You Know What Feels Really Awkward?

[Guest luvlivsmile]

My parents had me very late in life so my brothers ar 16 and 18 years older than me. So I was an aunt at 5 years old. I now have 3 nieces and 2 nephews all closer in age to me than my brothers. The worst part is if I don't graduate from college next year I will be attending the same college as my nephew.

Wierd

[DemonGoddess]

My parents had me very late in life so my brothers ar 16 and 18 years older than me. So I was an aunt at 5 years old. I now have 3 nieces and 2 nephews all closer in age to me than my brothers. The worst part is if I don't graduate from college next year I will be attending the same college as my nephew.

Wierd

My little brother is 5 years younger than my oldest kid.

[DarkInuLord]

My parents had me very late in life so my brothers ar 16 and 18 years older than me. So I was an aunt at 5 years old. I now have 3 nieces and 2 nephews all closer in age to me than my brothers. The worst part is if I don't graduate from college next year I will be attending the same college as my nephew.

Wierd

My sisters are almost twice my age... I had a niece at 5, and a nephew at 6. I now also have 3 nieces and 2 nephews. xD

Youngest of four, with like 16 years from the first to the last.

I think the oldest will be 32 in a month.

Wait, that's only like 13 years.... Unless I got the ages wrong. xD

Edited February 15, 2008 by DarkInuLord

[cu-kid9]

I love the fact that my brother is so much younger than me because I was the one to buy him his first skateboard, his first video game console, and introduced him to the wonderful world of manga and anime (we just got out of the D.N. Angel stage ). Besides, I hate acting like a grown-up unless it's absolutely necessary.

I just thought of a new reason I don't want to have kids. I remember having a conversation with my mother just before my brother was going into middle school, and she was talking about maybe home schooling him. It stemmed from the middle schools around here having a reputation for having vicious kids in them. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've seen my mother cry, but sending my brother to a public school terrified her.

And then you hear about the shootings and kids just completely losing it (although, statistically, you're more likely to be hurt by someone in your own home than at school...), and I think to myself, it's kind of a terrifying thing to have kids these days. When I was a kid, we had tornado and fire drills. My brother has those, plus lockdown drills, just in case a kid comes to school and shoots the place up. And, while I'm glad that the schools take the precaution, the fact that they're necessary is really kind of scary.

[DemonGoddess]

I've always enjoyed the fact that my little brother is so much younger than I as well. If I were facing the prospect of parenthood these days, I'd be terrified as well. As it is, there were enough extra added things that I had to deal with with mine, that was different from when my parents were raising me, that it was more than a little stressful to begin with at the time. Parenting is tough enough to begin with.

[Juno]

And then you hear about the shootings and kids just completely losing it (although, statistically, you're more likely to be hurt by someone in your own home than at school...), and I think to myself, it's kind of a terrifying thing to have kids these days. When I was a kid, we had tornado and fire drills. My brother has those, plus lockdown drills, just in case a kid comes to school and shoots the place up. And, while I'm glad that the schools take the precaution, the fact that they're necessary is really kind of scary.

I think this is a fear that most people have about their kids. If not, I at least have that fear too. There's also the chance that my kids would become extremely materialistic and starstruck, especially with shows like Hanna Montana, Dora the Explorer and all of that crap. The one thing I hate about little kids shows is the marketing aspect; if Bob the Builder's on that lunch box, little Billy simply must have that lunchbox. It's a risk that any parent takes, I suppose, and hopefully you're kids will grow out of it, but there's also the chance that they may not and will forever be interested in what Paris Hilton is doing with her life.

Although my old English teacher, who's one of my biggest idols and good friend has talked to me a bit about these types of fears and it's really all about parenting. He even told me that he absolutely hated kids until he had one of his own--and I think he's been an excellent father, from the way he talks about how his kids have turned out to the way you can just feel the love eminating from him when he discusses his children.

It's people like him that make me want have children in the future.

[cu-kid9]

There's also the chance that my kids would become extremely materialistic and starstruck, especially with shows like Hanna Montana, Dora the Explorer and all of that crap. The one thing I hate about little kids shows is the marketing aspect; if Bob the Builder's on that lunch box, little Billy simply must have that lunchbox. It's a risk that any parent takes, I suppose, and hopefully you're kids will grow out of it, but there's also the chance that they may not and will forever be interested in what Paris Hilton is doing with her life.

Yeah, but don't you think that's just a part of growing up? And, as individuals, their choice? I mean, sure, some kids are more materialistic than others and, sure, it has something do with parenting. I think, though, that most of it has to do with peers. You can raise little Susie to be the least starstruck kid in the world, but her peers will have a say in who she idolizes and what she wants.

Comparing kids who want things to kids who just snap is like comparing apples and oranges. I don't think, in all cases, that it has to do with the parenting of the kids who lose it. Most of the time, it's the parenting of the other kids that should be questioned.

On the flip side of it all, if your kid is that other kid, then the most you can hope for is that he/she won't be that kid who teases/torments the kid that decides to come into their classroom and reenact Rambo.

[shinigamiinochi]

My cousin's three year old daughter, Inoue, doesn't watch any of the kids shows, she just watches the animal planet and reads a lot. So, I guess we really dodged the bullet with her wanting material things. When we're in the store together, I'm confident that I won't have one of those annoying conversations with the child that, no, you CAN'T have that. But, my cousin didn't teach her that materialistic is wrong or that she couldn't watch Dora or any other kid shows, she just made the choice on her own. I think that people baby their kids too much and try to make too many decisions for them. I know the feeling. In my childhood, I had very little freedom to make my own choices. My mom bought my clothes, tried to make me make friends with a certain kind of person, and forced me go to church. It was damaging because now, whenever I make a choice, I have a sort of hesitation, especially if I know that my mom wouldn't approve. it's taken a lot of willpower to get around that. Watching cartoons that market products doesn't make you materialistic. Just like the fact that if you are a loner, it doesn't mean you're going to snap or go crazy. It's all about personality and choices.

[Velvet D Coolette]

If you think this is awkward ...

ALL of my female friends from primary school and most of my high school female friends have children by now so whenever I visit them it's alway children talk (grrr) and then the question "And how about you?" And I'm like "I don't want children. " "Why not?" me "Errr coz I don't like them ..." "Why not?"

I seriously think of not visiting them any more.

Jesus. Christ.

They just don't understand the concept of individuality some of these people, do they?

"Look, I just don't like kids. I'm not going to have any. I've never had a twinge of maternal instinct (except for non-human babies), my uvverarf doesn't like children either and he's had a sodding vasectomy. I'm not going to have children!!!"

"Oh, mark my words: by the time you're 30..!"

AARRGGHH!!!