Do you have kids?

[allpetbirds]

My husband and I don't have kids yet. Our parrots are the kids right now and, as of right now, I don't have an urge to have kids.



I was just wondering if anyone has birds instead of kids? And why?

[zazanomore]

I am a kid...well I'm still living at home. But I do have a 15 year old sister and a 5 year old brother.

The 5 year old is really respectful towards the birds. Every day when he comes home from school he runs upstairs into my room to tell Einstein about his day.

[Jenny]

I don't have kids. Not a conscious choice mind you, although I guess if I'd ever wanted some, it wouldn't have been all that difficult to get knocked up, so maybe it was a decision I made. In my opinion, I'm now at the age where the risks are too great for me to seriously consider kids. I never really had that yearning for them anyway, although I don't dislike them. I think it's interesting though that I wanted a bird, because I feel that in many ways they're similar to having a child: Aaron requires a great deal of one-on-one time to be happy & healthy, I have to cook for him, & he gets naughty at bed-time!

How's that for tmi!!

[pchela]

This is an interesting question. I had a child when I was too young and not ready. It was an accident and I ended up being a mom when I didn't want to be. (don't get me wrong, I love my daughter, she's awesome!) Anyway, now that I'm older and would probably be wanting to have babies, I decided to get birds. I think they do fulfill some of the need for kids because as strange as it sounds, they are very much like having kids. So, there's that.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I left it very late to find the guy I wanted to spend my life with, and now I doubt kids are in the picture. I had fertility issues anyway, and now I'm I'm on the brink of menopause anyway, and I can't see trying to make a medical miracle only to saddle a kid with parents who are the age of grandparents....

I don't think pets, even birds, exactly fill the same niche... they aren't going to be influenced by my politics or morals and I'm pretty sure they aren't going to take care of me when I reach my dotage, but I sure enjoy having them around!

[zazanomore]

This is an interesting question. I had a child when I was too young and not ready. It was an accident and I ended up being a mom when I didn't want to be. (don't get me wrong, I love my daughter, she's awesome!) Anyway, now that I'm older and would probably be wanting to have babies, I decided to get birds. I think they do fulfill some of the need for kids because as strange as it sounds, they are very much like having kids. So, there's that.

My stepdad had kids VERY early, 3 of them between the ages of 14 and 18. The first child he hadn't actually met until just a few months ago. She had just had twins.

About 7 years ago he met my mother, and now we have my 5 year old brother.

[Mom2Rico]

I have 2 children, age 6 and almost 8, had them when I was 21 and 23...I got married at 19. They're fantastic kids, couldn't ask for better. Before having kids we had a dog, and to me he was like a child...until I had my own. In the end, a dog is still a dog, a parrot is still a parrot, but children are your flesh and blood. Does that mean that you can't love your pets? Of course not, I love mine very much, but I'd lay my life down for my children in a heartbeat, and I can't say the same for a pet.

[Red Moppet]

I'm actually glad to see that I'm not as alone as I thought! My biological clock has never ticked for me and so I've never desired children. I like being an Auntie (having fun and then handing the kids back to the parents) though. Caring for Sputnik on a daily basis is enough for me!

[lzver]

I have a 12 year old step daughter and 17 year old step son (who lives with us). I love them as if they are my own and deal with the ups and downs of having children on a daily basis. I may not be their mother, but I'm definitely a parent on a daily basis.

My husband is 13 years older than me and since I've never had the desire to have children of my own, we won't have any kids together.

I kinda think the same way pchela does ... my birds are my babies. Its not the same as having children, but they are a huge responsibility to have and I'm happy with the choice to have birds.

[Shani]

I've never really had much of a maternal instinct whatsoever - perhaps my head's wired a little weirdly, and what should be a 'maternal' instinct is displaced as having a major soft spot for animals or something. I dunno, I'm 20 at the moment, so knowing my luck in 10 years time or something that dreaded body clock will kick in and I'll decide I want a kid of my own.