Why are people so judgmental of childfree individuals/couples?

I'm childfree myself and I've heard all kinds of judgement and comments. All from the famous ''How can you be happy without children?'' to ''You are so selfish for saying that''; you name it - I've heard it.





I don't understand the people who feel the need to openly criticize my choice even though no one has asked them to voice their opinion. Don't they think that I should have the right to make a choice not to bear a child same as they'd made their choice to be parents?Why are people so judgmental of childfree individuals/couples?
I know exactly were you are coming from. I live in the all too Catholic/Hispanic Southwest. It is not unheard for people to label someone who has no photographs of children in their cube as “gay”, ';communist';, or whatever. Those that do not notice the lack of photographs, hear though gossip. Often the child-free just post photographs of their friends' children. They do so to avoid being criticized.





Of course they are mild compared to the morons I encountered in the military back it the late 80’s. It seems they could not wrap their heads around the idea that a man can legally get a vasectomy at age 21, and not have children.





Perhaps the lamest statements ever made are:


';It is not possible for a heterosexual to be 40 and never had had an 'accident'.';


';You need a sex education.';


';Wait until you get to be my age'; (Often uttered from a person 10 years younger than I).





When they make snide remarks, I just tell them “On the day some child free person enters your cubicle and criticizes you for having children, then you are welcome to criticize us.” I have been saying that for years. I am thinking that such has yet to happen, as nobody has ever come up to me and said so.





To answer your question; I am not sure why people criticize. They act as though it was somehow illegal not to have children. I suppose being child-free is outside their experience. In other words they have a lot of trouble thinking outside the box.Why are people so judgmental of childfree individuals/couples?
Either it doesn't bother me or I'm not seeing it. I'm in Massachusetts. I'm in the western part of the state which is very similar to parts of the south. It's not progressive at all. Southern visitors like where I live - hear it a lot from different visitors. I can't stand it b/c it's like living back in time. There are a lot of problems. (drugs, high drop out rates, accidents) There is a lot more judgmental people or so it seems. Why is it anyone else's business? Don't they know that there are plenty of parents that probably should never have become parents or maybe should have opted for adoption to save their children the suffering and the abuse?





I only mention parts of the south because that's what I'm familiar with. I haven't spent much time in the midwest. I haven't spent much time out west.





It is what it is.





The problems where I live are not improving on any level. Nothing changes. It's just continued dysfunction. People tend to stay here. The ones that know better leave. I intend to leave. People here are resistant to change. Drug abuse and all of the problems that tend to go with it are bad. No way around it. A high drop out rate is not good. Isn't it better to have an educated population with skills they can use to get a good job? How many people have died because of the high number of accidents?
No, I have a couple of friends that are ';child free';


for my experiance I usually get more judgmental remarks from couples that don't have children. My husband is a gamer and last year we took our son with us to a gaming event, (our son was 5) there was a woman (a friend of my husbands) who kept giving me nasty looks every time my son would say something or ask a question so I asked her about it and she went on a rant about ';children should not be here, what kind of parents are you taking your son to ----, you should be ashamed.'; So I laughed and said ';well after ---- is over we're going to go to Disenyland. I'm sorry you feel that way but this is the perfect place for him.'; She just kept giving me dirty looks throughout the weekend. We also lost a couple of our gaming friends when we decided to have children, that was hard on my husband because he never even realized that they didn't just not want kids of their own but they didn't want to have friends with kids either
I can give you a good answer, because I use to be a 'childfree individual and couple'. My husband and I were married for 3 1/2 years before we had our son, been together for almost five. When I would go into a restaurant, and I'd see parents NOT handling their children, I'd get PO'd, here I am, out on a date with my husband (who at the time was in the military, and I didn't get to see him at all) and I couldn't enjoy my dinner because someone else couldn't control their kids. Plus, I became an aunt at age 18, and now my sister was a total of three children, and before I became a parent, I thought she was insane and didn't know HOW she did it. Yes, I love children, I just can't stand parents that don't put their children first and meet their needs, especially in a public place. That is why parents may be so judgemental of childfree people. Now, when my husband, my son, and I go out, I try to be considerate of the others around me, when my son wants out of his chair, my husband and I take turns walking him around, taking him outside for a bit, or into the bathroom to play in the mirror, so that he's happy and we're not causing a scene. And when he makes a mess on the floor, I try to pick most of it up, because I believe that's what a parent should do. I've even been complimented a few times on how I handle my child in a restaurant setting. Instead of sitting there shoving my face and ignoring him, like I've seen some people do, I put his needs first. I'm not perfect, not by far, but if parents would just be a little more considerate, then we'd all be happy. My husband and I don't eat out much anymore, since our son can walk now and always wants to be up and about when we go out to eat, so we get to go out by ourselves once a month, and that makes it much more special. But this is getting into a whole new subject. Hope that answers your question :)
I don't think that ';people'; really care at this point in our world. There are many other things that are much more important than who chose to have children and who didn't. I honestly believe that most people know what they need and what they don't. I am one of those people who chose ';not'; to have children and I don't regret my decision over 25 years ago. :)
I've never seen anyone be judgemental of childfree couples.





I have, however, seen people point out that it's really, really common to change your mind about wanting kids between age 20 and 30. I did, for a start. And I've seen ';childfree'; eighteen year olds take offence at that.
People are also judgmental of people with a lot of children. I have seven kids and for some reason people feel the need to ask if I know what causes it, as well as criticize my choices.





I say have or don't, it doesn't matter and is none of my business.
what people. the type of people I want having kids are the people who want to have kids. if you don't want to have kids their is nothing wrong with that I have a child and another on the way and I plan on having more in the future. I wouldn't judge someone about that.
Considering that society is predominantly breeder, they feel that the human race is shrinking.
I'm not. I can understand if someone wouldn't want a child, they're work and kids aren't for everyone. I'd rather they not have any to begin with than have them and realize it's not for them and abandon their kids.
I never considered this as an issue. Each to their own, if someone doesn't want kids, that is their choice. I won't judge them for it. Not everyone is cut out to be a parent.
A few of them I'd guess are jealous. Others are ignorant, others are just jerks.
Which people?





- Well I have never witnessed that. I don't judge that at all. The few childless couples I know babysit for me- I am very thankful for that!
Define ';people';. I'm not judgmental of anyone who does not feel the need to have a child.