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Forums Serious Talk I don't want a kid, but I'm worried about regretting it in the future

Donator — She/her Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/4 16:31:37 )


Hi all,
This is a serious topic that has been giving me a lot of anxiety lately. I just turned 30 this summer, and my husband is 35. We have never wanted kids. I feel like now that I'm 30 I only have a little bit of time to decide. Like I always thought the decision was made, and I'm pretty sure I still feel that way, but I'm worried that when I grow old, (or even just reach like 40) that I might have regrets that I didn't have a kid. I've never had that biological drive to have a baby, but I heard stories a lot about people who regretted it later in life. I don't want that for myself.

When I went to FL lots of my friends and cousins had babies/young kids and they seemed happy, of course being around kids that much I don't hate them, but they are just a lot of work all the time. I don't have the energy nor the drive to be a parent.
When I have all this anxious energy about it, I just tell myself. "It's ok, you don't have to have them." And it makes me feel more calm. Thinking the other way raises my anxieties.
I know this is a subject for a therapist but I don't have one at the moment and it's just causing me a lot of struggle. Sometimes I wish that I was more 'normal' and wanted my own kid.

I did have a chat with my husband about it. And he's on the fence. Doesn't really want one, but if we did decide to have one, he would want to adopt. I feel like if I did want a kid, I would want it to be my own? But I'm not sure, and we could always just adopt for the 2nd kid, but then what if I didn't love them the same? Ok, can you see where my anxious thoughts are getting the best of me?


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Donator — She/her Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/4 17:26:30 )


@koneko: Thank you so much for posting here and giving your perspective. It's really insightful.
I have looked into Psych for raising a kid actually. Psych was my major at one point and I was learning lots about the area, including early childhood development. It is a big step, and once you are a parent, you are always a parent.

The point about my anxiety is pretty spot on. Post-Vaccine + Getting my BA + turn 30 have really made me worry about the future and if I'm making the best choices and what are my choices. The thing that spurred this thought was a dream where I was at a movie theater and I was watched over a baby. I guess it was mine? My brain didn't specify lol


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Voltie — Caffeine Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/4 17:32:23 )
koneko has offered some really good advice and there's not much I can add that'll do any good.

I can say that I relate. My family, bf's family, and bf all want us to have kids...and I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea but it scares the ever-loving crap out of me, from carrying to delivery to rearing. I have a lot of problems and zero self-control and fear what kind of mother I would be. :c And to think people just...casually, even accidentally, do it on the regular! Like bRo there's a whole little PERSON in there.

There is the possibility of preserving some eggs and trying in-vitro or surrogate conception down the road, though! If nothing else it's an idea to throw around.

Can you pinpoint any people or things that might be the source of your anxiety? I.e. do you feel any pressure from your family about having kids? You seem pretty resolute in your decision, so I'm inclined to believe your anxiety is more so coming from satisfying the expectations of your family, or for instance the people you've mentioned who expressed their regrets.

I feel like older folks (even people who are only marginally older) have a tendency to project themselves onto younger people in terms of what we'll regret, what we should / shouldn't do, yadda yadda... And of course there's something to be said with the wisdom that comes with age, but... It's kind of like the tattoos debacle. Bring it up in a crowd and there will always be people who say "Don't do it! You'll regret it!" but those people, 90% of the time, don't even have tattoos, or got really cheap / cringe tattoos that wouldn't look good on anyone. (Contrived but you get my point.)

That being said, I also have to wonder if you're bound up in knots about it because part of you does want to have a child, but have spent years with the expectation that it would never happen, and it's a piece that doesn't necessarily fit into your Life Puzzle right now. (I'm sorry if that crosses a line or makes you feel worse D: but I do think it's a question to ask yourself). Thankfully, though, life is fluid.

Figuring out the root of your anxiety can help you find the next step to figuring out the whole issue itself. So I definitely second koneko's suggestions of looking into all the nitty gritty, immersing yourself in it, imagining yourself in all the best and worst spots of it.

Either way, I hope you're able to get some answers and put your anxiety at ease. <3 Good luck.
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Donator — She/her Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/4 18:06:40 )


@Alien: Thank you for posting here. You gave a lot of good advice in your post. Nothing was hurtful or anything, but it gave a lot of good perspectives. I will reread you and Koneko's posts when trying to think about how I feel about all of this.
There are a lot of jumbled thoughts in my brain and having something to read helps me a lot.


