Those w/out kids - is your life boring?

[auberge]

aurora- why yes it is....

[hbomdiggity]

My child free life is not boring (though not exactly crazy wild either, lol) but I think I will get bored with it eventually and be ready for the challenge of parenthood.

[Some Funny Name]

Oct 22, 2012 14:00:58 GMT -5 @fivedogs said:

Oct 22, 2012 13:46:10 GMT -5 auberge said:

People often say "I don't know what my life was before I had children. I can't imagine"

I CAN, it was effing awesome!!

I hate that "I don't know what my life was like before kids" line/attitude - I have to work hard not to roll my eyes. Seriously, who does absolutely nothing for the first 20-30 years of their lives?

Ditto. It's really pathetic. You mean that you were so unimaginative and boring pre-kids that they are the only thing that gave your life meaning? That's pretty fucking sad. It's also kind of insulting to people who don't have kids, and I usually don't bother to hide my eye rolling when people say stupid shit like that.

[ohgillian]

I didn't read the other post you're referring to, but my life is more boring now than it was before, and it was already a bit dull. Luckily, I am very easy to please, so I don't really mind.

The one thing that's a factor for me is that I'm still in the young child phase where parenting is very physically demanding. Even when I have time to do something unrelated to my kid, I rarely have both the physical and mental energy to do anything. Consequently, a lot of my prior interests and hobbies just aren't on the radar for now. I have TIME to do them, but no energy.

ETA: I am puzzled by people who say, "I can't imagine what I did with my time before I had kids." They must just have terrible memories. I had no trouble filling my time with my types of activities pre-child. And I remember what those activities were.

[treedimensional]

Oct 22, 2012 2:31:49 GMT -5 @blessed said:

So the question if you don't have kids now, do you consider your life boring? Why or why not?

No. I never get bored.
Most of my time is spent in pursuit of various goals. My goals keep me busy. I have no time for hobbies, children or boredom.
I can't even remember what it feels like to be bored or have nothing in particular to do.

[tacokick]

No. Why would it be boring?

I think children keep you busy but I can't imagine a lot of it is very interesting.

[Deleted]

Oct 22, 2012 9:54:04 GMT -5 ESF said:

My life was a little boring before we got a dog.

But most people would probably think that my obsession with my dog makes me boring.

Jumping on this train.

Biscuitsaurus wishes MM a happy Halloween!

[M]

I definitely don't have a boring life (no kids) and don't really even have time for my poor dog so I can't imagine how I can manage life with kids.

[Deleted]

OMG so cute RBP!

[Kore]

Oct 22, 2012 14:55:33 GMT -5 @redbellpeppers said:

Oct 22, 2012 9:54:04 GMT -5 ESF said:

My life was a little boring before we got a dog.

But most people would probably think that my obsession with my dog makes me boring.

Jumping on this train.

Biscuitsaurus wishes MM a happy Halloween!

Awwww!

[M]

Oct 22, 2012 14:55:33 GMT -5 @redbellpeppers said:

Jumping on this train.

Biscuitsaurus wishes MM a happy Halloween!

How cute!!

My dog is going to be batman for halloween since he's already got the pointy ears.

[So_Fetch]

My life is rarely boring. We do a lot of racing and working out. We go out to dinners and with friends. We go up to a little town East of our home and do "hometown" stuff (ie santa parade, antique fairs, tree lighting, random festivals). On a day that might be considered "boring" it's more of a day to relax from going going going.

[heyrebekah]

My life might seem boring to outside observers, but I like that way. This weekend I spent a whole day knitting and watching Netflix. But I wasn't bored, that's just what I chose to do and I enjoyed every "boring" minute of it.

[starlily]

Oct 22, 2012 13:42:19 GMT -5 cjeanette said:

I think anyone who had a boring life before kids has their bar for fun set pretty low.

I am busier now since I fit in their social lives along with mine. Life wasn't boring before them. Just different.

I'll co-sign this.

[insominac]

This weekend I attended the LA Master Chorales season premiere with one of my favorite composers in attendance, went to a LA Food Event at a Malibu vineyard/winery, had a 9 course tasting menu at an acclaimed restaurant, saw the Book of Mormon, and went to a hilarious play. One vote for not boring.

[Some Funny Name]

Oct 22, 2012 14:52:41 GMT -5 jenny1980 said:

Oct 22, 2012 14:08:42 GMT -5 Some Funny Name said:

Ditto. It's really pathetic. You mean that you were so unimaginative and boring pre-kids that they are the only thing that gave your life meaning? That's pretty fucking sad. It's also kind of insulting to people who don't have kids, and I usually don't bother to hide my eye rolling when people say stupid shit like that.

