Unpopular Opinion: Your Children Do Not Owe You A Goddamn Thing

“I don’t think anyone should feel indebted to their parents for the sole reason that they raised them. Because that’s what your mom and dad were supposed to do!”

“You don’t want kids? So who will take care of you when you’re older?”

Pretty much everyone who claims to be childfree can admit they’ve been asked this question at least once over the course of their lives. I’ve been in about four situations where the asker (usually a man) stared at me until I drew in a deep breath to give my default response:

“I don’t expect anyone to take care of me.”

It’s interesting how some parents claim that those who refuse to take on the daunting role of raising the next generation are selfish. However, if parents are asking happily childfree individuals this question, can I assume these same moms and dads expect their precious little ones to take care of them once they reach old age? And furthermore, can I conclude that it is indeed selfish to expect your children to sacrifice a portion of their lives over to you when in fact they didn’t ask to be born in the first place?

As my friend always says, “These are the hard hitting questions.” For those parents who find themselves harassing innocent people with this moronic question, take all the time you…