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People Reveal The Moment They Decided To Never Have Children

People Reveal The Moment They Decided To Never Have Children

Being a parent is a beautiful, rewarding, messy, complicated, magical thing. It's also absolutely not for everyone. We understand not everyone gets a choice in the matter, but quite a few people do - and the ones who do often times just say no.

One Reddit user asked: People that decided on NEVER having children - What was the moment you knew it's just not for you?

Some of the responses were things we expected, but others really caught us off guard and made us think. Some seemed almost sad, while others seem like they'd throw themselves a No Kids parade daily if they could... which they can, because they don't have kids who would have a problem with that sort of thing!

50. They're Boring

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I knew since I was very young that I never wanted kids. I didn't want to play with baby dolls as toys, I never played with my younger cousins either, I just never liked babies or kids. When I see animals, I have the ability to genuinely say "awwwww" and feel a desire to love them. With children, it's the opposite because I make a conscious effort not to acknowledge them either by eye contact or smiling. I don't want to be bothered with them.

It's not that I hate them, I just don't find them very interesting at all.

49. Unless I'm A Millionaire

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I'm in my mid 20's and I'm just wrapping up on my student loans this year. Then I'm determined to move to a new city and get established with a lucrative job while having a small business. I'm hoping to start traveling a lot. Can't travel when I have kids, and I'm really focused on my career. I don't even know if I would want to buy a house.

**Unless I'm a millionaire, kids would definitely impede on my goals. **

There are a lot of things I want to do that would leave me with no time to raise them. There might be a time when I'm at the stage where I'm more than financially stable and I'm emotionally ready enough to have children and take care of them. However, in the foreseeable future, my emotional/financial state, I'm definitely NOT up for the responsibility.

48. Thanks, Teach!

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When I was in high school we had a teacher that encouraged us to do an exercise of mapping out expected milestones in our lives based on how we saw it. Eg, in 4 years we graduate from high school, 4 years after that we graduate from college, what age we expect to be married, what age we expect to have kids etc. When we got to the part about kids "leaving the nest" I was excited that that was when I would have my life back while the rest of the class was like "omg empty nest so sad".

The teacher looked at me and said:

"You know, if you're already excited about your kids leaving and you haven't even had them yet you might not want to have any."

It was like a switch just went off in my mind and I realized I had never wanted any in the first place and I could actually choose not to have them.

47. Traveling And Being Selfish Is Awesome

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I've always said I never wanted kids, since middle school. People would always tell me:

**"Oh, you'll change your mind some day. You're going to find a nice man, get married and have kids." **

I also said I'd never get married. Never liked anyone enough. Until now. He also doesn't want kids. So we're going to travel and be selfish and save our money and it's going to be awesome

46. They're Not A Retirement Plan

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In my country, people don't move out when they become adults. Instead, they stay home to take care of their parents, who took care of them when they were young. I've seen some unsuccessful people decide to have kids as a retirement plan. They raise children while hoping that one day their sons or daughters will become something like a professor or politician. That way they have the money to improve their parents and sibling's lives.

It's like some babies are only born to be the one who will fulfill their parents dream. There's no attempt to hide it. These kids know from childhood that they must make money and that taking care of the family falls on them. That huge responsibility messes with them. It causes low morale and often times neglecting themselves physically so focus solely on work and study for the sake of money. That makes me and my partner never want to have children. We do not like what is expected of them by our culture and in our country.

45. "I Don't Understand Them, And I Dislike Them."

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I used to dance around how much I dislike kids, because it gets people defensive, but now I just say it.

I don't understand them, and I dislike them. Now, that isn't to say I'm going to be rude or anything. I try to be nice, and polite, because as a society teaching kids to be nice is part of everybody's responsibility (IMO).

But like... I just don't like them. And apparently that makes me bad?

I once said that kids confuse and frustrate me, and that I didn't want any, and somebody said, "Oh thank God, I was just going to tell you you'd make a horrible mother. You always talk about being worried you'll hurt them. But you're too angry to be a mom."

Yeah! They run around at foot- to knee-height! I sometimes accidentally nudge my cat if she darts in front of me when I'm walking. Like hell I'm not going to be safe around zooming tiny humans who'll cry at a slight provocation (like I used to)!

I don't want kids because one, I don't want them.

Two, they're loud and they cry and I don't know how to calm them down.

Three, I don't want them.

