w/a botanist, and other such things where maybe I didnt learn anything that is going to change the world, but I added something to mine. We take our kids to choir concerts, local theater plays, and all sorts of activities. We also have family close by that take the kids now and then so my husband and I can have some "adult" time. Which btw, we make it a point to not talk about the kids, or bills. lol
ya, our kids are the most important part of our lives, but we still make sure to have other things that matter going on. I think its important for your kids to know while you love them dearly and will put them first, its vital to be a grownup as well.
jmo.
With kids you get put into more situations that you would have realized, everyone a chance to learn and grow. With kids you get to meet lots of folks you may not have thought of meeting before, everyone a chance to learn and grow. With kids you get a chance to help mold a young mind into what it will be when it matures, everytime a chance to learn and grow.
There is no doubt that kids stretch you in everyway including intellectual.
I hear more of you quesiton being will they take away from "me" and the things "I" want to do. Remove that selfish aspect and yes, kids make you a better person and help you grow intellectually. Does that mean everyone should have kids? No way - lots of examples today of folks that shouldn't have kids - but that's a different topic.
It changes your ideas of what "intellectual" and "cultural" means.
Kids teach you of what is really important every single day.
I love that...........so true. Kids teach you to slow down and enjoy the amazing love that being a parent has to offer. I think there is nothing greater than being a parent and I have learned so much from my kids. Most of all, I have learned to chill out and enjoy my life each and everyday (even the really hectic ones)!
Well, it depends on what you mean by intellectually. Parents might not have that much time to read a newspaper and see what's going on in the world or read an intellectual book, but when you become a parent, you reach A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF PERSONAL GROWTH. You start seeing the world from a different perspective, the one that you wouldn't be able to view the world from if you weren't a parent.
Raising a human being requires a lot from you and it teaches you a lot more then any newspaper or a book can teach.
I do think it's important to take time for yourself, to unwind, to read and etc..though. When you become a parent, it's easy to get caught up in the daily routine and forget about yourself. I have done it during my child's infancy, but once he reached toddlerhood I was able to find myself again.
I agree, I find myself very wise in some areas, but in others, not so much...I am not always as confident when around people with no children. I feel like I don't have much in common with them.
I guess you are right about time for yourself. If you are totally consumed with your kids lives ,and only that, you lose sight of what is important for you to be a happy healthy adult. I want my kids to have a happy mom so they can be happy kids.
Wife n I are raising her 15 yr old g'son....I never had kids.....[he's finding out what it was like being raised in the 50's since that's my only frame of reference]
I find that it's QUITE intellectually stimulating trying to stay one step ahead of his scams....[thank GOD he's a good kid and a great student]
I believe that your intellect isn't affected as much as your awareness. Prior to parenthood I read a few novels a week, felt extremely harried and busy. With the birth of our daughter I was surprised to look back at how I'd spent my time and to realize the amount of time wasted! As a wife and mother I am happily busy caring for my family, and that is time intensive. Children give us gifts daily. They slow us down and share their view of newly learned things. It is so cool to be reintroduced to something I've come to take for granted. To see things through their eyes restores the wonder you had once felt. When they've mastered a task that had become for you a part of your normal everyday routine, you share their joy and excitement. So I guess it's a lessening of the numbness to the skills you need daily, not the dumbness!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
