Are people who dislike children generally 'not very nice?' (emotion, animals)
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Some people just don't like kids at certain ages, like babies and toddlers, but like older kids or at least the cool ones. Then there are those people who proclaim to love all children and all animals - yeah, sure. How wonderful is that Octomom, her love for children knows no bounds...
I'm not making any judgments myself, but people like this are often portrayed as self-centered, impatient and not very warm. Of course hating any group for no good reason is probably not a good thing, but have you noticed this in general? I know some of the meanest people can still like babies or puppies or something, but I get the idea that some people who say they dislike children are rather serious, and have lost their innocence in a way. Of course some may just say they and dislike them on a very superficial level, but I also think they have forgotten the child within them, and maybe need to re-connect with that.
why not let people think and believe what they want?
i am not unashamed to say i despise children, and i don't think it makes me a "bad" person. life is not so black and white.
What's positive? Childhood is a very brief stage in life, though today's helicopter parents seem to want to extend that stage until the kid is in their 20s........
The true childhood experience has been shortened.
The responsibility of adulthood almost never seems to arrive.
You "despise" children? C'mon man, it's a bit stongly worded , don't you think so? don't forget there was a time when you were a child too.
Funny, at 20 I couldn't stand kids, now at 50...they make me melt (the nice ones, at least)
I feel like maybe I should elaborate because I've read some stuff in this thread that makes me want to add a few more thoughts.
In some aspects, I really admire children. I admire their curiosity, their innocent (though this one is debatable now) outlook on the world, and their simple desire to enjoy life. In a sense, I try to retain some childlike qualities (even though it's not very hard since my childhood isn't that far away in the past).
However, the responsibility of taking care of children and even more the responsibility of what type of adults they will turn out to be has so far NOT appealed to me... it may in the future but for the past 20 years of my life, it has not. You can say this is a very selfish way of thinking but at least I'm owning up to it instead of producing babies and doing a subpar job of taking care of them.
I think children can be quite adorable and enjoyable at times. As a whole though, I'd rather spend time with people in my age group or older than a group of little kids. Even though I'll usually grin and bare it, it drives me crazy when little kids are in restaurants at night and are screaming, throwing their food on the floor, and etc. while their parents look on.
My general experience has been that people who don't enjoy children overall also often happen to be people who are not especially patient or flexible. Not necessarily bad people, just not ones with patience and flexibility as particularly strong attributes. Oftentimes, they're people who aren't very comfortable with nurturing, etc.
Depends. At 23 I don't really care for kids because I don't want any just yet, but most people find me to be nice. Very young children (under 5) annoy me, but what annoys me even more are their overprotective "helicopter" mothers. Elementary school kids can be fun though- I've done a tutoring program for kids 7-10 and they're great: old enough to do basic things for themselves but not obnoxious teens yet.
"Helicopter parent," though, is really a term that originated with parents who kept too much of a hand in the mix as their children entered college (calling them in the a.m. to wake them up, typing their papers for them, calling profs and chewing them out over grades, etc.). It's hard to imagine that term really applying to mothers (and fathers) who keep a watchful eye out for their toddlers' safety.
I'm not a cold person at all but I don't like babies and toddlers. Never have. I have zero patience with them. I have no interest in kids who get food all over themselves yell "NO!" and throw tantrums. Once they hit around 3rd grade then I like to be around them as long as they are not obnoxious.
I think people are wired differently. Show me a baby animal and I melt, pick them up and it's love at first sight. Show me a baby and I have no interest. I didn't ask to be this way but I accept it and have never wanted kids.
What's worse to me are parents who just never stop talking about their kids. They have this amazing ability to bend and twist every single conversation into something about their kid:
Person 1: Oh cleasach, how's your studying for the certification exam going?
Me: Good.
Parent: Johnny takes a computer class in 3rd grade. The teacher says he's way ahead of the other kids.
or
Person 1: I'm going to the game on Saturday. I got good seats.
Me: Whoa. Lucky!
Parent: Johnny's team won their first game. He got three hits and made an amazing catch. The coaches are amazed at how much better he is than the other kids.
Having a conversation about food? Well, then you're bound to hear "Oh Johnny doesn't like that.... oh he loves that."
I know all parents aren't like this but I happen to work with several who are and it just makes me insane.
I think the OP meant that in some people, there is a disconnect happening... They still remember how they were feeling as kids, their childhood impressions are still important to them, they still are able to share their personal experiences as kids... But somewhere along the line, as they grew up, kids became "they", an outside group, and they can't quite connect their own childhood to these newly growing kids... That was the extent of the "lost innocence" in the OP's mind, I think.
I agree with the previous poster that people are wired differently. Some are unable to overcome that detachment, and some can relate to kids through the inner eye of their own childhood.
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