Four, I do get angry quickly. I don't handle stress well.

I refuse to put I child I'm "supposed" to have at risk of being emotionally damaged because of my faults.

44. Love Cats, Not Kids

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My mom has made pregnancy absolutely revolting for me. Chafing and stretching, tearing and nonconsensual sewing and tucking... a doctor gave her a tummy tuck while sewing up the C-section to keep her "pretty for hubby," because general consent was considered implied during surgery in the Air Force in the 80's and this happened on a USAF base in Korea.

The plan me and the man have is to start investing in units to rent out and using the income there to work on fostering kittens and cats for homes so they don't get killed.

We love cats. We don't love kids.

43. When Parents Are Strangers

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It just slowly happened. However I can pinpoint the final nail in the coffin.

My brother is a sociopath. When he finally went to prison, my parents suddenly went from thinking they had 6 more years of a kid in their house to being empty-nesters. After around 30 years of marriage, they realized they were complete strangers. They didn't know if they had anything in common anymore.

I didn't want kids at that point, but the idea of being with the person I want to spend my life with and someday realizing the only thing we have in common is our kids was a terrifying idea.

I'm in my 30's now. I got sterilized a few years ago and have never had any regrets!

(For anyone interested, they're celebrating their 40th anniversary this year and are still deliriously in love!)

42. Barely Talked About Anything But The Kid

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My now-wife and I had discussed kids and were strongly leaning towards no for a variety of reasons, but weren't 100% on board with the idea yet.

We then visited my brother as part of a vacation, spending a weekend with my brother, his wife, and their 3 year old son. I had been looking forward to this as they live several states away and I hadn't been able to spend time with my brother for ages.

I was hoping to hang out with him, have conversations, crack jokes, maybe even try some local beers. Instead the entire weekend was spent with my nephew. I barely got to talk to my brother about anything that wasn't nephew-related, the kid needed constant care and attention from everyone (myself and my fiancee included), etc,. As young children do.

So we went home having not gotten to spend any of the time I wanted with my brother. It was a stark lesson in just how much children change your life. We both were completely convinced that we did not want kids at all after that trip.

41. Wrong To Me

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I have a genetic disorder that is a dominant gene, so any child I would have has a 50/50 chance to also have the disorder. There is also no genetic test for my sub-type of syndrome. So super not into the idea of risking it. And yes, I do judge people who have children with my syndrome because we know these odds and we know there is no test.

We all know how painful this is and to subject another life to this just because you want a mini-me is just plain wrong to me.

40. Useless Leeches

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Half of my friends are just useless people that leech off their parents hard earned money. I realized the chances of me ending up with a kid like that is just too high, and its not worth the time/effort/money to feel obligated to love someone because they are related to you.

39. It's Forever.

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Just the realization that it isn't something you can just let go of. It's not a job you can quit, a relationship you can end, etc. It's forever. That's something I never lose sight of. Especially when it does seem like a cool idea during that cute phase where the kids are between ages 2 and 10. But after that, you're just dealing with and responsible for this random person who never had to exist in the first place.

38. Mommy Monster

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I was 12 or 13, riding in the car with my siblings and parents. My mom was being a horrible, as per usual, and she turned around and snapped:

**"I can't WAIT until YOU have kids, so you can see how awful it is!" **

I realized that if I had kids, there was the potential to also be a terrible mother, given that I bore certain unfortunate behavioral similarities to her. Like, that could be me one day sitting in the front seat yelling that to my own kids. And that was when I noped out - I didn't want to be her.

Thanks to that awareness, I've spent most of my life in therapy and counselling fighting the personality disorders I've inherited. I've come a long way and burned a lot of bridges, and it will definitely be a life-long process for me, but it's been worth it to get a semblance of control over the issues.

37. The Breakup

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I'm planning on breaking up with my boyfriend tonight for this very reason. There's a fairly significant age difference between us and he wants kids. I realized I can't think of a single beneficial thing a child will do for me, he says he can wait till I'm older and ready but then I just feel like it's an inevitability and he's still not listening. I do not want them. Not I want them later. I. Do. Not. Want. Them.

I don't want to ruin my body. I don't want to ruin my bank account, I live in one of the most expensive cities in the world, how on earth would we pay for a kid? I want to focus on my career. I want to earn money and travel the world one day. Not spend the rest of my life raising a parasite.

