Intellectual Free For All: The Childfree Movement

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Thank you all for participating in last week's Intellectual Free For All, about tax dollars. Feel free to add to the discussion, if you still have something to say! It's never over.

Comments

Childfree Lingo

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Below is a non-exhaustive list of slang terms that are oft used within childfree circles, particularly among extremists. It was moved into the comments because I thought it made me seem too biased in the original writeup. But now you all can add to this or correct me if I was wrong about any of it!

• Moo: Mother
• Duh: Father
• Breeder: Parent, although some reserve this term for bad parents
• Breeding/whelping: To have children
• Entitlemoo: Mother who has an entitlement complex

[mrs_dragon]

I am loving these posts, you do such a great job of giving good solid food for thought

[vanish]

Thanks! I do wish more people would comment, though

[thelittlebudgie]

Back in October, I had an assignment in my communications study class in which we had to watch a television discussion about the fact that more and more women were choosing to have children later on in life, or not at all. I remember one of the arguments for the side saying that this was a bad thing for the economy, because you need more people in the next generation to support those from the previous as they go into retirement. I thought that was just a sign that we needed to do some serious restructuring, since that would eventually result in more overpopulation problems, but I have no idea how to go about changing any of that

[cosmicshiva]

My new resolve is that I'm too young for this to be an issue, when people make 'when you have kids' comments, I'm going to smile and nod, and I'm not even going to think about it anymore until I'm at the very least 25.
The only reason it really effects me is that my mum got married and started making babies at 19, and while she is a rational lady who knows that's not the norm and really, a terrible idea financially, dad seems perplexed as to why I haven't gotten married and started pooping them out already.
Maybe one day I'll want kids, maybe I won't, who gives a rats bum, I'm 20 and it shouldn't be a concern, I'm going to stick my fingers in my ears and go LALALALA until I consider myself grown up enough to think about kids seriously. I have friends with cute babies, that's enough for me.

[vanish]

I am one of only two non-parents at work, and the kiddies and grandkids come in aplenty. They're pretty sweet children. One of my friends, as you may recall, recently had a child which I am very happy about! I think that is enough to tide me over.

Now, if only I could mention them without my mother assuming I've changed my mind about having one. ;)

Childfree

[nighthawkal]

There are people that are real passionate about being "child free". There are people that absolutely hate kids and that hate it when other people have them. I used to have someone like that on my f-list.

I don't have an opinion one way or another about people being childfree. I guess if people don't want kids, then they shouldn't have kids. If people want kids, then they should have them. That's their choice and not mine.

One thing I am apprehensive about with the way things are going is, I don't know if you've seen the movie Idiocracy, but it seems like the people who are stupid and can't even take care of themselves, are the ones having a whole bunch of kids, while people who are smart, responsible, and would be good parents, either have no kids or only have one or two. Before you know it, we're going to be a country and a world full of idiots if this pace continues.