Angels or savages - who would have children?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=476669&in_page_id=1879

A new book is causing a storm of controversy by labelling children as annoying and pointless - a charge made all the more inflammatory by the fact that its author is a mother. Entitled No Kid: 40 Reasons Not To Have Children, Corinne Maier's book has sparked fury in France, where it was published.

Corinne Maier, 43, a writer, who lives with her boyfriend Yves, 45, a psychiatrist, daughter Laure, 13, and son Cyrille, 10, in Brussels, argues her case.

Children are just too much work. They just aren't worth the hassle. Parents today are put under so much pressure to bring up perfect children, but what's the point?

They are just walking problems to which you constantly have to find solutions.

The world is in the grip of baby mania, with celebrities flaunting their pregnant bellies in magazines, live births on TV and everyone demanding the right to have a baby at any cost.

To be a la mode, the must-have accessory is a baby.

If you can't make your own, then a whole business has sprung up to service your needs and now as long as you've got the cash, you can buy IVF, eggs, sperm or even children.

Anyone who dares to be different and suggest that being child-free is the better option is vilified as immature or selfish.

It's a brave woman who will stand up for her right not to have children.


Let's start at the beginning with my first reason for being anti-children: labour is torture.


Even with anaesthetic it's the worst pain you'll ever feel. Anyone who tells you it will be a beautiful experience is lying. It's more like that scene from the film Alien, where the monster bursts from an astronaut's stomach.


Then there's breastfeeding. Everyone tells you breast is best, but no one tells you it hurts like hell. If you opt out and bottle-feed you're made to feel guilty for "going against nature".


Being a working mum is like being in prison, but there's no time off for good behaviour and no electronic tags you can wear for a brief trip back to the freedom you've given up for your offspring

If you thought your friends would help you get through parenthood, then you've got another thing coming. When your friends have children, conversation shrinks to how "Oscar's using the potty now" or "Alice slept the whole night".


Nothing is more mind-numbingly boring than "mummy talk".

Of course, millions of parents will read this and get all defensive and think that it's all worth it because those angels of theirs are sweethearts. But they're not: they're little savages.

Things haven't changed and little children are just as unpleasant and annoying as they ever were, except that as a parent you're not even allowed to fight back now.


I was in the library with my son when he was younger and he was playing up. He was getting on my nerves and annoying everyone, so I gave him a slap to make him behave, but then everyone looked at me as if I were a bad mother.

more on the site, its a great article and they get it right childfree

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I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

the second half is breederific.. still at least the first half is ours..

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I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

Is it just my imagination, or does the 2nd half of the article end up proving the 1st half of the article's whole point even more? How pathetic!

Ok I'm reading the list of reasons why to have children.

1. Having babies introduces you to the joys of big pants?--Um, I don't need a parasite growing in my belly to make me wear sweat pants.

2. Mums who have a girl can indulge their inner princess--great... Can you guarantee it will be a girl?

3. When you have a baby, you fall in love again, without having to shave your legs-- And you can't get this feeling by any other means? Like buying a dog?

4. No matter how rough you look, your children always think you are beautiful--Hah! My brother keeps a photo of my mom without make up as blackmail.

5. Toy shops are no longer off limits--My brother is 34, unmarried and unchilded and he has no qualms showing up at toy stores

6. You can admit the perfect date is sitting on your sofa with a tub of ice cream--That's what American college football is for, an excuse to never leave your sofa on weekends.

7. Pregnancy is a guilt free excuse to gorge on chocolate--So is spending an hour on the treadmill.

8. Cooking for children reaquaints you with fish fingers and peas-- um, I live by myself. If I wanted to subject myself to fish fingers, I can. It's my money. It's my microwave. No one else is eating except me.

9. Kids give you kisses and cuddles--so do pets. And my dog will never want anything else in return. He won't ask for a rawhide, or a new chewy toy.

10. You have a chance to live vicariously through your children--yeah, that's a good reason.

CF Uter Wrote:
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> Is it just my imagination, or does the 2nd half
> of the article end up proving the 1st half of the
> article's whole point even more?

LOL! That's exactly what I thought!

Sucks to be moo. . .

This made my day! Nothing like hearing from a parent how much raising kids sucks! My hope is that many fencesitters will read this article or Corinne Maier’s book. Thanks for posting, merc.

Thank-you for posting this, Mercurior!

Like Nour said, it is good to hear from a PARENT how raising kids is not what it is made out to be aka how it sucks. I am sure a lot of other breeders will just scream how this mom is just bitter rather than admit the truth. Children are a pain and a hassle.

Having a child is the worst financial decision a person can make. If the issue is having someone to care for in old age, the man and woman should just put what would be spent on raising a child in the bank which will carry them in the elder years rather than birth a brat who wants nothing to do with the parents at that stage of life.

A friend of mine lives in a retirement community. One of her neighbours is often found lying on the floor. The lady needs more assistance than where she is living and should be in a nursing home. My friend said the kids do not want to spend the money...meaning they want the $$$$ for their inheritance. Lovely...d

"2. Mums who have a girl can indulge their inner princess--great"
Um, isn't this what the wedding is supposed to be for, to play princess? Then you GROW UP and BE AN ADULT, because princesses suck.

"3. When you have a baby, you fall in love again, without having to shave your legs"
What's so wrong with STAYING in love with your husband? And if your husband is in charge of your personal care regimen, maybe you should leave the relationship, or grow up.

"4. No matter how rough you look, your children always think you are beautiful" Yeah, right...I guess they've never seen those nanny shows, or any number of shrieking spawn verbally abusing their parents in public.

"6. You can admit the perfect date is sitting on your sofa with a tub of ice cream" I'm child free and can already admit, if there isn't anything better to do, sitting on the sofa with a tub of ice cream is an okay way to spend an evening. Fortunately, it isn't my only choice because I'm NOT chained at home with a bunch of ingrate children.

"8. Cooking for children reaquaints you with fish fingers and peas"
And becoming reaquainted with processed foods is a good thing, how?

"9. Kids give you kisses and cuddles"
And viruses, and heartbreak, and worry, and howling fantoids, and bacteria, and bruises, and sleepless nights, and WOW, a whole fuck of alot more than kodak moments.

"10. You have a chance to live vicariously through your children"
Because living your own life is bad, why?

The "falling in love" bit with a child gives me the creeps, personally. I guess they mean they love their kid, but still. And I HATE it when people refer to a baby boy as "a little man." *shudder*

that creeps me out too, i think pedophile

*********************************************************************************************************************************
I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

That "little man" comment about an infant son is because many women substitute their male children for their husbands. Sick...

I read this article on another site and these stupid breeders wrote the most hateful, anti-Semitic comments about this author (who is Jewish). These assholes are so offended by the fact that she wrote about some logical reasons not to have kids,that they resorted to simple-minded, bigoted behavior.