36. Tone Change

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There was no one moment, we just never wanted any. I'm almost 40 now, and have noticed that the tone has shifted from smug people thinking that I'll change my mind, to pity from people who didn't realize that it was intentional.

Now, I just get a kick out of making people uncomfortable when I say that my husband and I "were never blessed with children."

People get squirmy, some tell me about their cousin's neighbor's sister that had a 'miracle baby' at age 42, and a slew of other fun ways to play with the social lines of acceptable discussion points

35. Early Retirement

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It's awesome. Childless by choice, we retired really early (40ish) and have been to all 50 states, all 7 continents, 70+ countries and 282 of 417 National Parks. On our own time whenever we want to go.

34. Medical Exclusion

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I'm hypersensitive to sound. Loud and high pitched sounds hurt me. The sound of children crying is physically painful to me, to the point that if I don't have earplugs on me and a kid starts crying, I need to leave the room immediately.

You can't be a parent if you can't handle crying kids.

33. Bad Investment

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The Return On Investment just doesn't seem to be there. We prefer a bank account balance that doesn't give us anxiety. Children are expensive and would prohibit me from doing a lot of things. Visiting long time friends and family who now have kids is a total crap-shoot. You go over there to talk and spend a little time with these people you never get to see, and they spend the entire time wrangling their offspring.

I went over my brothers house one day to help him fix some electrical and got yelled at by his wife to be more quiet because the kid was napping. I mean, howdahf*ck am I supposed to work on your house and not make noise?!

But I digress, I love the kids themselves, especially my Niece and God Daughter. I like to spoil them, spend time with them, and then send them home with their parents. When I explain to people that I don't want kids I typically get asked:

_"Aren't you worried what you'll do when you're older and need someone to take care of you?" _

If the only reason you had kids is to secure your twilight years, that's some selfish bull. What if your kid decides that looking after the old man when he's shitting himself doesn't sound like such a great idea...or what if they are physically or financially unable to do so? We just think that you should have kids because it's something you really want to dedicate your life to and something that your financial situation allows you to do properly. That's not us.

32. Sleep, Privacy, Alone Time

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I don't mind kids, I like to give them back.

They are so time consuming and I'm too selfish to have kids. I like sleep, privacy, alone time. I used to baby sit my friends kid overnight and during the day until the dad came home and then I'd have to stay to put the kid to bed. Doing that for a couple weeks just solidified to me that I'm not cut out for it. My partner understands but as it stands I'm not having kids and I feel like that won't change.

31. Not in the cards.... 

When I realized it was an option. When I was younger I assumed that's just what you do, grow up, have kids, deal with the kids. It took me some time to notice that it's possible to choose not to have children, at which point I thought that sounded like a great choice for me. sexrockandroll

30. Free Bird....

There was no such moment. I've never even considered having kids. I feel neither the desire nor the necessity of producing offspring. I like being free, unbound. You can't really do whatever you want, with kids in the picture, can you? Kids become a constant. YouTubeIsAJoke

29. Why am I here?

When I was around 7 years old and thought for the first time "I didn't ask to be born." Reddit

That factors into my decision as well. I've lived a life that most people can be envious of, but I just don't think the world is good enough to forcefully bring someone into. I don't want to subject another person to the flaws of humanity. Zerole00

28. Zero Sorries.... 

I have never wanted them. I'm a 40 year old female and have zero regrets. I like kids, they are cool, just have never wanted my own and have never wavered even for a second. Lindsey-905

Same here at 37. I like kids aged about 5 and up and was even a teacher for a few years, but don't care for babies and actively dislike toddlers, so I'm not sure I could cope with those early years. I can't remember any point in my life at which I wanted to have kids of my own. LogicalBike

27. Counting the Coins....

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When I looked at my bank account. GorillaS0up

"You'll make it work." -various parents

Probably the worst financial advice anyone could dispense. I don't think people truly realize just how expensive kids are. summerofsmoke

26. Nintendo First...

I got a nintendo switch and realized I'm no where near done being a kid. mrsplackpack

Kids: $200,000 Switch: $300 I don't know about you but I've made my decision. max_costco

25. Phobias....

When I was like 14, in health class. The teacher was talking about pregnancy, stuff I thought I knew (period stops, you feel great until birth) was turned upside down and I realized holy sh!t, that's terrifying. Especially when he talked about being able to see the baby's fists and sometimes a slight outline of its face on his wife's stomach. I became tokophobic from that moment on. catinthexmastree

