No, we're not having children

Josh and I just had this conversation on Saturday night about all the assinine things people say to us when we tell them we're not having children. For whatever reason, people believe it's their business whether or not we're going to procreate and it's their place to make comments on our choice to not have kids. I've learned to just get over it - and remind myself that it's no one's business but ours.

But for fun, I thought I'd just make a list of all the different things we've heard over the years from people when we tell them we don't want kids (and these are in no particular order):

1. "You'll change your mind when you get older." We're 30 years old; we're pretty stable in our lives and pretty sure of what we want. Maybe it applied when we were 18, but come on, we're old enough to know what we do and do not want in life!

2. "Who will take care of you when you get old?" Really? Because people are having kids strictly so that they have someone to take care of them when they're old and frail? I thought parents don't want to be a burden to their children. Lord, when I get old and frail, I'm going to be put in a home to let the professionals take care of me - just like I'll do for my parents. I'm not a caretaker, I'm not going to change my parents' diapers and I wouldn't have children just so they could change my diapers.

3. "You don't know what you're missing." Which goes hand in hand with "You'll wake up one day and regret not having kids." Yes, I don't know what being a parent to a human child is like. No, I will not regret it. I've thought long and hard about this - it's not a decision we made on a whim. And I thought when our friends started having babies, it would hit us that we were missing out and it would make us think more about having kids. But really, it's just the opposite. Sitting with friends last night watching a movie, I remembered how great it is to not have kids - at home, we watch a movie with no kids talking or toys making noise. Last night, we had to struggle to hear above Ethan asking questions about the movie and Kendra's toy making all kinds of ruckus. And when we go out, and our friends can't because they can't find a sitter? Again, reminds me of how easy our life is without kids - we can come and go as we please (well, almost, it's a little more restricted with Kayla being sick, but for the most part we have tons of freedom).

4. "That's selfish of you." Wow? Really? Isn't it selfless of me to realize I don't want kids, rather than just having kids because that's what's expected of me, even though I don't want them. I'm not going to have a kid just cuz that's what everyone does if I don't really want the kid to begin with. Nothing like screwing the kid up right from birth!!

5. The most creative one I've heard - "That's a waste of a good uterus." That one cracked me up!!

6. And the one that I had to force myself to continue walking away so I didn't drop kick the person who said it - "Where's your motherly instinct?" Have you not seen me with my dogs? I have more motherly instinct than most mothers of human children. Just because I don't want kids doesn't mean I don't have motherly instinct.

Don't worry, I'm not bitter. I've come to realize over the years that people love poking their noses in other people's business. And thankfully, I do believe our parents and close family have all realized we are serious about not having kids, so they don't pressure us to do it. They know we're more than happy with our three pugs and that's the way it's going to be!!