Why so intense? Did you even read the thread? No one said any of these things.

LOL, that is not me being intense. That is me being honest and also in a hurry. No, I did not read the original thread and don't really care to. I didn't know it was necessary reading before responding to the questions asked in this thread.

As one of the minority of women in my age group without children, comments/questions like "Is your life boring without kids?" and "What do you do with all your free time?" and "I can't even remember what my life was like before kids. It has so much more meaning now" just get really old and tiresome. The not-so-hidden assumptions in all of those questions/comments about women without children are insulting. The number of children a woman manages to spit out is not really a good barometer of her interest and worth as a human being, IMO. It is also not really a good indicator of how busy she is.

[Deleted]

Oct 22, 2012 16:24:11 GMT -5 Some Funny Name said:

Oct 22, 2012 14:52:41 GMT -5 jenny1980 said:

Why so intense? Did you even read the thread? No one said any of these things.

LOL, that is not me being intense. That is not me being honest and also in a hurry. No, I did not read the original thread and don't really care to. I didn't know it was necessary reading before responding to the questions asked in this thread.

As one of the minority of women in my age group without children, comments/questions like "Is your life boring without kids?" and "What do you do with all your free time?" and "I can't even remember what my life was like before kids. It has so much more meaning now" just get really old and tiresome. The not-so-hidden assumptions in all of those questions/comments about women without children are insulting. The number of children a woman manages to spit out is not really a good barometer of her interest and worth as a human being, IMO. It is also not really a good indicator of how busy she is.

Does it help that the OP doesn't have kids?

[Deleted]

Oct 22, 2012 16:24:11 GMT -5 Some Funny Name said:

As one of the minority of women in my age group without children, comments/questions like "Is your life boring without kids?" and "What do you do with all your free time?"

Is it bad that when I hear/see questions like these two, I assume that the person has had a really boring life both pre- and post-children?

But as others have pointed out, nobody in the original post said anything like any of that.

[Kore]

Oct 22, 2012 16:25:01 GMT -5 @redbellpeppers said:

Oct 22, 2012 16:24:11 GMT -5 Some Funny Name said:

LOL, that is not me being intense. That is not me being honest and also in a hurry. No, I did not read the original thread and don't really care to. I didn't know it was necessary reading before responding to the questions asked in this thread.

As one of the minority of women in my age group without children, comments/questions like "Is your life boring without kids?" and "What do you do with all your free time?" and "I can't even remember what my life was like before kids. It has so much more meaning now" just get really old and tiresome. The not-so-hidden assumptions in all of those questions/comments about women without children are insulting. The number of children a woman manages to spit out is not really a good barometer of her interest and worth as a human being, IMO. It is also not really a good indicator of how busy she is.

Does it help that the OP doesn't have kids?

I think sutnam meant she didn't read the thread on MM Moms where people said they'd be bored without kids.

[Deleted]

My life is fantastic now. I do agree with sutnam since I get that all the time..you must have so much time without kids, your life must be so easy...blah blah. It always puts me in an awkward position..like what am I supposed to say? It never feels right to brag about the awesome things I do without kids. I think people with kids do a lot of fun things too. It's just a different kind of fun.

[sillygoosegirl]

I have boring days, but I would not consider my life overall to be boring so much as laid back. I have a lot of free time and can do what I like with it, which is sometimes exciting, and sometimes not... And when it's not, that's generally on purpose! I imagine that after we have kids, there will be a lot more demands on our time such that we can't spend a Saturday afternoon just playing cards, but I think those laid back adult activities are going to be filled with a lot of pretty boring kid activities, like going to the park and keeping him/her from dying on the monkey bars. I'm afraid there's going to be a real shortage of time for the really fun adult activities like going on vacations to interesting places, going dancing, working on my own hobbies, or playing intellectually challenging strategy games with other adults.

[Some Funny Name]

Oct 22, 2012 16:29:20 GMT -5 v said:

Oct 22, 2012 16:24:11 GMT -5 Some Funny Name said:

As one of the minority of women in my age group without children, comments/questions like "Is your life boring without kids?" and "What do you do with all your free time?"

Is it bad that when I hear/see questions like these two, I assume that the person has had a really boring life both pre- and post-children?

But as others have pointed out, nobody in the original post said anything like any of that.

This is my assumption as well, and a much nicer way to put it than I did. ;D

[8675309]

My life before 2 kids was ANYTHING but boring. As a wedding & event planner my weekends were filled with crazy and I had plenty of time to be super creative. Because I had children, I had to give that career up and it's probably the one sacrifice that stings the most. I got a lot of fulfillment out of that job and now that I have to work for someone else I feel like I've gone backwards.