24. Break the Cycle...

Quite understandable. Actually, another reason I don't want kids is that my grandmother would get very angry very quickly and not always rationally, and I've inherited that tendency. It doesn't last, and I know I would love my kids to death the rest of the time, but I think it's extremely likely that I would occasionally get frustrated and snap and treat my kids the way my mom and uncle were sometimes treated, which sometimes crossed over the border into child abuse. I don't think it's fair to put kids through that. So I totally understand how you feel. LogicalBike

23. Save the Vagina!

There wasn't a single moment for me. I always knew it was the option I wanted. The earliest moment I can remember clearly is when I was about 3 years old and my mom told me that babies come out of your vagina. I thought that sounded horrible and I didn't want that for me. (Bless my mother for being so honest with me. I'm thankful she didn't keep secrets.)

From then on, the more I discovered about motherhood, the less I wanted it. I was horribly afraid of the idea of pushing a baby out of me. I didn't want to give up my freedom.

I've had dreams of being a popstar, traveling the world, and starting a business, and it would all be much harder with a child. I've no doubt I would make a great mother, but I would be miserable. Just the thought of a fetus growing inside me makes me cringe.

There are selfless reasons too: less environmental impact, fighting overpopulation, and better resource allocation. If I took all the resources I could spend creating a child and gave it to someone who already exists who really needs it, I will have reduced the total suffering in the world. Lil-Miss-Anthropy

22. I'll Pass....

I hate that people act as though you're some kind of sad sack because you don't want kids. It's as though everyone who has children is so happy and illuminated. We all know that's not true. Most parents I see say they love their children and don't regret having them, but they seem so stressed. It's just not a life I want to live. Reddit

Thats the thing I always find amusing, people always say no one is ever unhappy to have a kid, but I think it is more that they don't want to admit it was a mistake. I think I would even have a hard time admitting it to myself. Securitron81624

21. Waffling....

I'm still on the fence, but I know for sure I don't want to have kids of my own. I'm short, fat and socially inept. I don't want my kids to hate their bodies/personalities as much as I hate mine. Plus, pregnancy freaks me out in a way I can't fully explain. The idea of a human just growing inside you makes me squeamish.

Babies in general are gross. I love babies, and I love my friend's babies with all my heart, but they're gross. I had to change a diaper once and thought I was gonna vomit.

So if I ever decide kids are for me, I want to adopt an older kid who at least is capable of cleaning up after themselves. There will still be messes, but of the much more manageable variety.

Plus, older kids are cool. They can tell you all about their day, likes/dislikes, etc. My friend's kiddo is just now mastering her words. Again, I love the little nugget, but I'm psyched for when she'll be able to really talk about herself. The_Late_Gatsby

20. Not a Fail! 

There wasn't really one moment, but...when I was in my last year of college I had a condom failure. I took plan B, but that really screwed up my hormones, so first I bled for like 10 days and then my period stopped for 3 months. I was almost hysterically, irrationally convinced I was pregnant anyway. I started looking up late term abortion providers across the globe. I was so ANGRY my body could do this, I just argued with pro-lifers online to let off steam. It was not a mentally healthy situation. Sure I was young, but I wasn't 18, either - yet I realized how viscerally disgusted I was by the idea of pregnancy. A friend of mine got pregnant later that year, just before graduation - she kept it, and was fine with it.

I realized my feelings were very, very different from women who wanted kids - even when I was saying I'd have one "after I was 30" before. I realize that "after I was 30" was basically some random time in the future I never really thought was going to happen.

Around the same time, my grandmother became badly disabled (she was blind already, but more issues arose with age), and we decided to care for her at home. For me, this meant it sort of ended "fun" stuff I did with my mom, like going to the movies, because one of us always had to stay at home or we'd have to pay a nurse. Now I loved my grandma, but I hated every second of freedom taken away.

I decide I never wanted that again. I want to be able to get up at any time, and go anywhere I want. I know I wouldn't, because I'd love my kids as I also loved my grandma, but I'd resent them for it, too. Kay_Elle

19. Natural to who?

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I feel this idea so hard. I like having my life be my own. Sure there are things I have to answer for - school and work and maybe at some point a partner - but I'm not in a field where if I need to not be present for a while someone is going to die. With kids that's a big risk, and you're selfish for even wanting time away from them, you terrible himself being, you.

