Is it wrong to not want kids...?

...when you have babies like these...

nope not at all. My wife and I are in the same boat. We love our 3 dogs two birds and one cat. Sorry no pics :(
But we love them more the same. we also know that when we get older they won't kink up our air supply to get to borrow the car or talk back.

ooh a throwdown! my animal companions are cuter than yours thread!

cicely & glacier

In order from top to bottom it's Chloe, Jack, and Betty. I figure with faces like that, how can I love anything more?

I guess they are if you're into marshmallows, cotton balls, cream puffs or even old lady hair do's.

As a vote for kids:

It's cool Tiki people like you folks who SHOULD be reproducing!

You'd be cool parents and make cool kids. Thus making the world a better place.

No offense.

ok, here are my fur children. I do plan on having some real kids in the next few years.

Cleo, she's 14

Gypsy - She's half Chesapeake Bay Retriever, so it's pretty much impossible to get her out of the water. if you don't throw stuff for her, she finds logs and brings them in.

Toffee, she's our 'special' kitty.

Tikiwahine, your babies are too adorable! And your little Toffee looks like he has a mohawk, I love it!!

Our Easy-to-care-for pet:

ALF!

Nothing wrong with it at all. My wife Jacki and I have 2 dogs, 3 cats, and no kids. Kids would play with our toys and break them :wink:

Here's an old thread of TC'ers and their pets --

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=1810&forum=6

Do not let the innocent looks fool you, they are lil animals,

and here is the feline "snowball" of late called "dirtball" for the fact that he keeps getting out and coming back filthy looking

I know a lot of the times I wish I could be like all of you, just have my cat, maybe a dog, and no kids to have to fix what they break (like the window my 6yr old daughter broke today) but hey too late to undo what is done.

It's so sad when they grow up.

Unga Bunga strikes again!!

Here are mine:

Pinky and Norm -- Pinky just had a bath in this photo.

My big ugly fish: Sluggo the oscar and Emperor Notron the pleco.

Crazy Cat Clips (Windows Media video)
http://www.joked.com/content/2003/Nov2003/22/joked-dot-com-funny-cats.wmv

Love that pic Unga!
I use it as my photo on my MSN profile page.

Yours are just too sweet Atomicchick!
After having 95lb Gyp, I could never imagine having such a small puppy like yours! She's just sooooo cute!

Elicia, your two are SO regal! They must keep you busy!

TikiToa, your cat looks like it's begging for a tummy rub!(Or is that what it wants you to think?)

Cyn your kitties are super adorable! I'm such a sucker for animals. I swear I'll have 10 cats when I'm an old bag.

Unga --

"It's so sad when they grow up."

Fear not, Unga. Nature has implanted a chip into their sweet little brains that will make you start counting the days when they're out the door. It is called "puberty."

They are sweet now, but wait til they turn into teenagers. Not that teenagers are bad. It is just that they are hard wired to think of their parents as complete morons. And after a few years of them looking at you like you're a complete piece of dirt because you dare to suggest that they put their dirty plates in the dishwasher, you'll start thinking about how nice it'd be for your wife to turn back into your girlfriend and even have some god%&$ privacy.

Fear not, Unga. No one could have loved my sweet little children more than I and dreaded the day when they'd be gone. And now no one is happier to see them spreading their wings and seeing how much &*$%ing fun it is to buckle down to that first job ...

I love my kids. But I didn't marry them.

I just got married on Valentine's Day, earlier this year. I told my wife before we were married that I don't want any children, and she is fine with that. They are just to much responsibility, emotionally and financially.

First off,I think it's wild that so many TCers have cats-we have two and are long-term watching my sister's cat.Second,for those of you who don't have kids and don't want them,good for you! You're being honest.I've seen too many kids at work whose parents are doing a lousy job of raising them (HaHa,isn't it funny when little Jimmy spits in my face!!!)or treating kids like another nice possession to have.We have one daughter-she's terrific,but boy,do we know our limits!Pets are people,too!!!

I definitely think it's ok for people to not have children. In fact, there are some that, in my opinion, shouldn't reproduce. Anyhow, you can always enjoy them from afar. And pets make a fantastic substitute!
Enjoy your children, be they furry, furr-less, or inanimate(like many of my tiki mugs)
-TW

I smell Darwin.