But I knew it was time to hang that hat. I always wanted to be a mom and I've always said when they are old enough to stack placecards and fold fancy napkins, I will put them to work and start it all up again.

[Deleted]

Oct 22, 2012 16:31:51 GMT -5 Kore said:

Oct 22, 2012 16:25:01 GMT -5 @redbellpeppers said:

Does it help that the OP doesn't have kids?

I think sutnam meant she didn't read the thread on MM Moms where people said they'd be bored without kids.

Oh. Her part about "Is your life boring without kids?" made me think that she was insulted by this OP.

[Deleted]

Oct 22, 2012 16:40:07 GMT -5 @missy1 said:

My life is fantastic now. I do agree with sutnam since I get that all the time..you must have so much time without kids, your life must be so easy...blah blah. It always puts me in an awkward position..like what am I supposed to say? It never feels right to brag about the awesome things I do without kids. I think people with kids do a lot of fun things too. It's just a different kind of fun.

I say things like "Yes, I do have a lot of free time" "Yes, my life is very easy... It's awesome." (Even though that isn't always true -- my job can be a bitch at times. But I don't need to get in a piss fight over whether it is harder to be a mom or a lawyer or whatever.) But at any rate, if people are going to be all assholey and make it sound like someone without kids must have a simple and meaningless life, who am I to not gloat about the plus sides a bit?

[ijack]

no, my life was not boring without kids. now it's getting there

[anna7602]

Oct 22, 2012 16:40:07 GMT -5 @missy1 said:

My life is fantastic now. I do agree with sutnam since I get that all the time..you must have so much time without kids, your life must be so easy...blah blah. It always puts me in an awkward position..like what am I supposed to say? It never feels right to brag about the awesome things I do without kids.

People say stupid crap all the time. I sometimes get, "oh, you can only get away with that because you only have one child..." or "just wait until you have another..." I do not know what to say to that nor do I understand why any of this needs to be about out-martyring another woman.

[Deleted]

Oct 22, 2012 16:49:46 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Oct 22, 2012 16:40:07 GMT -5 @missy1 said:

My life is fantastic now. I do agree with sutnam since I get that all the time..you must have so much time without kids, your life must be so easy...blah blah. It always puts me in an awkward position..like what am I supposed to say? It never feels right to brag about the awesome things I do without kids.

People say stupid crap all the time. I sometimes get, "oh, you can only get away with that because you only have one child..." or "just wait until you have another..." I do not know what to say to that nor do I understand why any of this needs to be about out-martyring another woman.

I certainly believe you there (although obviously I don't get those comments).

I don't get it though -- why the race to the bottom? If you have to be competitive with people, why not have a competition about how awesome your life is or something rather than having a competition over how hard life is?

[Deleted]

Oct 22, 2012 16:45:41 GMT -5 v said:

Oct 22, 2012 16:40:07 GMT -5 @missy1 said:

My life is fantastic now. I do agree with sutnam since I get that all the time..you must have so much time without kids, your life must be so easy...blah blah. It always puts me in an awkward position..like what am I supposed to say? It never feels right to brag about the awesome things I do without kids. I think people with kids do a lot of fun things too. It's just a different kind of fun.

I say things like "Yes, I do have a lot of free time" "Yes, my life is very easy... It's awesome." (Even though that isn't always true -- my job can be a bitch at times. But I don't need to get in a piss fight over whether it is harder to be a mom or a lawyer or whatever.) But at any rate, if people are going to be all assholey and make it sound like someone without kids must have a simple and meaningless life, who am I to not gloat about the plus sides a bit?

But in my experience, the women that say these types of things are the "mommy martyr" types who have the least fun in their lives. I kind of feel sorry for them anyways...those people who define their whole lives as with or without kids. maybe it's just the specific women I know.

[Deleted]

Oct 22, 2012 16:55:52 GMT -5 @missy1 said:

Oct 22, 2012 16:45:41 GMT -5 v said:

I say things like "Yes, I do have a lot of free time" "Yes, my life is very easy... It's awesome." (Even though that isn't always true -- my job can be a bitch at times. But I don't need to get in a piss fight over whether it is harder to be a mom or a lawyer or whatever.) But at any rate, if people are going to be all assholey and make it sound like someone without kids must have a simple and meaningless life, who am I to not gloat about the plus sides a bit?

But in my experience, the women that say these types of things are the "mommy martyr" types who have the least fun in their lives. I kind of feel sorry for them anyways...those people who define their whole lives as with or without kids. maybe it's just the specific women I know.

That's fair. I'm bad at engaging with martyrs. So I just agree with them that maybe I do have it better/easier than them. They wouldn't agree with me if I said otherwise (and in most cases it is true in my opinion anyway )

But hey -- nobody made them have kids!