32 Things People On The Internet Consider To Be A Disadvantage Of Being Child-Free

I work with older people mostly those with serious and complex medical problems. Very often the role of carer falls to the childless adult child. Due to the perception "they don't have anyone else to take care of thus it's their duty".

Can't really think of any except no one to take care of me if I do make it to that age, but that's selfish AF anyway.

I am the estate executor for my uncle (aunt died 7 years ago and they had no kids), who died in January. Today I went down and signed the papers preliminary to close on his house, which we just sold a few weeks ago. Closing will be next week. After I signed the papers, I went over to the house which, over the last eight months my family and I have been slowly been emptying and working towards selling. I sat in that empty house and stared out at his property and got really really sad because, well, this is it.

In 4 to 5 days, it will be like him, and my aunt will have their entire life erased from this earth. There’s nothing that they’ve passed on, or rather, I should say down to their children, other than mementos and things like that which we’ve all taken in the probate process. Also, of course we all have our wonderful memories with them and love them so much but the entire life that they’ve built together in that house over the last 30 years is about to be completely erased and I know that our buyers will make it into a wonderful home for themselves, but it just feels so odd like if we didn’t remember them it would be like their entire lives will be washed away.

And I know having children wouldn’t necessarily always solve that problem but since none of us live near his property, and none of us can afford the property, no one can buy it and so it’s left to be sold and it just feels like if they had had children maybe they would’ve had someone directly to leave their house too, leave their life to, and our family in that spot could continue.

So I guess long story short I kind of see that as a con to not having kids. My mother and father, myself, and brother will all remember my aunt and uncle and so will my first cousins but after we’re gone it feels like no one will remember them anymore….like they were never here.

Idk just makes me sad

You have to laugh at your own farts.

It can make you feel isolated from your peers, whether childless by choice or circumstance

I have no heirs for my fortune. I have to count on a gold digger wanting to inherit.

At the age now where my friends from high school are shipping their kids off to college and becoming late 30’s empty nesters. Basically regaining all of the perceived benefits of us childless folk, but with a whole adult offspring out in the world. That part seems pretty cool, but still no regrets on my end.

I would like to think that raising my own children I would be able to teach them kindness and acceptance to help rid the world of the stupidity that we can't get over. I likely won't have that chance at least on my own children, but planning to volunteer to maybe help others' children.

When I want to impress my wife by doing the dishes, I can't just secretly get the kids to do it for me

1) You get excluded from friends events who have kids.

2) Some special events like Christmas may get lonely as everyone is with their families.

3) Less excuses to get off work. I have work colleagues that take off all the time as they have to watch their kids perform or look after their kids. I call b******t but nobody questions them. I don't get time off to enjoy being single.

4) People think there is something wrong with you. Nobody wants to have kids with you because you're hiding a dark secret etc.

5) People you may be somewhat close with assume you have excess money to spend on their kids.

All I can think of, if the top of my head.

Having to pick up the dog s**t in the yard myself.

The constant thought of what could have been. Or, who they could have been.

As a father of two, the largest surprise was the change in social life. We’ve made so many more friends since having them.