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Donator Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/4 19:04:05 )
I have a different perspective to give, I have one biological and one adopted, they are only a few months apart. My maternal instincts aren't as strong as other parents. I'm all about giving them life experiences and talks that help them understand their feelings. I parent differently than anyone I've met, probably more of a 'country style.
I'm tired often and run out of energy rather quickly. I knew that going into being a parent and so I plan accordingly. I guess I'm raising my kids to be independent fairly early. I'd go into detail- but that'd be paragraphs long. lol.
I wanted to say that when my biological kid is distressed my whole body reacts. It's such a wild primitive feeling. When my adopted kid gets distressed, I am calm and I know I need to stay calm to help her through whatever it is that is wrong. [a cut, emotional turmoil, etc]. I got her at 2 years old and the trauma she already dealt with took years of therapy and doctor's appointments.
Finding babies that are up for adoption is pretty difficult and can be expensive. So if you choose to adopt, I do recommend a toddler, butttt- expect trauma, even if it's not obvious immediately.
-
on a side note too, I have 2 sisters who didn't want children and their kids are difficult. o;o" I used to babysit them often. I helped raise them when my sisters needed breaks. Oof. They're all teenage kids now and they know their parents love them, but one of my sisters has an obsessive love and my niece has no freedoms and my other sister gave too much freedoms, and now being home with her kids is torture for the whole lot.

I don't want to sway your mind, I just wanted to give you some of my personal experiences to read.
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Donator Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/4 19:54:14 )
    @Totalanimefan: I think it’s something you need to really think about. That’s what helped me make my mind up, I thought: will I regret not having kids when I’m 80,90,etc? And the answer was yes, I would sit there and think ‘why didn’t I have kids’… etc. It’s a hard decision to make, especially when you’re also dealing with the anxieties of turning 30 (mine is in December). You don’t have to make your mind up yet, you still have a few years <3 I hope you don’t’ feel pressured to decide, that’s something that a lot of women struggle with I think. There’s a lot of pressure either way :( no matter what you decide, that’s the right thing for you <3

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Donator — She/Her Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/4 20:03:08 )
I'm posting from the perspective of being a biological parent.

I always knew I wanted to be a parent, and growing up I thought I wanted a lot of kids (like 3 or 4) because I've always loved children. But I've come to realize that I'm good with just 2, *maybe* 3 if I change my mind after my 2nd (I have 1 for now).

One thing that I had to learn during pregnancy was the very real possibility of having a child with some sort of special needs. I asked myself if I was mentally prepared enough to raise a child with special needs as long as their life could have quality? I answered myself that I could.

My son will be 4 in November, and just this morning we finally received a formal diagnosis from a specialist that he has autism. We noticed that he has delays in his speech/communication and socialization at the age of 2 years. This process of getting this diagnosis has been long, and let me tell you very mentally taxing. I've never known anxiety like I have before recognizing that my son needs help. I don't regret my decision to have him for a minute though. Despite his delays, he has made such a tremendous impact on my life that I never knew possible. I'm still facing challenges with it all, but with this formal diagnosis now comes resources that we definitely plan on using. I've got mixed feelings if I'm being honest while trying to process this information, but I'm also so optimistic to see where things go.

My point is, even if you know you want kids, you have to acknowledge that you can take the challenges that may come with having them. If you decide you can't, I applaud you, because you're not one of those people who brought an unwanted life into this world. You recognize that it's a huge responsibility, and I thank you for doing that.

I feel like I had more to say, but my thoughts are kinda jumbled right now. So I'll leave it at that for now. I'm an open book about my pregnancy and parenting experience, so feel free to ask anything and everything if you (or anyone in this thread) has questions. :)
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Donator — She/her Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/4 20:11:21 )


A big thank you to everyone that has written here. I have read all of your responses, I just don't know if I have the mental energy to reply to them individually, but know that you guys posting here as helped. Every perspective is important to consider. So thank you again. I might reply individually at a later date.

