Actually, I Don't Want Children

Children? Of my own? No thanks.
As a woman (a young, potentially-fertile one, too) it's almost taboo to say that. It's greeted with cries of 'oh, why not?' and 'but you'd make such a wonderful mother!'. These remarks are usually made by other women...usually mothers. If a man says they don't want children, they may have similar responses but, on the whole, it's not as expected of men. Even if people accept that I don't want kids now they tell me that I should keep my mind open, or that I may change my mind one day. Yes, I might. Yes, my mind is open to it. However, your mind should be open to the possibility that some women just don't want children.
Why don't I? Because I think I'd do an awful job of it. I'm impatient, don't cope well with sleep deprivation and, most of all, I NEED MY SPACE. I don't want small, screaming, grubby humans in my face all day. I don't want to be woken from my sleep by an angrily screaming child. I just don't want to go through the stress and aggravation of raising a child of my own. I adore Minx and Hermit's child. I genuinely look forward to time spent with her, and am excited about seeing her grow up. You know what one of the best parts is? I'm not her parent. Occasionally, yes, I am In Charge. I choose to chip in and get her ready for bed, or give her a bath, or whatever. But I am not the sole adult responsible for her. If I don't feel like being talked at non-stop I can go and hide! It's much harder to do what it's your child. Working with the children I au-pair for has just cemented my belief that I should not procreate. Sometimes, work is AWESOME. I get giggling children and I enjoy spending time with them. Normally? Not so much. They scream, the baby hits me, the toddler throws tantrums, they're ill all the time and they don't fucking give me any space! Yes, yes, it's different when they're yours and no toddler of mine would throw a tantrum when they're not allowed TV because I believe in consistant discipline, firm boundaries and respecting one's parents. The fundamental problems would still be endemic to any child-raising experince though. Lack of personal space, lack of sleep (at least for a few years) and lack of freedom. There are some things you just can't do when you have children. Mind you, a lot of these (staying out to 3am drinking, for example), are not things I want to do anyway.

The problem still remains that I can rarely voice my desire to remain childless in a room with other women without someone looking at me askance, or someone telling me in a condescending tone that I'm still young, there's still time, and that clock will start ticking! I'm 25. I am not a child. I like my life, I have things planned for the next 5 years. Children do not fit into that. Once I'm done with school, I'll be 30. Yes, still time to have kids then but there is the strong possibility that I just won't want any. Why oh why can't people just leave me be with this one?!

Come back in 6 years and we'll see how I feel.