Indecision, Part II: Reasons Not to Have Kids

Disclaimer: I'm not taking sides and I don't have an agenda. I'm just sitting around thinking thoughts like usual.

Becoming a parent is such an important decision. My last post was about reasons to have kids, but now I'd like to turn the topic to the opposite: reasons not to have kids. Turns out there are plenty of those too. Here are a few.

Why choose not to have kids?

Focusing on your goals. You may have a career that demands so much of your time it wouldn't be fair to children, and you aren't ready or don't want to set that career aside. Likewise, you may have hobbies that you want to focus on or your education to complete.

Focusing on relationships. It only takes two to make a family. Your marriage might be what you'd like to put your energy into, and you don't want a child to change it. You may have other relationships you'd like to give your attention to as well, like family members and friendships.

Financial reasons. You may not be bringing in the income you'd like to support kids. If you barely have enough money to support yourself, it's probably not the best time to have kids. Or, you may have the financial means but are choosing to spend your earnings in other ways.

Personal reasons. This may sound vague, but I don't mean it to be. If you have some personal things to work on in your life, you need to focus on your own health, or you have a lifestyle that isn't good for raising kids, you may decide not to have kids.

A dislike of children. Some people don't like kids to the extent that they know they wouldn't be good at parenting. If you don't like kids and can't see yourself having your own, it's a valid reason to choose to be childfree.

Choosing not to add to the world's growing population. I seriously doubt anyone would say this as their main reason for not having kids, because that really doesn't make sense. (How about adoption?) For those who don't want kids for other reasons, it's a little added bonus.

More Reading

Fencesitting: Deciding Between a Childed or Childfree Life
A thorough article on the wrong reasons to become a parent and other considerations. It is on a site for people who are childfree, so it leans that way. Also, the author writes with a pretty bitter tone. Still, I thought it made some valid points.

From Maybe Baby:

10 Reasons I'm Glad We Don't Have Kids Right Now
All I'm Sayin' is, the Babies Grow Up