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Disliking Children - the ultimate taboo?

  • 20-05-2021 5:45pm
    #1
    R.D. aka MR.D
    Registered Users Posts: 2,643 ✭✭✭


    So, this is inspired by the fact that, today, for the 5 millionth time, i received a photo of a baby I don't know and will probably never meet. (Friend's nephew)

    Now, I just don't find babies cute. But of course I did the whole 'aw, cute' thing.

    But it got me thinking, will disliking children ever become accepted?

    I am quite a caring person, have previously (when I had time) volunteered with the elderly, hand-fed abandoned puppies and volunteered with adults with reading difficulties etc. I wouldn't class myself as a bad person but I think people think that when you don't like kids?

    I want no harm to come to children but they fit in a similar category to snakes for me, I don't think they are cute, I would have no clue how or desire to ever look after one and encountering one in the wild can terrifying! :pac:


Comments

  • #2
    Addle
    Registered Users Posts: 4,812 ✭✭✭Addle


    I don’t think disliking humans of any age is taboo?
    I find most people only have time for their own.


  • #3
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,222 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    seems to me there's a confusion here between not liking and disliking?
    i mean, i find it hard to dislike a baby i've never met.


  • #4
    R.D. aka MR.D
    Registered Users Posts: 2,643 ✭✭✭R.D. aka MR.D


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    seems to me there's a confusion here between not liking and disliking?
    i mean, i find it hard to dislike a baby i've never met.

    I have an aversion to/dislike photos of babies. Similar to how I dislike/have an aversion to photos of bellybuttons.

    Maybe I'm weird for disliking photos of stranger babies on my WhatsApp!

    I would say i don't like them also but definitely it is stronger than that.


  • #5
    eviltwin
    Registered Users Posts: 17,495 ✭✭✭✭eviltwin


    I’ve zero interest in children I don’t know same as I’ve zero interest in anyone I don’t know. But I don’t dislike children, I like/dislike people based on how I find them. I don’t think kids are cute but that’s ok.


  • #6
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,654 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    I think I dislike the expectation that I’ll be interested in children. Sure, tell me a story about them or send me a picture, but don’t expect me to care much. I’d far prefer a picture of your pet, tbh.

    I don’t think I blanket dislike kids, same as I don’t blanket dislike people, but I just don’t care about them very much.


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  • #7
    ancapailldorcha
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 37,053 CMod ✭✭✭✭ancapailldorcha


    Faith wrote: »
    I think I dislike the expectation that I’ll be interested in children. Sure, tell me a story about them or send me a picture, but don’t expect me to care much. I’d far prefer a picture of your pet, tbh.

    I don’t think I blanket dislike kids, same as I don’t blanket dislike people, but I just don’t care about them very much.

    I think that since my sister had my parents' first grandchild, any pressure on me has evaporated.

    I intensely dislike children when they're being noisy, running around and especially when they do the screaming competition thing some of them do. Otherwise, their presence doesn't even register with me.

    My sister has a cat, dogs, ferrets and horses but it's been decided that I shall be regularly messaged pictures of the baby. Joy.

    We sat again for an hour and a half discussing maps and figures and always getting back to that most damnable creation of the perverted ingenuity of man - the County of Tyrone.

    H. H. Asquith



  • #8
    nearzero
    Registered Users Posts: 266 ✭✭nearzero


    I get what you mean - I dont mean dislike in terms of the actual person but dislike in terms of a general term of not like the appearance of. Saying you dont like the look of something I think is perfectly reasonable - its how Tinder works right? You dont find someone attractive, thats okay.

    I dont find small babies 'cute' - once they get a a personality and start doing some stuff other than sleeping and eating then fine. I still dont want one but I understand they can have some interesting personality traits.


  • #9
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,222 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    Swindled wrote: »
    I remember Jonathan King the BBC presenter / music producer, used to mention on TV now and then about disliking children, used to think it was odd at the time . . turned out he was one of the biggest paedos in the BBC.
    well, that's one hell of a way for him to show his dislike for children.