Pets are not children nor are they substitute children. They are pets.

Both are obligations but can hardly be compared with one another. The day that you leave your small children at home for the weekend with bowl of food we can talk about the comparison of children vs pets. If I didn't have health insurance and my kids were sick, I could not just have them put to sleep.

I love them both.

There is nothing wrong with either choice.

I am a firm beleiver though that some of the most "potentially" talented/loving parents of my generation (25-40yrs old) are opting not to have kids at all.

This might be offensive to some folks but there are many theories about the dumbing down of our society because the more aware and educated an individual is, the less likely that they will have children.

Now back to pet central....

On 2004-07-15 14:57, Monkeyman wrote:
Pets are not children nor are they substitute children. They are pets.

Both are obligations but can hardly be compared with one another. The day that you leave your small children at home for the weekend with bowl of food we can talk about the comparison of children vs pets. If I didn't have health insurance and my kids were sick, I could not just have them put to sleep.

Very true. But personally, I would never put any of my pets to sleep, no matter what the cost. $4,000 last year for Toffee, she had fatty liver syndrome and pancreatitis at the same time, we had to feed her through a tube in her neck with warmed up, blended up, strained cat food & meds every 4 hours for over a month. And she only had a 50% chance of survival. Gyp got into the garbage and $2,000 later the 6 little jam packets were removed. That was 1 month after Toffee's bill. But this is just me.

You really can't compare kids to pets, but some of us treat and love our pets as though they were our children. I'll get back to you after I have kids, when I actually kind of know what I'm talking about :)

This conversation quite fascinates me!

I'd put my son up against any canine or feline in a beauty contest! The greatest thing to ever happen to me! :)

I lost my Wolfgang kitty after 15 years, last ocotber. I do not like children. I know better to have any, they make too much noise, and too many messes. I prefered a quiet kitty that liked his tummy rubbed, his cat food bowl always full, his box cleaned.
I will never have children.
and I felt the way about my cat as most people do about their children, so I don't see much difference. Basically I lost a 15 year old I raised from birth...
Same thing to me.
And when within a week after losing him people were emailing me with kitties I should get, i felt the same as if I lost a child and people were telling me to just go get another... ugh.
At least I'm smart enough to know not to have kids...
(and for those-you dont' have to admit it... that don't much care for children, or for parents who are CLUELESS- not saying anyone here is!!!!! - i go to this site occasionally...)
http://www.fred.net/turtle/kids/kidrants.shtml

On 2004-07-15 14:57, Monkeyman wrote:
the more aware and educated an individual is, the less likely that they will have children.

I'd believe that. I used to work with a woman who was quite self-centered, petty, and without one clue. She bragged about her community college education as though she had a Phd., yet was rather dim. She couldn't wait to start a family with her husband who actually was a Dr.

Funny thing is, he wanted NO kids
She wanted 12 (!) :o

So they compromised at 6.

I wonder if they're still together

-Z

[ Edited by: TNTiki on 2004-11-06 15:00 ]

[ Edited by: TNTiki on 2004-11-06 15:01 ]

Animals are fine substitute, but do your pets every come up to you and say "daddy, I love you!".

(and I don't mean "Oh, then fluffy waved his paw and mommie and I KNOW, he said I LOVE YOU MOMMIE!")

On 2004-07-15 17:32, johntiki wrote:
I'd put my son up against any canine or feline in a beauty contest! The greatest thing to ever happen to me! :)

John, good to see you starting that kid out right!!

On 2004-07-15 17:43, sweetpea wrote:
I lost my Wolfgang kitty after 15 years, last ocotber. I do not like children. I know better to have any, they make too much noise, and too many messes. I prefered a quiet kitty that liked his tummy rubbed, his cat food bowl always full, his box cleaned.
I will never have children.
and I felt the way about my cat as most people do about their children, so I don't see much difference. Basically I lost a 15 year old I raised from birth...
Same thing to me.
And when within a week after losing him people were emailing me with kitties I should get, i felt the same as if I lost a child and people were telling me to just go get another... ugh.
At least I'm smart enough to know not to have kids...
(and for those-you dont' have to admit it... that don't much care for children, or for parents who are CLUELESS- not saying anyone here is!!!!! - i go to this site occasionally...)
http://www.fred.net/turtle/kids/kidrants.shtml

You NEVER hear this from someone who has a child. (Comparing the loss of a pet to that of a child)

Some people are so gifted, they are able to have children, AND pets! Take some quiet time to ponder that thought.

