Do you like being around children?

JonnyBravo

RenovationMan wrote: »

As I said on a different thread...

Children are like farts, you cant stand anyone else's but you quite like your own.

Nice joke but just not true.

I'm taking a mates kids to the panto as their Christmas present. (Used to go with ours but they can't face the shame of going with us now). Gotta love it when being wound up is actively encouraged.
Now have the added bonus of handing them to someone else in that state at the end of the night.

quantic

I love being around Children, its their crazy parents that do my head in.

lostinrates

Jonbvn wrote: »

Sorry but you are a hypocrite. Before you condemn us all in the UK (not just Engerland), IIRC you were going to start work for a large hedge fund in London which fell though due to the credit crunch.

It seems right and sort of natural an expat seeks to embrace his new culture by seeking out what is a greater benefit to them in their new home. Its not uncommon to do this in a way that dismisses where you've left as all bad. It seems to me Gen is embracing Oz..which is right for his situation now regardless what may or may not have been future plans. Its what a lot of people wish people arriving in UK would do!

Sibley

I hate kids.

My Akita does as well.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I think there are two parts to this question:

1. Do you like actively interacting with children? By this I mean holding babies, having toddlers on your knee, running around with small children etc. I know it's a shock to many doting parents, but an awful lot of people just aren't into this. That doesn't make them aggressive, mean-spirited, villainous haters, just people who know their comfort zone. I personally find babies and small toddlers make me quite nervous, as do dogs (cats are fine- they're civilised!).

2. Do you like children being out in public? This is the crux of the issue, as it seriously cannot be denied that there an awful lot of extremely badly-behaved kids and inept parents out there, and of course those are the ones that you notice. There no longer seems to be a clear boundary between areas where running around and shrieking is appropriate (playground, fields, garden, beach etc) and where it definitely isn't (public transport, shops, restaurants etc). I've told this story on here before, but I was once in the departure lounge of a regional airport where a small girl was running around, fiddling with everyone's baggage, while her fond parents looked on in blissful pride. Eventually she got her hand badly injured in the revolving doors (which lead straight out onto the runway). Entirely preventable if she'd simply been told to sit still and be quiet- commands that I vividly recall from my childhood, but which seem alien to many parents these days.

Aberdeenangarse

I like kids, but never wanted any myself. I'm more happy with a dog which is cheaper and more obedient! If I'm in any doubt about my choice, I just have to take a look at the MoneySaving in Marriages, Relationships & Families board!

Arcaine

As a proud parent of a 4 year old he is great. After several years of training he will now only speak when spoken too. He keep his head bowed in public in case any adult feels threatened by his presence and definately does not make a noise when other adults are around. We have made sure that when we go out on his bike he rides on the road rather than getting in peoples way on the pavement. We also insists that any trips where he could "make a scene" are now not conducted, and where absolutely necessary then a good set of reins means that there is little danger of anyone being harmed by coming into contact with him. There are times when it is necessary for him to interact with the outside world, but in the best interests of everyone else we try to keep it to a minimum.

dizziblonde

martinbuckley wrote: »

Fortunately for you, your mother and father did not take that view!

I do not advocate breeding for benefits, nor do I advocate breeding to trap someone. I do however advocate couples having enough children to replace them when they have gone (ie 2), which if everyone was to take that approach would not result in over population. I have 2 kids by the way.

The debate is about whether we like children, and all too often I see "professional" childless people sniffing in disgust at a child who is crying - do they ever consider that the child may be feeling unwell? No, they just assume that the child is an unruly offspring of a single mother on benefits.

A few questions to these childless child haters...

1. If your house is on fire, who puts it out?
2. Who taught you at school/college/university?
3. If you are sick - who makes you better?
4. When you go on your foreign holiday, who flies you to your destination?
5. If you are housebound when you are old, who will come and provide home care?
6. If your pet gets ill, who will treat them?

The answer is "Another person's child will". Possibly even that child who you sniffed at all those years ago when they were crying because they were ill.

I'm childless... thank you for the sweeping generalisations and stereotyping. I'm childless because of a combination of fertility issues meaning it's incredibly difficult to get pregnant, and the fact that when I DO get pregnant - I repeatedly miscarry at around the 5-6 week mark... last time my body didn't complete the process and I found dead twins at my scan. Thank you for reminding me of my gross negligence in not producing the next generation of wage slaves - I'll get onto it straight away when medical science finds some answers and my husband gets in from work. I'm sure we can bang out a vet and a fireman before Eastenders tonight.

I like kids. Hell I'm a teacher - so I must do. The company of kids is preferable to some adults - but I loathe loathe loathe smug, ineffectual, self-entitled with their own worthiness parents. The sort who won't take any responsibility for their own children, the sort who'll let their kids repeatedly kick you in the back of the chair in front, or run around restaurants and will cry sue sue sue when an accident happens (as is inevitable when you've got three year olds running around at shin height coupled with lots of hot plates and things that go smashy).

I hate people who don't take responsibility for their children's behaviour and who fob it off onto others - the sort who think it's delightful that their children go off to "interact" with every other diner (conveniently getting them out of mum and dad's hair) - when every other diner has the right to have the meal out/catch up chat/apocalyptic relationship conversation they'd gone out to have - not babysit the kids of people who just can't be arsed. It really gets my goat - not least because when I go out (not a lot these days anyway) I want to switch off and spend time with my husband, not babysit someone else's kid without being asked... I actually increasingly resent the intrusion and assumption that I WANT the unsolicited extra dinner guest at my table or whatever.

However - you dare to say that, or say anything about the fact you spend 90 minutes at a football match being booted in the back at 30 second intervals and it's slightly irritating - and you're dismissed as a rabid child-hating cow... and then the generalizations about your reproductive status start as well. And I'm sorry, but I can keep 30 of your kids doing the right thing in school - you can keep two of them from playing kiss-chase around the frozen turkey aisle in Tesco - particularly when you consider that the trolleys are nicely at young-head height as well! The kids - they're a doddle (well they're not, they're hard work but generally want to do the right thing and just need a light bit of steering on occasions), the problem in this country is the parents on a fair few occasions.

Oh and I hate that "it takes a village to raise a child" line... when did anyone ask the village if it was up for a spot of child raising? It's yet another fobbing off of parental responsibility onto everyone else.

System

"A liking for being around children" has a slightly suspect sound to it.
"Liking having children around" would be less likely to get you locked up.

Arcaine

All joking aside from my previous post (which was a joke by the way). We went on holiday this year and got our lad worked up about being on the plane and how exiting it was going to be. We got on and sat down, trying to be last on so we didnt have as long to wait. It scared him to start with so he started crying as most 4 year olds do. The 2 people sat in from turned round and asked us in very sarcastic tones whether he was going to do that all the way through the flight and then proceeded to complain to the cabin crew to be moved seats. As it happens he had calmed down by the time we reached the runway as I had a bag of stuff for him to do and he had a great time on the flight. But I was pretty upset by the reaction of them.