Childfree By Choice #14 Putting the free in childfree

[ChastityDingle]

But that’s life. There is always someone richer than you, will have a nicer car, a bigger house etc.
I wasn’t upset that my mate at school got a game boy from Father Christmas and I didn’t. That’s just how it was.

Santa used to go into a friend's house - wait for it - DURING THE DAY. The stuff would be left in the sitting room. They were quite wealthy and so got more expensive stuff than the rest of us. And despite all of that, none of us wondered why they got that special treatment. We must have been proper dopes as kids

 

[whoareyouu]

Someone I work with said they have to send the money to Santa for presents and that’s why some kids get more than others. I thought that was a good way of explaining the disparity. That said, I don’t think as kids we ever really went into what we got etc when we went back to school in January…

 

[mousey]

Yeah I don’t really remember ever discussing in detail what I got for Christmas either? I suppose with everything being shown off online now though kids and parents are under so much pressure to show they have the best things/experiences. It’s a shame parenting has become such a competition.

 

[Iamthebosun]

I keep seeing those ‘don’t tell your kids the big presents are from Father Christmas cos they will be sad they didn’t get a play station and their mate did’ posts.
Well life isn’t fair. People will always have nicer things than you. A generation of unable to cope, wet Wednesday kids are going to turn into adults who have no concept of how to deal with life.

Just tell the non- playstation child that Santa brings smaller presents like he brings them every year so their friend didn't really get a playstation from Santa, the friend was so naughty Santa didn't come and the child's parents gave the kid a playstation and just said it was from Santa so their child wouldn't be upset. #Sorted

I'm here to give more amazing tips in the run up to Christmas if anyone needs them

 

[newtoyou]

Don’t know why this was recommended to me, but what the duck.. Christmas is now either over-the-top elf on the shelf madness, or a betrayal of trust (?!?)

Does having a baby make you go insane? Parents are genuinely bonkers.

I got distracted by this person saying scroll if there’s a child peeking over your shoulder. No child is gonna read a post that long, I couldn’t even be bothered to read it

This is a great example of people overthinking because of the nonsense on social media. People would cancel Santa if they could.

 

[wmg1995]

Reading mumsnet (such a guilty pleasure) and reading a thread from a new mum about how she wants to sack off her childfree best friend because she finds her boring now she's found her life purpose of being a mum (paraphrasing). It always makes me laugh when mums complain about their friends without kids not being as 'mature' as them or grown up, being absolute ass's to their childfree friends, and then crying that they have no friends and no "village".

 

[Jane Porcupine]

I read that too! There was another one recently where someone was moaning about the lack of a 'village' and another poster quite rightly pointed out that a lot of people complain about not having a village while not being willing to participate in the village themselves and what they really mean is they want other people to help THEM raise their kids. And it's so true!

 

[wmg1995]

I read that too! There was another one recently where someone was moaning about the lack of a 'village' and another poster quite rightly pointed out that a lot of people complain about not having a village while not being willing to participate in the village themselves and what they really mean is they want other people to help THEM raise their kids. And it's so true!

I think I know the other one you're on about! It's really frustrating being ditched when friends become mums because they just become smug and judging. I promise I am not secretly jealous of the 45 nappies you've had to clean today and the lack of sleep, I actually am just happy with my life, and I am just as much of an adult as you are.

 

[pinkmug]

Had a chat with someone I know today and learned that she was about 20 minutes late to pick up her toddler from the crèche, the kid was a bit scared and upset to be left alone so went ahead and pissed in the middle of the kitchen as a protest I had a lousy day but at least I'm not cleaning urine from my tiles, something to be thankful every day.

 

[ChastityDingle]

Reading mumsnet (such a guilty pleasure) and reading a thread from a new mum about how she wants to sack off her childfree best friend because she finds her boring now she's found her life purpose of being a mum (paraphrasing). It always makes me laugh when mums complain about their friends without kids not being as 'mature' as them or grown up, being absolute ass's to their childfree friends, and then crying that they have no friends and no "village".

I'm sure you know this but an awful lot of what is on Mumsnet is simply out and out trolling.
Sometimes a writer (I won't say journalist) looking for material for an article. Or sometimes just plain old clickbait.

Can still be enjoyable though.

 

[qqwertyy]

The absolute smugness radiating from that mumsnet post. ‘Oh my poor silly friend is so shallow, she just wants to talk about nail varnish, I would rather just be with my baby’. And all the showing off about how mature and grown up people with kids are to be honest I’m pleasantly surprised by how many people are sticking up for the friend.

Reading mumsnet (such a guilty pleasure) and reading a thread from a new mum about how she wants to sack off her childfree best friend because she finds her boring now she's found her life purpose of being a mum (paraphrasing). It always makes me laugh when mums complain about their friends without kids not being as 'mature' as them or grown up, being absolute ass's to their childfree friends, and then crying that they have no friends and no "village".

 

[Iamthebosun]

The absolute smugness radiating from that mumsnet post. ‘Oh my poor silly friend is so shallow, she just wants to talk about nail varnish, I would rather just be with my baby’. And all the showing off about how mature and grown up people with kids are to be honest I’m pleasantly surprised by how many people are sticking up for the friend.

She said her friend asks about her baby and stuff as well, so I'm not sure why the poster seems to dislike her so much when the friend seems so nice.

 

[HoGi]

She said her friend asks about her baby and stuff as well, so I'm not sure why the poster seems to dislike her so much when the friend seems so nice.

Jealousy.