Also I've never met anyone who got that body betrayal thing. "It's what your body is naturally meant to do!" If I had the option I would be an amorphous shambling mist that lives on the edge of the moors and devours the souls of wicked men, does any of that sound like I'm concerned with what I'm "naturally" supposed to do? shiguy

18. The Cons Outweigh!

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There wasn't really a moment, I've just never felt any desire whatsoever to have kids. I can't think of a single benefit they would provide to me. I probably wouldn't even love them if I had them. Rpgwaiter

17. What if?

I once dated a man who wants kids and tried to want them for him, but I couldn't help but fear that I would get pregnant, push this thing out after 9 months, hold it in my arms, and feel nothing. How are you supposed to know you'll love it? How is anyone? Lil-Miss-Anthropy

16. IT JUST IS! 

There was never "A Moment." I've just never wanted kids. I never felt that maternal instinct, I didn't play with dolls as a kid. I don't feel some biological clock ticking. I never woke up one day going "Nope! No kids for me!" It's just always been a thing. DesperatelyRandom

15. Learned from the Best! 

I don't think there was a moment in particular, but it was more of a gradual thing as I saw friends and family members start to have children as well as listening and learning about other people's experiences. tengolacamisanegra

Little sister was born and no I don't hate her people who have had toddlers as siblings will understand. topkek565

14. Is that you?

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When I met my sister after she had a kid. She's not the same person I knew (and not necessarily in a good way). She thought that having a kid would make her happy. But at this point in time, she's not. Maybe it 'will' make some people happier, but that a risky gamble on you, your partner, and the child. Especially since, society in the 'west' do not 'invest' in a kid as a life insurance anymore. Salt_is_Enough

13. I'm not suitable! 

You are treated as the least important part of giving birth and you are charged an insane amount to do it, everyone judges you for how you raise your kids and everything you do is wrong and you're violently messing them up in every way, your life is no longer your own, I'm way too angry, I can't stand sudden loud noises, and I have too much hereditary stuff growing on my family tree to ever want to risk passing it along. I'm miserable, why would I want to make another person I know is going to be miserable too? shiguywhy

I may adopt one day, if I'm ever in a financial situation where I would be able to take care of that kid in the way they deserve, but a kid of my own making is a possibility I will never entertain. I've felt that way since I was seven years old. shiguywhy

12. Can't take the sick.....

I am extremely phobic of vomit. I know I could never be a good mother if my child was sick because I would be locked away in full-on panic mode.

I also was severely abused, beaten, and tortured as a child, and I have days where PTSD/Anxiety overcome me and I cannot function properly. No child should be subjected to that. I feel guilty my husband is subjected to that.

Also, my husband and I barely make enough to stay afloat. It isn't fair to the child if we don't make enough money to provide for them.

Plus, people are too quick to blame parents for things nowadays. Back when I was a kid, my mom would leave us at home while she worked and we would just wander off into the forest or go play in the creek. Now, parents get charged for things like letting an older sibling babysit or letting your kids wander off to a park by themselves. Booner999

11. I'd rather stay calm....

There's not really a defining moment. I've never wanted them. Ever. I'm 31 and not once in my life have I wanted a kid. Seeing kids in public tends to reinforce my decision.

I'm also selfish, especially with my time. A kid would just piss me off more than anything just because I could never do what I want to do. Keinichn

10. LINEAGE....

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When I realized how many people's problems can be traced to childhood traumas. I realized I didn't want that responsibility. Also all my co workers just complain about how their kids kept them up all night and etc. XPTranquility

9. Adulting is a NO! 

At 16 - "So I have some nasty genetics that I shouldn't pass on so I'll adopt."

Early 20s - "I kinda like traveling, maybe I'll be on team adopt one and done."

Me now - "How the hell do you adult? My adulting cannot even take care of me let alone a kid." rainfal

8. For the greater good.... 

As someone with a slew of mental health issues (bipolar, depression, OCD, anorexia, etc.) I realized that, just like there are people who physically cannot have kids for whatever physical complications, there are also people that are mentally unable to have kids, yet they still do because that physically can.

I recognize my mental limitations and simply do not want to be a parent who is mentally incapable of caring for their own child(ren), even if my body allows me to have them. It's not fair to the child, myself, or the rest of the world. SofaKeenGrad

7. 21 & Over....

