Childfree village
Apr. 8th, 2006 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lizwilliamsThis article was in the Guardian this morning - it's about a community in Scotland where kids are banned:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/family/story/0,,1748634,00.html
I'm posting it because, as a science fiction writer, it's fascinating to learn about other ways of living. I suspect that the existence of the place will push a lot of buttons. I'm one of the least maternal women I know: I have never wanted kids, don't like babies (I think they all look like Sid James. Hand me your baby to cuddle if you want to see me leap backwards) and I am indifferent to other people's children, including my own relatives. I don't find kids interesting, until they're about 14 and can express political opinions. W C Fields and I are as one on the subject, etc etc.
My only recent experience of babysitting was for a friend's toddler, left with me while he went out to get a takeaway, and I got absorbed in the TV guide and forgot the kid was there. So not only am I uninvolved: to my shame, I'm actually negligent as well. Fortunately the kid had the sense to realise he'd been left with an incompetent, and spent the time organising his toy cars.
However, I should stress that this is necessarily a highly subjective perspective. I have no strong opinions beyond my own life choices - if you want kids, go ahead. I quite understand that kids are objectively funny, interesting and a vital part of most people's lives. It's just that I don't find them so myself. I've never had much flack from family or friends about this: my own parents don't feel strongly one way or another about having grand-kids, and the few people who have told me how selfish I'm being (actually, only a couple of people) have clearly seen the look in my eye in good time and shut up.
I'm not sure that I'd go so far as to seek out a community where there weren't any, however. But some people obviously do.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/family/story/0,,1748634,00.html
I'm posting it because, as a science fiction writer, it's fascinating to learn about other ways of living. I suspect that the existence of the place will push a lot of buttons. I'm one of the least maternal women I know: I have never wanted kids, don't like babies (I think they all look like Sid James. Hand me your baby to cuddle if you want to see me leap backwards) and I am indifferent to other people's children, including my own relatives. I don't find kids interesting, until they're about 14 and can express political opinions. W C Fields and I are as one on the subject, etc etc.
My only recent experience of babysitting was for a friend's toddler, left with me while he went out to get a takeaway, and I got absorbed in the TV guide and forgot the kid was there. So not only am I uninvolved: to my shame, I'm actually negligent as well. Fortunately the kid had the sense to realise he'd been left with an incompetent, and spent the time organising his toy cars.
However, I should stress that this is necessarily a highly subjective perspective. I have no strong opinions beyond my own life choices - if you want kids, go ahead. I quite understand that kids are objectively funny, interesting and a vital part of most people's lives. It's just that I don't find them so myself. I've never had much flack from family or friends about this: my own parents don't feel strongly one way or another about having grand-kids, and the few people who have told me how selfish I'm being (actually, only a couple of people) have clearly seen the look in my eye in good time and shut up.
I'm not sure that I'd go so far as to seek out a community where there weren't any, however. But some people obviously do.
