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The debate over having or not having kids has raged for a long time, but regardless of where one stands, there is a growing child-free movement. But one netizen was curious to hear about the less common arguments for people choosing to not have children, so they asked the internet “What is your pettiest reason for not wanting kids?” 

From comical to sincere, people online share their thoughts. So get comfortable as you scroll through, be sure to upvote your favorite posts and, if you are so inclined, share your thoughts in the comments section below. 

#1

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I like money, silence and a tidy house.

BinaryMonochrome , Andrea Piacquadio Report

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Diana Pahule
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not particular about tidy, or I wasn't before the little plague vectors started touching everything with their unwashed sticky fingers.

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#2

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I like to be alone.

CandyCaneCrossbow , Keenan Constance Report

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devotedtodreams
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me too. After a long day at work, coming home to my apartment where no one else lives but me is such a beautiful thing, perfect for recharging those social batteries :)

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#3

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I take pride in proving wrong every one that said I'd change my mind 

drunkenAnomaly , Maryia Plashchynskaya Report

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devotedtodreams
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This applies to me because I've known since my early teens that I didn't want kids. The "you'll change your mind" argument was made often, but I was never convinced because I knew with all my heart and soul it wasn't what I wanted. Hell, back in university/college (never sure which one's correct), a classmate said he'd make a bet that in 10 years, I'd be a mother. I took that bet with a s**t-eating grin because it's an easy win. Haven't seen him since, but I'm still winning!

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#4

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones Sleeping in/going to bed late

nolechica , Polina Kovaleva Report

#5

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I like delicate, pretty things. Children damage delicate, pretty things.

strongmanass , Roberto Nickson Report

#6

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones My cat would hate it if she had to share me

Jo_Peri , cottonbro studio Report

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Amelia Jade
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought this too. My cat was the center of my world and so spoiled. When I had my first kid, I was so worried that she'd be upset. But she adored my daughter. I have so many cute pics of them together.

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#7

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones Might be cruel but every time my sister complains about how rowdy her kids get, I think 'never going to be me'.

Medysus , Keira Burton Report

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Wysteria_Rose
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It would be cruel if you said it to her face. It's not cruel to have honest feelings. There are plenty of times I see my friend who had twins the first time and then proceeded to have two more that I am VERY relieved that I don't have that many.

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#8

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I'm not done being a kid myself. Making up for lost time during my childhood now.

nsfwnoise , Elina Volkova Report

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Wendy Forrest
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Can we change the question as to why people want to have kids? Apart from mini me's and immotality. Why not adopt the many unwanted children?

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#9

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones F**k the patriarchy is my pettiest reason, but I don’t really have a reason I’m just not interested - the fact that there’s a lot of advantages to that lifestyle is just a great bonus

tawny-she-wolf , Andrea Piacquadio Report

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ADHORTATOR
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's ok, if you don't want kids, don't have them - no other reason needed

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#10

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones
I enjoy my quiet peace and copious amounts of sleep. Kids would ruin both.

Fierywitchburn333 , Ivan Oboleninov Report

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ADHORTATOR
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1 year ago

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This comment has been deleted.

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#11

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones So that whenever anything bad happens in my life, I can say 'at least I don't have kids.' Every morning I wake up happy to not have kids.

Also kids' music sucks.

Individual_Road_9030 , bruce mars Report

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#13

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones To prove my mom wrong from that time when I was 10 and she told me—after [foolishly?] telling her I didn’t want to have children when I grew up: “but…having children is the MOST IMPORTANT thing I woman can do with her life!”

I have done some seriously cool s**t with my life since then that did not in any way involve having a child.

Hokuopio , Marcus Aurelius Report

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Lene
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Having kids is not the most important thing in a woman's life. What a weird thing to tell your kid !?!

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#14

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones The bloodline dies with me, and I am not giving my bio. mother the satisfaction of spreading her genetics through the gene pool. Also, maintaining my anti-social life and being able to keep up with my Art hobby <3

BerryFilledEggs , Steven Aguilar Report

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bbfa
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ditto, all the way. My mother's paranoid hate bloodline and dad's narcissism ends with me. This week I spent $140 on art pens and pencils without a second thought.

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#15

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones It hurts.