I'm only 21, but have no intent to have children. I have known I didn't want kids since I was a kid myself. I never played house, never played with baby dolls, etc. I have grown up knowing I was not meant to be a mother. I have pretty intense parental issues with my own parents, and would be terrified I would totally ruin my kids life. There was never a "moment" for me, as it's something I've always known.

PS.) I mean this kindly, but please don't tell me I will "change my mind" about having kids. No, I won't. I'm sick of people telling me I'll DEFINITELY want kids when I'm older and how "heartless" I am for not wanting them in the first place. I do not want kids...I will never want kids. I also DON'T HATE KIDS!!! For some reason people equate not wanting kids to hating them. I like kids, I like being around kids, but being a mother just isn't for me. adcable2018

6. The Crazy Guncle....

When i realized i was gay, not that gay people cant be good parents, but I also think Im much more of a cool uncle then a father, plus i think people like me were born to love the idea of love, ill probably end up as "crazy uncle that owns a nature reserve in Montana." Killgarth

5. To Child or not to Child... 

I keep saying it and people keep telling my I'll change my mind. I'm only 22 but I've seen so many examples of parents who do as much as they can to be good parents and their kids still end up crap heads. My step dad's daughters are older than me by a few years and the entitlement factor they both have is like that of a 14 year old; they don't ask for his money, they just take his credit card... And not for stuff like shopping, (although they do that too) but one of them just decided she needed invisalign braces and didn't even ask first... He's such a good guy too; he knows how to discipline but loves the crap out of his kids and it kills me the way they treat him.

I also don't understand why it seems like a requirement of marriage for it to be fulfilled. I want to get married one day but when I get married I don't know why I'd want to give up pretty much all of my free time when, between working, I'll barely have any time to give to the love of my life. Without kids, I'd be able to afford more time off to spend with my wife, I'll be able to afford trips and nice things for her and for myself and I'll be able to take opportunities that, whilst having kids I wouldn't be able to take.

Between the worry of doing my best, and still ending up with a shit kid, and closing a shit load of doors, I don't think kids seem as fulfilling as everyone tells me. If I want my life to be fulfilled, I strongly believe I'd be able to do a better job doing so without children. ItsBaithoven

4. I'm gonna barf....

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i was vomited on. I was told it was cute. Im out. I am a sympathetic vomiter, meaning when someone vomits so do i. i would literally be vomiting on my baby for years. plus i have a genetic disorder that is a dominant gene, so any child i have is 50/50 to have it. and yes I do judge people who have children with my syndrome because of these odds and lack of test. We all know how painful it is. and to do that to another life just because you want a mini-me is just wrong to me. ThermohydrometricZap

3. Rule of 3

3 reasons

  1. I am autistic, and have an extensive family history of the condition. I can't do that to myself, and my potential offspring
  2. I honestly don't think I'd be a great parent. I get overwhelmed and emotionally withdrawn more easily than your average adult, and if I can't rely on myself to keep it together, why would I force some kid to attempt it?
  3. I work with kids through a program at my church, and while I enjoy working with kids, I'm adamant that parenting is not for me.

That being said, my four month old niece is my main motivation to look after myself, and to keep it together, and I am absolutely thrilled at the concept of being a loving and fun uncle. frontios1996

2. The Life Suck....

There wasn't one single moment. It was a gradual thing that I became more certain about as time went on. When I was in my 20s, I thought I'd want kids someday because it seemed like the normal thing to do. Then I entered my 30s, and I wanted kids even less. Unless I have a sudden change of heart, I don't think I'll ever want them. I see my friends posting pictures of their kids all the time, and it doesn't affect me like it does some people. It makes me feel sorry for them if anything, because all I see is a drain on time, money, and other resources. catching_signals

1. No Guarantees.....

Giphy

I don't want to live 18 (or possibly more) years of my life dealing with a human who can potentially grow into an antisocial psychopath just because a bunch of other kids picked on him/her. In the end, I would have to take the blame on how my kid turned out to be. I lived a shitty childhood and wouldn't wish that on another human being.