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Donator — PomePome Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/4 21:57:25 )
Well first my Child was an accident but i always wanted a Child so in the end iam Not mad about this situation. The only thing i can tell you is that I as a parent totally can understand your reasons for not wanting a Child. Its Not a thing for everyone to raise one. Its tiring and so irritating you have new anxieties, simple you bind your life fully on another human being.
Not to mention iam made for parenting and i would be empty without my little bug! But its totally fine if you and Your husband dont want to! Enjoy your life as it is :)))
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Donator — She/her Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/6 17:30:08 )


Thanks guys. Just a little update.
I realized that I miss my family a lot. I miss living with them sometimes (I love living with my husband, but now my family is me in DC, My mom in PA, my sister in CA, and my dad in FL) so maybe if we just didn't live so far away I would feel better about it.
Maybe me missing my family I was confusing with I want to start my own since I was around friends and family in FL with their own kids?

Not totally sure, but I know for sure that I am missing my family. My sister MIGHT move here if her current BF likes it when he visits for Thanksgiving, but even then it's a maybe and it wouldn't be for many months. So we will see.


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Donator — she/her Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/13 03:05:11 )


Totalanimefan:


Thanks guys. Just a little update.
I realized that I miss my family a lot. I miss living with them sometimes (I love living with my husband, but now my family is me in DC, My mom in PA, my sister in CA, and my dad in FL) so maybe if we just didn't live so far away I would feel better about it.
Maybe me missing my family I was confusing with I want to start my own since I was around friends and family in FL with their own kids?

Not totally sure, but I know for sure that I am missing my family. My sister MIGHT move here if her current BF likes it when he visits for Thanksgiving, but even then it's a maybe and it wouldn't be for many months. So we will see.




In a way I can kind of relate to this post. Back in the spring I was dealing with a lot of stress between being waitlisted for college, working a shitty job, missing my family, and processing the loss of my stepfather. During that time I desperately wanted some type of comfort or to even just be at home where I could escape my stress. While I couldn't be with my family like I wanted, I'd fixate on imaging me and my boyfriend starting a family to bring me comfort throughout my days. Daydreaming about us getting married, having kids, buying a dream home, etc. Those thoughts seemed so perfect and constant that I started to believe I was ready to have a family soon. I really want a daughter, so it got to a point where I almost decided to buy little accessories for my "upcoming child." Eventually I was able to snap back to reality and remembered that I'm no where near ready to have children, nor am I ready to settle down with my boyfriend.

Your anxiety is understandable and I think a lot of people already offered pretty solid advice. You're young, you still have time to think about it. I'd say to rethink this topic later on down the road after some of the anxiety has eased and see what your gut tells you. :)

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Donator — She/her Posted 3 years ago ( 2021/10/13 04:46:07 )


@Ark: thank you for posting your story here. I can totally relate. I miss the comforts of a family of living with just more than one person.

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Voltie — It or She Posted 2 years ago ( 2021/11/5 19:29:45 )
@totalanimefan: Look want kids when I am older but I know it is hard to raise one I was 6 when I had to take care of my baby brother. I raised him and I know that my bio mom regrets putting that weight on my shoulders but I learned how hard it is to be a parent but at the end of the day I loved doing it. I loved taking care of that tiny baby and raising him. I am adopted because my mom couldn't have kids. She got me at 13 and I am 18 those 5 years that I have been with my mom have been the best. Your kid if you have one will Love you and hold you dear come home with homemade mother's day gift and cards and will draw you pictures to show that they love you. I won't ever regret having a kid because I know I will raise my kid better than I was raised and I know that they will be a good person. I want to say that you will be a great mom I can tell I have had some shitty ones but you will be able to understand what your kid needs and you will able to show them the beauty of life. There is a ted talk that I want you to listen to I think you will like it. here it the link.
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Voltie — It or She Posted 2 years ago ( 2021/11/5 19:30:50 )
https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter?language=en
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Donator — She/her Posted 2 years ago ( 2021/11/5 19:40:56 )


@Hazbin: Thank you for posting your insight here. :)

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Voltie — It or She Posted 2 years ago ( 2021/11/5 20:16:13 )
@totalanimefan: You are welcome and like I said I think you will be an awesome mom
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Donator — She/her Posted 2 years ago ( 2021/11/5 20:34:22 )


@Hazbin: Thanks <3

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Voltie — It or She Posted 2 years ago ( 2021/11/5 20:38:32 )
@totalanimefan: Your Welcome (>u<)
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