Fatty liver in felines is pricey. My cat, Spridle had that and it cost about the same. He's over that, but has diabetes now and is on insulin (injections) daily.

Nothin' wrong with not wanting children, but I'll take these three over my two dogs, turtle, bird and rabbit, any day!

[ Edited by: Bamboo Dude on 2004-07-15 22:10 ]

I have way too many toys and collectables, and I don't play well with others. Here's our Boys, Leroy(Cat), & Gavin(1/2 Pug, 1/2 Boston Terrier) relaxing in the Leloi Lounge.

Oh man, too cute.

When I posted this topic, I didn't mean to piss anybody off. People seem to be getting defensive about what you "should" love more. Pets or kids? What if I was unable to have kids, does that change your view?

In my profession I work with kids, 25 at a time and they are all criminals. They have committed crimes from car jacking to attempted murder. Usually these kids are twacked out on drugs when they committ their crimes. Not saying that it justifys their behavior, but when they are sober, they seem to have some feels of remorse. My point being, that parents (from what I have experienced) for the most part are too afraid to punish their children and are more concerned with being their friend than their parent. Doing this gives the kids the upper edge and they do whatever the hell they please like drugs, join gangs, steal, etc. Kids need disipline yet they don't get it from their parents, so when the kid screws up, the parents ask themselves, "How did this happen"? They look to "fix" their kid by getting them therapy or putting them on psych meds when all the kid really needs is a parent. Kids may bitch about rules and structure, but deep down that is what they need and they want because in the end it means security.

I don't mean to come down on all parents, it is not only the parents fault, but when something goes wrong, they are not free of blame.

That being said, here is some food for thought. If you have to have a licence to drive, a licence to ride a bike, and even a licence to fish, wouldn't it be a good idea to have a licence to reproduce? Maybe take a couple of parenting classes before you have a kid? I think raising a child is way more important than driving or fishing, so why not be properly prepared?

Again, I'm not trying to offend anybody here. I myself think (I know) I would be a great mother, maybe a little strict, but I would take care of business. I would be my kids parent then when they were a responsible adult, I would be their friend. But for the mean time, I'll stick with Chloe, Jack, and Betty. No drugs, no backtalk, no fighting = no worries! :)

On 2004-07-15 22:44, Atomicchick wrote:
That being said, here is some food for thought. If you have to have a licence to drive, a licence to ride a bike, and even a licence to fish, wouldn't it be a good idea to have a licence to reproduce? Maybe take a couple of parenting classes before you have a kid? I think raising a child is way more important than driving or fishing, so why not be properly prepared?

Atomicchick...now this is a fantastic idea; I wish there were a way to make it so. Becoming a parent is not a commitment to be taken lightly, but it is a commitment that is too often entered into irresponsibly.

I consider my kids to be little animals, but the vet bills run higher.

We went to see the Bull Run cars. There had a car sponsored by both Hot Wheels and Spearmint Rhino (titty bar). I liked the juxtapositioning of the two logos.

There were so many Ferraris, the boys got bored.

They did try to make off with a Lambo, though. They were saying something about the coolness of the car synergizing with their aloha shirts.

On 2004-07-15 22:44, Atomicchick wrote:
If you have to have a licence to drive, a licence to ride a bike, and even a licence to fish, wouldn't it be a good idea to have a licence to reproduce? Maybe take a couple of parenting classes before you have a kid?

They make you go through all that if you want to adopt a kid via state agencies or be a foster parent.

Now that you've made that lengthy post and SweetPea mentioned the "BRATS!" page here before I could, I think it's safe for me to come out....

I am childfree by choice. I've always been this way; I can't recall a time I ever felt otherwise.

When my little brother was born, it was assumed that I would feel resentful because he was getting all the attention. However, I ended up feeling sorry for my parents because they had to deal with all of his 2 AM feedings and stinky diapers. At the age of 4, I saw the reality that parenting was not a glamorous job.