I wasted enough time in my teens and early 20s. I just managed to pick up on a career again, and I don't want to waste another 20 or so hindering it for another human being. Reddit

I was at my sister's house hanging out with her and her then three year old. My sister got up to go to the bathroom and the kid wanted to come with her. My sister said no, and kid absolutely lost her crap. She was wailing and throwing a fit and banging on the door trying to get in cause she wanted to be with her mom so bad. I need my alone time and if I can't even go to the bathroom for peace and quiet I am never going to be completely happy, and I can't give the kid what they need. amandaalorian

Reddit

People Reveal The Weirdest Thing About Themselves

Reddit user Isitjustmedownhere asked: 'Give an example; how weird are you really?'

Let's get one thing straight: no one is normal. We're all weird in our own ways, and that is actually normal.

Of course, that doesn't mean we don't all have that one strange trait or quirk that outweighs all the other weirdness we possess.

For me, it's the fact that I'm almost 30 years old, and I still have an imaginary friend. Her name is Sarah, she has red hair and green eyes, and I strongly believe that, since I lived in India when I created her and there were no actual people with red hair around, she was based on Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo.

I also didn't know the name Sarah when I created her, so that came later. I know she's not really there, hence the term 'imaginary friend,' but she's kind of always been around. We all have conversations in our heads; mine are with Sarah. She keeps me on task and efficient.

My mom thinks I'm crazy that I still have an imaginary friend, and writing about her like this makes me think I may actually be crazy, but I don't mind. As I said, we're all weird, and we all have that one trait that outweighs all the other weirdness.

Redditors know this all too well and are eager to share their weird traits.

It all started when Redditor Isitjustmedownhere asked:

"Give an example; how weird are you really?"

Monsters Under My Bed

"My bed doesn't touch any wall."

"Edit: I guess i should clarify im not rich."

– Practical_Eye_3600

"Gosh the monsters can get you from any angle then."

– bikergirlr7

"At first I thought this was a flex on how big your bedroom is, but then I realized you're just a psycho 😁"

– zenOFiniquity8

Can You See Why?

"I bought one of those super-powerful fans to dry a basement carpet. Afterwards, I realized that it can point straight up and that it would be amazing to use on myself post-shower. Now I squeegee my body with my hands, step out of the shower and get blasted by a wide jet of room-temp air. I barely use my towel at all. Wife thinks I'm weird."

– KingBooRadley

Remember

"In 1990 when I was 8 years old and bored on a field trip, I saw a black Oldsmobile Cutlass driving down the street on a hot day to where you could see that mirage like distortion from the heat on the road. I took a “snapshot” by blinking my eyes and told myself “I wonder how long I can remember this image” ….well."

– AquamarineCheetah

"Even before smartphones, I always take "snapshots" by blinking my eyes hoping I'll remember every detail so I can draw it when I get home. Unfortunately, I may have taken so much snapshots that I can no longer remember every detail I want to draw."

"Makes me think my "memory is full.""

– Reasonable-Pirate902

Same, Same

"I have eaten the same lunch every day for the past 4 years and I'm not bored yet."

– OhhGoood

"How f**king big was this lunch when you started?"

– notmyrealnam3

Not Sure Who Was Weirder

"Had a line cook that worked for us for 6 months never said much. My sous chef once told him with no context, "Baw wit da baw daw bang daw bang diggy diggy." The guy smiled, left, and never came back."

– Frostygrunt

Imagination

"I pace around my house for hours listening to music imagining that I have done all the things I simply lack the brain capacity to do, or in some really bizarre scenarios, I can really get immersed in these imaginations sometimes I don't know if this is some form of schizophrenia or what."

– RandomSharinganUser

"I do the same exact thing, sometimes for hours. When I was young it would be a ridiculous amount of time and many years later it’s sort of trickled off into almost nothing (almost). It’s weird but I just thought it’s how my brain processes sh*t."

– Kolkeia

If Only

"Even as an adult I still think that if you are in a car that goes over a cliff; and right as you are about to hit the ground if you jump up you can avoid the damage and will land safely. I know I'm wrong. You shut up. I'm not crying."

– ShotCompetition2593

Pet Food

"As a kid I would snack on my dog's Milkbones."

– drummerskillit

"Haha, I have a clear memory of myself doing this as well. I was around 3 y/o. Needless to say no one was supervising me."

– Isitjustmedownhere

"When I was younger, one of my responsibilities was to feed the pet fish every day. Instead, I would hide under the futon in the spare bedroom and eat the fish food."