Babies are hard work and when one friend has a baby it becomes really easy for them to resent the childfree friend

 

[foolishone]

I saw a TikTok today from a mum who said that her child dropped lots of sweets that they’d just bought on the floor. She then questioned (TikTok not real life) whether the store assistant was going to get a replacement pack of sweets (she wasn’t, she was going to get a broom) and then when the mum asked if she could buy another pack, the assistant just said sure and took the money. The point of the TikTok was to say “am I wrong for thinking she should have given it to us for free?” Comments were disabled but she’d posted a follow up video moaning that everyone was bullying her and that everyone just needed to be kind. So I’m 100% sure she got the reaction I was expecting which was “yes you are being unreasonable”. But her second video was like “I was only asking, how dare you all tell me I’m wrong, my poor child, waaaah waaah waaah” You may have “only been asking” but you left the shop, filmed the video, posted the video and obviously still think everyone is wrong… so you obviously think you’re right and should have got a free replacement.

All of this to say - how do we get free stuff if we’re not a parent with clumsy children? Coz they only spilled half of the packet so technically they would have got a free half if the assistant had given the replacement for free?!

 

[Iamthebosun]

I saw a TikTok today from a mum who said that her child dropped lots of sweets that they’d just bought on the floor. She then questioned (TikTok not real life) whether the store assistant was going to get a replacement pack of sweets (she wasn’t, she was going to get a broom) and then when the mum asked if she could buy another pack, the assistant just said sure and took the money. The point of the TikTok was to say “am I wrong for thinking she should have given it to us for free?” Comments were disabled but she’d posted a follow up video moaning that everyone was bullying her and that everyone just needed to be kind. So I’m 100% sure she got the reaction I was expecting which was “yes you are being unreasonable”. But her second video was like “I was only asking, how dare you all tell me I’m wrong, my poor child, waaaah waaah waaah” You may have “only been asking” but you left the shop, filmed the video, posted the video and obviously still think everyone is wrong… so you obviously think you’re right and should have got a free replacement.

All of this to say - how do we get free stuff if we’re not a parent with clumsy children? Coz they only spilled half of the packet so technically they would have got a free half if the assistant had given the replacement for free?!

Does it only apply to children? Because Tesco would be out of business in a week

Spilt it
Couldn't open the jar
Burnt it
Left it in the trolley
Forgot about it in the drawer of the fridge and it went off
Partner ate the whole things before I could have some

 

[Gomi goner]

I thought I had quite inadvertently (I promise!) surrounded myself with great friends who were also single (mostly) and child free...
This was when I was 40, and thought, nah nothing's going to change!
Fast forward to 8 years later, and EVERY SINGLE ONE now has a child, or two!
The last one to go was 46 yrs old and single, then bang! Twins! (IVF).
Feel like I gotta start from scratch now!

 

[Interestingbitsnbats]

I saw a TikTok today from a mum who said that her child dropped lots of sweets that they’d just bought on the floor. She then questioned (TikTok not real life) whether the store assistant was going to get a replacement pack of sweets (she wasn’t, she was going to get a broom) and then when the mum asked if she could buy another pack, the assistant just said sure and took the money. The point of the TikTok was to say “am I wrong for thinking she should have given it to us for free?” Comments were disabled but she’d posted a follow up video moaning that everyone was bullying her and that everyone just needed to be kind. So I’m 100% sure she got the reaction I was expecting which was “yes you are being unreasonable”. But her second video was like “I was only asking, how dare you all tell me I’m wrong, my poor child, waaaah waaah waaah” You may have “only been asking” but you left the shop, filmed the video, posted the video and obviously still think everyone is wrong… so you obviously think you’re right and should have got a free replacement.

All of this to say - how do we get free stuff if we’re not a parent with clumsy children? Coz they only spilled half of the packet so technically they would have got a free half if the assistant had given the replacement for free?!

It happens at work my kid spilt it's drink or chips whatever expecting another or asking for another. Pisses me off your kid has made more work for us with the mess it's made then we have to give another for free don't you realise it's STOCK it costs money that's how you had it in first place you bought it so why get another for free?

 

[MavisBeacon]

It does seem to me that a lot of kids don't get to experience the FO stage of FAFO. My 8yo niece had a massive meltdown because she had brought her dolls to granny's house (unknown to her parents) and left them there. Instead of saying OK you'll get them back next time, my sister was straight on the phone to our mum arranging for them to be packed and posted immediately.
It took a lot of my strength not to say "look, if you're old enough to pack your own stuff out without telling anyone, you're old enough to pack your own stuff in."

 

[pinkmug]

I thought I had quite inadvertently (I promise!) surrounded myself with great friends who were also single (mostly) and child free...
This was when I was 40, and thought, nah nothing's going to change!
Fast forward to 8 years later, and EVERY SINGLE ONE now has a child, or two!
The last one to go was 46 yrs old and single, then bang! Twins! (IVF).
Feel like I gotta start from scratch now!

This is not a dig at anyone who wanted to become a parent later in life, doesn't mean they will be bad parents at all but jfc you need nerves of steel to step on that path, don't you? Good luck to them I can't fathom that stress in my 30s now, imagine being 60+ and having a tween at home slamming doors or filming themselves twerk or whatever the kids will be doing at that age in the future. I'd simply lay down and quietly perish.

 

[Gomi goner]

This is not a dig at anyone who wanted to become a parent later in life, doesn't mean they will be bad parents at all but jfc you need nerves of steel to step on that path, don't you? Good luck to them I can't fathom that stress in my 30s now, imagine being 60+ and having a tween at home slamming doors or filming themselves twerk or whatever the kids will be doing at that age in the future. I'd simply lay down and quietly perish.

I know right?! How bloody exhausting.
Some days after work I'm too tired to cook a proper dinner, let alone think about taking care of someone else. And I'm not even 50