As I got older, I saw families struggling to balance parenthood and careers, trying to "have it all," and I knew I could never live like that. I don't want it all!

I'm not saying that I hate kids. I always enjoyed babysitting my little cousins and watching them grow up (one swam at the Olympic trials last week) and I look forward to becoming the "crazy doting aunt" in a few years.

In addition to the Bratpage already mentioned, here are some more online resources:

http://www.childfree.net
http://www.nokidding.net
alt.support.childfree
http://www.ninapaley.com (great animated films)

For you parents out there, please keep in mind that we are not the enemy. We like your kids, as long as we can return them to you after a while. 8)

--cindy

Atomichick-you've hit the nail on the head.I work at a private preschool,and so many parents turn out not to be parents,but just the tallest people in the house.These parents are deathly afraid of their children not liking them.It's pretty scary-if as a parent you can't manage a two-year old,what chance do you have of managing a teenager?

Hmmm, maybe the original Tiki period ended because so few Tiki fans reproduce!

Not enough people pass on the Tiki appreciation gene, I bet.

It must have to skip generations, or something.

You think there could be a link between love of Tiki and disinterest in child rearing?

On 2004-07-15 22:44, Atomicchick wrote:

That being said, here is some food for thought. If you have to have a licence to drive, a licence to ride a bike, and even a licence to fish, wouldn't it be a good idea to have a licence to reproduce? Maybe take a couple of parenting classes before you have a kid?

I believe you might find a chapter dedicated to that topic in Mein Kampf.

[ Edited by: Johntiki on 2004-07-16 20:49 ]

Used to be that people made a family and then settled into their lifestyle... Nowadays people don't want to start one because it will interfere with their lifestyle.

Being a father has made me a much better human being. Yes, there are bad parents out there, but there are bad pet owners out there too.

Just a few weeks ago while taking a walk, some genius was trying to convince me that their dog wouldn't bite me because it was only "half pit bull" and "fixed." I should emphasize "trying to convince me" because it had already bitten me - twice. I didn't provoke the attack - I'm terrified of dogs (due to the whole biting thing) and keep my distance from them (in this case, about 40 feet).

What I hear often - "if you weren't so afraid of them, they wouldn't bite you." Someone explain where the logic is in that one

After the attack, I called the cops and what happened? Nothing. If someone's kid attacked me and drew blood that kid would be cuffed and stuffed, but the "cute little puppy" only had its owners admonished. What do I get? Tetanus shots and a the advice to "lighten up" from the police, who made time to have "pet talk" for about 20 minutes with the "little darling's" owner.

Lucky my kid wasn't there to get his chance at getting bit or that pet owner's "precious child" would have had the sh!t kicked out of it. (...and in this day and age, I'd go to jail.)

75% of the world's population would eat your pets if they had the chance. Now go buy Fluffy another $50.00 gift while they keep starving.

Oh yeah - tetanus shots are a great time.

[ Edited by: kha_o on 2004-07-16 20:38 ]

75% of the world's population would eat your pets if they had the chance.

Classic.

Johntiki, like I said it was food for thought. To compare a positive idea that could possibly help people be better prepared for parenthood to Hitler? You must be a complete loon! Geez, you should really watch what you say, for all you know (or in your case don't know) I could be Jewish, married to a Jew or have Jewish relatives.

I wonder if Roy Horn's tiger comes to visit him in the hospital.

Suzywong, I'm 35,, thought about it alot, trust me... and I think if I read yer post correctly, yer thinkin kids would be better than pets, but maybe if I KNOW I would NOT be a good parent, then, I should NOT have kids. Unless You'd like, I procreate and be a Horrible parent, would you like to adopt my child when it is taken away from me??? HOPE SO!~
Atomicchick rocks my world.

about eating the pets, if I was in the Phillipines and offered dog, yes, I would try it. Cause it's not MINE.

I do not think folks should NOT have kids. not at all. Have a gazillion, so they can grow up and work and pay social security so it will add to my retirement fund! actually, I'm a freakin GODMOTHER to 5 kids. If by the worst luck in the world I loose my 2 best friends in the whole world, and I end up with them, I will be the
BEST substitute parent in the WORLD.