Ah yes, the modern version of the “I hate my wife”-joke.
As a childless person myself, I can tell you that I rarely have the energy to “go have fun” after a long day of work. In fact, I prefer to just be at home and be a boring, basic bitch.
I can also tell you that almost every parent I know, and I know many because almost everyone my age have kids, are super active and do all kinds of fun things with their kids all the time. Especially those whose kids have gotten older and less dependent. It is a big, big, big misconception that parents never have fun. They do. A lot. They travel, go to parks and museums, theaters, circuses and talks with child entertainers. They take part in local community activities like sports and arts and whatever else is out there and they bond with the other parents who also wish to build a good community for the kids.
I have also seen how efficient parents are with time management. Not because they were born with that skill, but because they HAD to get good at it, so they pretty much never have a boring day ever. Are they tired and exhausted? Yes. Do they sometimes wish for a break from the kids? Also yes. But I would wager a guess that they all have lives that are tenthousand times more exciting than or many other childless people do. Not that it is a competition. Personally, I like the boring life where I get to do whatever I want without interruptions. I like that I get a break from other people because it overwhelms me to be around more than three people for long stretches of time. That just how I am and that is why I’m childless.
But I in no way feel superior to parents pr have this childish preconception that parents’ lives suck. You can only have that opinion if you’re never around people who have kids.
Sorry for being a party pooper, but I really, really hate this stupid joke and I hope it soon goes out of style and becomes something we look back at and cringe at in the same way we do with “I hate my wife”-jokes.
I don’t think kids are the biggest barrier to enjoying your hobbies. They’re not latched at the tit 24/7 for decades. I think the bigger issue is people have unrealistic work loads/hours, aren’t paid enough, and have lost a lot of the support that used to exist.
Sure, when my kids were small I had a lot less free time, but I still had fun doing childish things. As they got older we ended up trying a lot of things I would not have attempted if it weren’t for them, especially outdoor sports. Now they’re both a bit older and more independent, I have more time to do my own thing. I work from home a few days a week and use that time to go to the gym. On weekends my wife and I take turns so I can go birdwatching - sometimes I take them with me. I’m about to start volunteering at a wildlife rescue in the coming weeks because I have more time on my hands. In a few more years they’ll be even more independent and probably less interested in hanging out with us as much, meaning even more free time.
I can understand having kids doesn’t appeal to everyone, and I don’t think people who don’t want kids should be berated into having them. I also recognise all of this is only possible because I have an extremely flexible work schedule and my wife and I earn a decent living. But to say that having kids is the reason people can’t enjoy their hobbies anymore is disingenuous at best.
Chilfree for life, baby! My bloodline ends with me!
Same.
Let’s all carve elaborate weird and loud toys for our breeder friends.
Once I’m out of this homeless shelter, I want to start whittling. Tonberries. Seems apropos, yes?
This is important and highlights some problems with trends in the modern world. At one point, we had an agreement that the average family would sacrifice 40 labor hours to the economy in return for enough resources to sustain a family. Now it’s 80.
Parents should have plenty of time to engage in childish pursuits alongside their kids. It’s natural, traditional, healthy and constructive to multi-generational, extended family households. I know that’s not what everyone wants, but I feel like it should at least be an option.
It should be okay for a person to work 20 hours per week. We have the technology to make that sustainable. If someone wants to work 80 to accumulate luxuries for themselves, I think that’s fine, too. What I hate is observing people being forced to live in poverty while working 40+ hours. I am aware that almost no one working full time is below the federal poverty limit, but that’s because it’s a nonsense metric. It’s unconscionable that anyone should have to live in poverty in the modern world, but it’s insane that full-time wages don’t necessarily cover the cost of living.
I believe this creates a situation which raises children without a sense of community outside of work, and now we’re watching them burn down the village as 70-year-olds. There’s a saying about how bad times create strong people, strong people create good times, good times create weak people, and weak people create bad times. I don’t believe it for a second. Strong people and peoples are those with strong social bonds. They needn’t be biological. Screwed up families exist and it’s okay to get away and find a real family elsewhere.These communities create good times, which create even stronger people.
So therefore, go and do silly things with kids. Play Minecraft or Fortnite or kick-the-can or hide-and-seek, sing baby shark, or watch Bluey. Not just because our future depends on it, but because it’s fun. We are supposed to be happy as a minimum standard. Not all the time, but at least as an average. It’s not even the goal of life; it’s the method. We’re supposed to enjoy doing constructive things. That’s how positive reinforcement works, and the current system is not only failing to acknowledge that, but it’s diverging from it.
Go and be childish.
They needed more cannon fodder back in the day. Also child labour.
And children to feed to the Epstein class.
You’re not wrong but please don’t rub it in 😥
Meh grass is always greener. I’m sure there are lots of stuff about having kids which are amazing.
Its true, but [politics incoming] it’s harder since the nuclear home resulted in the elimination of community, and both parents are forced to work to get by, and it only looks to be getting worse.
Raising kids is great (for many people), but it shouldn’t be your entire life. The unfortunate reality is that work and raising kids is the only life many people have access to.
It’s also not really the case that parents are “doing it to keep the population up” so the premise is wrong.
But it’s funny to imagine it that way
Well now I’m going to run it in! Neener neener neeeeener!
Jk. You are right though, we need wider community, and this capitalist hellscape has ruined a great many things, in addition to raising a family. I honestly have no clue how my parents, especially my mom did it.
I asked my parents exactly this.
They said something like
It was possible to live on one salary, so your mother could be a full time stay at home mom. This gave us the energy to be able to follow other passions
Basically 2 people with 2 full-time jobs between them have more energy than 2 people with 3 full time jobs between them.
Mom could volunteer and join clubs while I was at school. Dad could do marathons on the weekend. We could do family activities like camping or skiing because they weren’t exhausted by also having to do another 40 hours of work per week between them.
Yeah, but my mom worked full time (over, really, more than 40hrs plus a long commute) dad also worked full time, plus a teacher so lots of extra junk t at teachers have to do. Still, they raised me and were there for me.
Insane.
I’m assuming they also had more family and community than we have. And a lot less social pressure.
I had so much unsupervised time lol.
lol same on the unsupervised time.
It should be noted here that “hobbies” in this case should provide enrichment to the kids that are in your life tangentially.
Be the cool Aunt/Uncle that inspires. Give kids gifts that create memories and are unique. Open the door to creativity that their patents can’t afford it don’t have the time to manage. Basically, be grandparents with less doting and better knees.
Brewing beer or playing COD doesn’t hit the same way as teaching someone to cook or code or carve wood.
Pretty judgy about people’s hobbies there eh
All the haters don’t like it when you make them feel some sort of responsibility that doesn’t serve them directly.
Thank you for your service.
As a working parent, I ask that you consume my work product as you nobly chillax.
Taking one for the team.
I’m already doing that.
Of course…I transform myself into animals and fuck married women, sometimes I transform myself into those women’s husbands and fuck them. My wife is great, she lets me fuck around
Are you Zeus? Because if that’s the case I don’t think you wife is as cool with it as you think she is.
meh, it builds character to have a goddess try to kill you. Really she’s just toughening them up
You are right about that!
@[email protected] should have a look what’s up.
do they have a file on me too?
There is nothing more tragic than getting what one wants.
I mean i can help you with your wife while your busy with the others
I’m not sure if you could handle her. but if Artimis wants to do it with you, go ahead with her