  • #10
    Chris_5339762
    Registered Users Posts: 5,848 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    I lost a girlfriend once because she "assumed" I wanted children. When she asked me, after going out for about 3 months, and I wavered even slightly, I had to spend the next two days calming her down and eventually she broke up with me for this reason.

    Nice girl, but had extreme baby fever and threw me away immediately when I didn't share it.


  • #11
    Dial Hard
    Registered Users Posts: 13,364 ✭✭✭✭Dial Hard


    Chris_5339762 wrote: »
    I lost a girlfriend once because she "assumed" I wanted children. When she asked me, after going out for about 3 months, and I wavered even slightly, I had to spend the next two days calming her down and eventually she broke up with me for this reason.

    Nice girl, but had extreme baby fever and threw me away immediately when I didn't share it.

    In fairness she did the right thing. Keeping the relationship going when she wanted kids and you didn't was just going to waste everyone's time. It's pretty much the most fundamental incompatibility two people can have. Sucks, but she did you both a favour.


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  • #12
    Leftyflip
    Registered Users Posts: 7,463 ✭✭✭Leftyflip


    I have a fairly strong dislike of children, as does my partner (win-win, baby free zone!) and I often find I can be fairly blunt with people when they start showing me photos/videos of their children doing "cute" or "funny" things.

    Don't get me wrong yay for you and your loving your child, but I really don't care about little Emily helping Daddy or little Timmy jumping in mud. I honestly don't want to see it, one lad I used to work with kept showing me videos and I had to turn around just tell him to stop, that I really didn't care.

    I don't want to know, and I really, really don't give a fiddlers. Woo for you, you procreated!
    Then again, I also go out of my way to avoid them if I'm walking around, or in the shop. Also, little Timmy licking the produce is not cute or funny, it's pretty nasty...


  • #13
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭[Deleted User]


    Leftyflip wrote: »
    I have a fairly strong dislike of children, as does my partner (win-win, baby free zone!) and I often find I can be fairly blunt with people when they start showing me photos/videos of their children doing "cute" or "funny" things.

    Don't get me wrong yay for you and your loving your child, but I really don't care about little Emily helping Daddy or little Timmy jumping in mud. I honestly don't want to see it, one lad I used to work with kept showing me videos and I had to turn around just tell him to stop, that I really didn't care.

    I don't want to know, and I really, really don't give a fiddlers. Woo for you, you procreated!
    Then again, I also go out of my way to avoid them if I'm walking around, or in the shop. Also, little Timmy licking the produce is not cute or funny, it's pretty nasty...

    I understand what you mean wrt videos n pics, I've gone through the same crap with friends and family too and I would be of a similar opinion, I really couldn't car less.

    That being said, I also understand that a proud parent is a proud parent in the same way someone with a classic car is a proud owner and loves to show it off or someone with a dog that does tricks loves to show off too.

    So as not to insult people, I tend to watch the video, or look at the pics, make the appropriate noises and then move the topic on to someone else after a minute or two. Its not a big deal to meal and its not a bridge I'm willing to see a friendship die on


  • #14
    Sandor Clegane
    Registered Users Posts: 1,055 ✭✭✭Sandor Clegane


    I wouldn't use the word dislike, the way id put it is I have no interest in children.


  • #15
    Tom Mann Centuria
    Registered Users Posts: 10,896 ✭✭✭✭Tom Mann Centuria


    I have children and have no interest at all in photos of anyone else's children. It's not unusual I don't think, I also have no interest in seeing other people's house renovations, pets or new cars. I have enough manners to be polite when I'm shown these things but couldn't give a rat's arse about them. I also dislike being in the company of loud or poor mannered children, but that's usually (though not always) down to parents.

    Oh well, give me an easy life and a peaceful death.



  • #16
    jrosen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭jrosen


    I generally dislike other kids. I love my own but find most other kids irritating.


  • #17
    shesty
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,891 Mod ✭✭✭✭shesty


    Yeah same here.
    I mean you don't love your partner 24/7 and you definitely don't always like your friends and family's partners, so why would kids be any different??
    I love my kids to bits -I don't always love the active parenting part - but they are my life.They still annoy the crap out of me at times though, much like any other person can.


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