'My dad jokes are wasted': Child free folks discuss the cons of the no-kid lifestyle

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Mar 31, 2024 3:00 PM EDT

One of the biggest decisions we're asked to make in life is whether or not we're going to have children. There's so much social pressure to conform, and nobody pushes parenthood like parents. It's the choice they made, after all. But there are definitely some drawbacks to going full steam into parenthood. It's expensive, it's time-consuming, you might lose your non-parent friends, and you have to attune to their needs. And you probably have to watch a lot of Bluey. 

It's easy to imagine the no-kid lifestyle as an all-day parade of R-rated movies, nights out to restaurants adults enjoy, and endless weeks of vacations. Seth Rogen recently shared his take on it and ticked some people off in the process. People on either side love to have it out wherever they can. But we must give due to both sides, so what are the drawbacks of rocking it child-free? Scroll to find out. 

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  • 01
    "Eventually you stop getting invited to most things"
    via Leon Seierlein
  • 02
    r/AskReddit u/questioninghomos⚫ 17h What are the cons of NOT having kids?
    via u/questioninghomos
  • 03
    brinazee 14h • I've noticed that I have a very different sense of time passing since I'm not attached to the school calendar. I tend to not notice it passing as much. And then abruptly, it seems to catch up to me.
    via u/brinazee
  • 04
    dude_icus 13h I've noticed this just from quitting teaching. Time moves different for childless adults.
    via u/dude_icus
  • 05
    TheStreetForce • 12h If I outlast my wife im probably gonna die in my living room chair and sit there for a few months till someone finds me.
    via u/TheStreetForce
  • 06
    Amidormi 14h According to my dad, if he didn't have kids, no one would talk to him. Which is true. But only because he's just awful to talk to.
    via u/Amidormi
  • 07
    Loose Pilot574 • 17h If something breaks in your house, you have only yourself to blame.
    via u/Loose_Pilot574
  • 08
    OneAndOnlyJackSchitt 16h • Can't use the kids as an excuse to get out of social engagements you don't want to go to. (I solved this problem by with these 7 easy words your social anxiety doesn't want you to know about: "I don't want to go to that.")
    via u/OneAndOnlyJackSchitt
  • 09
    Payaso Canuto • 17h You run out of people to tell your 4 funny stories and 6 jokes.
    via u/PayasoCanuto
  • 10
    Longstrong_Rip_1933 • 16h Who else will grab the remote?
    via u/Longstrong_Rip_1933
  • 11
    EnamelKant • 14h No one to avenge your death or finish your life's work.
    via u/EnamelKant
  • 12
    A40 16h There are fewer people to walk the dog. Though that results in more healthy exercise...
    via u/A40
  • 13
    Emotional-Ear8525 16h • My dad jokes are wasted.
    via u/Emotional-Ear8525
  • 14
    Smirks 15h In general you lose all your friends who have kids. Parents socialise when the kids play etc, and you aren't invited so you miss out. Eventually you stop getting invited to most things because you're just not around enough to be planned in.
    via u/Smirks
  • 15
    othybear 15h You don't get to experience the joy of a second childhood. I'm childless by choice but I love seeing my nieces' excitement over holidays and vacations. My brother loves playing santa for the kid and seeing the joy of Christmas morning. My grandpa always joked that hanging out with me was like having a third childhood because we'd always do fun things like visit dinosaur museums or make snowmen together.
    via u/othybear
  • 16
    Abject-Star-4881 • 17h You keep having to either dodge the question or explain why you don't have or want kids when it's nobody's business.
    via u/Abject-Star-4881
  • 17
    lucciferno 14h • Hard to explain this dad bod.
    via u/lucciferno
  • 18
    BunnyKimber • 15h If you like kids and want to volunteer with them I've found not having one already gets more than a few raises eyebrows and "well why are you interested?" I'm not a kid snatcher, I just really enjoy it when I can give the kids back afterwards. '
    via u/BunnyKimber
  • 19
    evelyn_nanette • 12h I'm kinda surprised to not see this answer yet. Most of my childfree friends complain about how other people tend to assume their life is less than. Work volunteers you to work late cause no one is at home needing you. Others expect you to be free for errands or inconvenient things. People don't understand why you can't just drop everything cause nothing in a childfree personal life could possibly be as important as children.
    via u/evelyn_nanette

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Tags

single marriage child free married with children kids askreddit dinks parenting childless couples parenting memes little kids reddit thread raising kids no kids children funny parenting
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