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I’m starting to have a hard time putting on a fake smile when people say, “You should have children!” Sorry, it’s usually more of a whiney, drawn-out chiildreeeennnnnnn! You know, because children are so important that the word must take eight seconds to pronounce. I know they don’t mean to stir things up. I know it’s just a knee-jerk thing people say when they learn a woman is A) in her thirties and B) in a committed relationship. But they say it the same way one would say, “You should try my Pilates class!” or “You should see this movie!” So casually. So flippantly. As if I’m to say, “Oh okay. I’ll give it a try, all because you, right here, out of nowhere, said I should.” I just can’t grin and bear it anymore. In fact, these same people are lucky I don’t say, “I’m actually probably happier than you, since I don’t have kids. Statistically speaking.” Here is why I get so angry when people tell me to have kids.
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I’ll be the one paying for the child
How is anyone to tell me that I should take on a, oh, you know, roughly $100,000 expense? How can one even possibly calculate that expense but, if you think of it all from basic supplies for keeping the child alive, to education, to recreational activities, to every single extra plane ticket, to child care, to helping them with rent if they can’t do that alone when they’re older…it’s a lot. I would never casually suggest someone take on such an expense.