I don't want to ruin my body.

I HATE bodily fluids (snot/pee/vomit/s**t), I do not want any of that disgusting mess near me (that includes pet's fluids too).

B4cteria , Alexander Grey Report

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Shark Lady
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

@Malcom, trust me if you have a stoma you deal with 100 times more s**t than you do without one.

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#16

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I'm self-centred. I don't like having to live my life around others needs. Making myself happy is my primary goal in life. I live for me. I view my purpose in this life as being able to cater to my every need. I want to be able pursue whatever I like, whenever I like, however I like with no restrictions. To be a parent means you need to be selfless for decades. That sounds like pure hell!

I'm not cold or evil, and people have always come to me for advice/support and find me dependable, but I know if I had to be a parent, I'd resent my kids so much, and no child deserves a parent like that.

hellasweetnutella , Jeys Tubianosa Report

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Mrs. Ginger McSarcasm
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

EXACTLY! A child can feel if they're not wanted. I would know. I would never ever ever make any children of mine (if I have any) feel unwanted.

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#17

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I want the option of leaving whenever I need to. I'm happy where I'm at, but I always want to be able to travel or just straight up move without worrying abt a child's schedule. I would van life, but a kid deserves space and I don't want to be one of those vanlife influencers who think a curtain is a wall.

LukasHughes , Amanda Klamrowski Report

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#18

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones It's something of an official "F U" to the religious upbringing I had telling me the ultimate purpose for uterus bearers like myself was becoming a STAH broodmare

Dense-Department9405 , Athena Report

#19

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones sticky fingers, why are they so f*****g sticky!

hardwiredtostaymad , ROMAN ODINTSOV Report

#20

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones Not having to answer “why?” even once per day to anyf*ckingone

lightninghazard , Lisa Fotios Report

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Lene
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Haha! Often the best answer is "because that's how things are". Sometimes followed by "and there's nothing I can do about it, even if I wanted to".

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#21

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones Because I like my afternoon naps uninterrupted and free weekends.

Also, not giving my homophobic fundie religious Narc dad any grandkids to abuse with threats of damnation and fear of demons wanting to destroy them for being born "sinners" is high up on my list also.

Zealousideal-Wing524 , Meruyert Gonullu Report

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Ivana Bašić
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can have kids and not allow your parents near them. I hope this person cuts off contact with their father even without children. We deserve to be treated well regardless of whether we become parents.

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#22

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I love my freedom. I want to go out one evening on the whim? I can just do it. I can travel during term time, sleep in, walk around the house in just my knickers and a t-shirt lol

Fantastic-Picture360 , Julian Jagtenberg Report

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frog
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bro, my dad just walks around in his speedo. Wish he felt that embarrassment.

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#23

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I like not hearing screeching, banging, and thunderous stomping inside my own home. I like having a beautiful garden with lots of plants. It's nice when the plants don't get trampled or otherwise destroyed.

LogicalStomach , adriana carles Report

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Jane No Dough
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Furbabies can be even more destructive yet we love them fiercely anyway. Material things and even the effort we put in to obtain them are not important in the grand scheme. I vehemently believe however, that anyone who doesn't want children for ANY REASON shouldn't have them.

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#24

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I didn't want to gain weight. I've had body image issues since middle school. 4 years ago, I lost weight and kept it off and I've been much more confident since. I don't want to lose that.

Covert-Wordsmith , Andrea Piacquadio Report

#25

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones Not having to worry about school districts or being close to schools when moving or relocating.

merRedditor , Max Fischer Report

#26

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I hate children's tv shows. Loud, high pitched, etc etc. If something in my home is loud it better f*****g be deathcore.

M3tal_Shadowhunter , senia Chernaya Report

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Mycroft1967
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not the cartoons that I find annoying. Some are mildly entertaining. It's sitting through all those kids' commercials.

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#27

Loud noises hurt my ears.

Nimuwa Report

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Bored Potato
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My 2 year old brother once cried from 2 to 7 am. I would be impressed if it wasn’t a school day and I wasn’t late because of this.

