Could you (personally) have a happy life w/o having children?

Answer 1

i dont think i could

Answer 2

I love kids but don't have any---it just wasn't in the biological card for me---and I'm in my sixties. I've had a very happy life and never really missed having children of my own until the last 4-5 years. It worries me what will happen when I get old and have no one to advocate for me.

People without children find other meaningful things to fill their lives. For those times when you might miss kids being around you can always become the surrogate uncle/aunt or grandparent who has the money and time to spend some quality time with a needy kid. In my opinion, being childless does not mean that you are excused from being part of the village that helps raise/guide them.

Answer 3

Having kids must be extremely fulfilling, and I can understand why most women want to have children. However the world we live in is just way too messed up to ever drag anyone else into it, let alone your own children. Let them be happy in Nirvana.

It would be good if more people adopted, but I guess for many this feels like buying second-hand clothes rather than having your own personal new stuff. Sad for orphans. Another option is joining an existing family. The problem here is that the inevitable stress of divorce leaves the children with many issues, and you inevitably get "Don't tell me what to do. YOU'RE not my father". Parenting in this situation is a thankless task.

BTW Age is important here, as many young women are convinced that they don't want kids. That is until they hit about 29 and then they experience a kind of 'baby mania'. Its not uncommon that some women will become 'sperm bandits' i.e. fool a man into thinking she is on the pill when she is secretly determined to get pregnant. Naturally the man has few or zero rights to see the child, should he want to. I have heard several harrowing stories along these lines. (Maybe men would act like this if we had a biological clock on our fertility too? Maybe, but its hard to imagine a man forcing a woman to give birth to his child and then not let her have equal access).

Too many people have children for selfish reasons e.g. it makes parents feel good, they feel a social obligation, they have great plans for their children etc. I say: leave the kids in Nirvana and make something fulfilling of your own life. The world will keep turning, don't worry.

Answer 4

I am 43 and never had children. I did help my ex-husband to raise his two (they are now 28 and 30) and we now have grandkids and I am now on my fourth nanny job, but I never had my own kids and am happy. I am not saying I didn't want any, because I did (it was always my dream to have them), but I couldn't have them and ended up having a hysterectomy nearly 12 years ago. Happiness, to me, is a state of mind, not dependent on whether or not I have or don't have something. I was able to fulfill my motherly instinct and nurturing nature by raising other children. Not everyone can do this, but I have been able to--and still be happy and have a great relationship with the kids. :)

Answer 5

Yes and I do. I am 36 years old and the age of 18 I was diagnoised as having poly cystic ovarian diesease. At the time hysterectomy was the answer. I did not have any children and then the choice was taken out of my hands. My husband and I considered adopting but the time just seemed to slip away. Now I would not even consider having a child. I love my life. We can do what ever we want when we want at the spur of the moment without having to worry about babysitters, school etc. I know sounds selfish and you are right it is. But I can be selfish. I also wouldnt want to raise a child in todays society. Now dont get me wrong. I love kids. I babysit and have tons of neices and nephews and I am even a great aunt. But at the end of the day I get to send them home curl up on the couch with my hubby and not have to worry about getting kids to bed, what to watch on tv, cooking, cleaning, and getting them up for school. I am loving it.

Answer 6

I could never have been happy without having children. It was unfortunate that I could not have a child of my own, but I did adopt. But there are people out there that are perfectly happy not having children and that is okay too. I say each to his own.

Answer 7

No. I say that, because I already have a daughter and she is the light of my life. However, happiness is a personal decision. It has nothing to do with any outside conditions. You make a choice to be happy and start enjoying your life. I know many very happy people, whose lives had not gone as smoothly as they had planned. They simply woke up one day and decided to enjoy the life they have built for themselves, instead of wasting time on impossible dreams.

What a thoughtful question you've asked, dear! You must be a pretty extraordinary young lady, if things like that cross your mind at such a young age.

Answer 8

I can't believe the question is serious. But in case it is, absolutely. In fact, I am amazed at the number of people with children, who, outside of the company of the children or their spouse, will not admit some regret about having children. I know no one who has made a conscious choice to not have children that are unhappy with that choice.

Answer 9

Hmm...I don't think I could. I am not ready to have children quite yet, but I do want them someday, and I would be really sad if I never got that chance to be a mom. But they're not for everyone. Some people are happier without them. It's good that we have those people, because otherwise the population would be even worse than it already is.

Answer 10

I think so. At this point in my life (I'm 26 and married) I don't feel like I want to ever have kids. I have a whole list of reasons why that I'm not going to get into but I think they are all very good reasons. I acknowledge that I'm still young and my opinions and views might change. But right now, having kids sounds like an awful thing that I don't ever want to do.

Answer 11

I guess not

I don't have any children as i am not yet married

But I strongly feel for a happy family first there should be a family and in the family children are must ...

It makes a complete family