– -GateKeep-

My Favorite Subject

"I'm autistic and have always had a thing for insects. My neurotypical best friend and I used to hang out at this local bar to talk to girls, back in the late 90s. One time he claimed that my tendency to circle conversations back to insects was hurting my game. The next time we went to that bar (with a few other friends), he turned and said sternly "No talking about bugs. Or space, or statistics or other bullsh*t but mainly no bugs." I felt like he was losing his mind over nothing."

"It was summer, the bar had its windows open. Our group hit it off with a group of young ladies, We were all chatting and having a good time. I was talking to one of these girls, my buddy was behind her facing away from me talking to a few other people."

"A cloudless sulphur flies in and lands on little thing that holds coasters."

"Cue Jordan Peele sweating gif."

"The girl notices my tension, and asks if I am looking at the leaf. "Actually, that's a lepidoptera called..." I looked at the back of my friend's head, he wasn't looking, "I mean a butterfly..." I poked it and it spread its wings the girl says "oh that's a BUG?!" and I still remember my friend turning around slowly to look at me with chastisement. The ONE thing he told me not to do."

"I was 21, and was completely not aware that I already had a rep for being an oddball. It got worse from there."

– Phormicidae

*Teeth Chatter*

"I bite ice cream sometimes."

RedditbOiiiiiiiiii

"That's how I am with popsicles. My wife shudders every single time."

monobarreller

Never Speak Of This

"I put ice in my milk."

– GTFOakaFOD

"You should keep that kind of thing to yourself. Even when asked."

– We-R-Doomed

"There's some disturbing sh*t in this thread, but this one takes the cake."

– RatonaMuffin

More Than Super Hearing

"I can hear the television while it's on mute."

– Tira13e

"What does it say to you, child?"

– Mama_Skip

Yikes!

"I put mustard on my omelettes."

– Deleted User

"Oh."

– NotCrustOr-filling

Evened Up

"Whenever I say a word and feel like I used a half of my mouth more than the other half, I have to even it out by saying the word again using the other half of my mouth more. If I don't do it correctly, that can go on forever until I feel it's ok."

"I do it silently so I don't creep people out."

– LesPaltaX

"That sounds like a symptom of OCD (I have it myself). Some people with OCD feel like certain actions have to be balanced (like counting or making sure physical movements are even). You should find a therapist who specializes in OCD, because they can help you."

– MoonlightKayla

I totally have the same need for things to be balanced! Guess I'm weird and a little OCD!

Close up face of a woman in bed, staring into the camera
Photo by Jen Theodore

Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.

Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?

But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.

It would be so great to be sure there is something else.

But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.

Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:

"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"

Sensations

Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy

"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."

PeachesnPain

Recovery

"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."

"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."

"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."

good_golly99

Take Me Back

"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."

"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."

rayrayrayray

Free

The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy

"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."

TooReDTooHigh

This is why I hate surgery.

You just never know.

Shocked

Giphy

"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."

Admirable_Buyer6528

The SOB

"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."

"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”

1-cupcake-at-a-time

Colors

"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"

Hannah_LL7

"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"

huntokarrr

The Fog

"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."

"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."

Fluffy-Hotel-5184

Through the Walls

"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."

"She's quite alive and well today."

Hot-Refrigerator6583

Well let's all be happy to be alive.

It seems to be all we have.

Man's waist line
Santhosh Vaithiyanathan/Unsplash

Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.

The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.

Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.

Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:

"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"

Redditors didn't see these coming.

Shiver Me Timbers

"I’m always cold now!"

– Telrom_1

"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."

– r7ndom

"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."

– mr_remy

Drawing Concern

"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."

– dee-fondy

"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"

"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."

– LizardofDeath

Unleashing Insults

"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”

"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."

– alanamablamaspama

Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight

"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."

– KeltarCentauri

"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."

– KatMagic1977

"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."

– Jaew96

These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.

Shopping

"I can buy clothes in any store I want."

– WaySavvyD

"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."

– ganache98012

No More Symptoms

"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."

– colleennicole93

Expanding Capabilities

"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."

– Ramblonius

People Change Their Tune

"How much nicer people are to you."

"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"

– LiZZygsu

"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"

"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"

– awholedamngarden

It's gonna take some getting used to.

Bones Everywhere

"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."

– Princess-Pancake-97

"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."

– bekastrange

Knee Pillow

"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."

– snic2030

"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."

– Strongbad23

More Mobility

"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."

"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."

– dma1965

People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.

But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.

That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.