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#28

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I love my body and don't want to destroy it.

mindlessarachnide , Elina Fairytale Report

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Blondie23
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I totally get this... there are women that snap back after having kids but not most women. So this is not petty.... you know yourself and that is beautiful

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#29

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones My mil wants me to

NoshameNoLies , Luke Miller Report

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Milady Blue
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was told that I "owed" my parents grandkids, that I would miss out on my "prime biological" reason for existence, and that I "owed" the family to keep the bloodline going. Nope. I have plenty of cousins who very enthusiastically took on my share for me.

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#30

The idea of growing something inside my belly sounds too much like Alien the movie and feels so animal world.

Pompelmo Report

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xxx
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The idea of pregnancy and all the things that come with it freak me out. I know this may be a touchy statement but I'm glad I physically can't have kids. When the doc told me, I was actually relieved. I had planned on never having kids anyways, and always thought that if I change my mind I'll adopt.

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#31

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones They don't belong in breweries. They also smell worse than dogsh*t.

hedge_ball , Teja J Report

#32

Babies are ugly.

I struggle managing my weight and I don’t want to gain it from getting pregnant.

I like to sleep

I like spending my money on myself.

prosecutie05579 Report

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Kakashisith
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And babies are annoying. I gonna be dead too, I don`t want a corpse near me. Why should I want a kid?

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#33

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I want to spend my money on _my_ games and books, not on _child's_ toys and books.

raccoonomnom , Dayan Rodio Report

#34

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones They're stinky.

pepperpat64 , RDNE Stock project Report

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madeleine f
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A friend's kid always farts a lot at the dining table when I come around for food. 🤢

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#35

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I'm a maximalist. I'm sure as hell not trusting my trinkets around sticky, clumsy hands.

sharknamedgoose , Christina Morillo Report

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cecilia kilian
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would wager that some minimalists feel the same. Sticky handprints on pristine walls, food stains on shiney countertops, toys, shoes, and other stuff scattered everywhere! I have 2 now adult kids, and enjoyed most of the journey, but I totally get that not everyone wants to go that route. I am also covering up the troll's comment.

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#36

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I absolutely loathe children songs. I actually cannot even describe you the primal anger I feel every time I hear something like baby shark.

FutureBachelorAMA , Baby Shark Official Report

#37

Babies are cute on the other hand my reasons to not have kids are cultural indifferences, generational trauma, spankings, groundings and my autism. I don’t want my future offspring to suffer the same way I did.

I like to sleep in, work, watch movies, go on road trips and I’m actually behind on adulting at 31.

Conscious_Couple5959 Report

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#38

I wouldn’t call it petty but it’s also the same reason why I have never understood the urge to be in a relationship: I don’t want to go by someone else’s schedule. I have OCD and the idea of having to change things around makes me physically ill.

A petty reason? Hmmmm…. I simply think life would be so much more enjoyable if we had less of a population. Don’t want people to die, but I sure do hope that less people are born.

But then I love animals and my life is always astronomically better when I have an animal to take care of (which means changing schedules), so maybe the reason is just that I really do not get any positive results from people. Like I love my family, but why the hell would I want to continue it? I’m sure my dad’s batch of secret children that he’s hidden all around the country will continue my blood line just fine. I don’t feel the need for human interaction, and I sure as hell don’t need a kid that actively NEEDS my attention. Having friends is already too much of a burden on my life I can’t imagine having a kid jesus christ.

Love my half-brothers more than anything. I’m over 10 years older than then so it’s not like I grew up with them or anything. I seriously adore them, and when I’m with them I can understand the love that parents have for children, but I seriously can’t imagine ever wanting or having my own. Like why not just get a dog? They’re cuter, better behaved,and less expensive.

Sidereall Report

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Kakashisith
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I understand you. I gave relationshits up 5 years ago and life is very peaceful. My body gets water, food and sleep. That`s enough.

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#39

People Share The Pettiest Reasons For Why They Are Childfree, Here Are The 40 Best Ones I like to sleep. And not having a stretched out body with more marks than I have now.

galacticmin , SHVETS production Report

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#40

I have an extensive collection of stuffed animals, and I don't want to share them with anyone

kttykt66755 Report

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PlatinumThe8-BitCat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a gigantic pile of at least 200 something stuffed animals in my room and I’m never sharing them, I don’t let anyone touch them, especially not siblings, my stuffed animals are way too important to me

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