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Ask HN: How to deal with regret of not having kids

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Re: Ask HN: How to deal with regret of not having kids

#271
A lot of people are saying "you sound depressed, fix that before you have kids", but to me, it sounds like you're depressed--like you say--because you think you missed your opportunity to have kids.

This isn't abnormal, some people I know quite well had intense anxiety at the prospect of being infertile, and I know a few others who have struggled with depression when that turned out to be fact. It's a big loss to grieve, so I think your feelings here are valid.

I also agree with the commenters here who say you should check with your partner, and if they're game go see a fertility specialist. Being on the same page here is important: at her age she'll be high-risk, and the possibility of pregnancy/delivery being harder increases substantially, as well as the possibility of birth defects, etc. It sounds abstract, but what this translates into is intense pain for months, and abortions if things go wrong. The stakes are pretty high.

But that said, I wish you the best of luck! The door may not be closed to you two and it's worth checking into.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with regret of not having kids

#272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How old do you think 40 is? My god. Have you ever met someone in their 40s? Are you a child?

40 is older than 20. You then don't have the same resistance to stress, lack of sleep, muscles regenerate slower, and you often start to have health problems. Believe me, most parents have back problems at some point, especially if you're not sending your child to daycare. No wonder, armies around the world won't hire a 40 years old, and prefer youngsters in their early 20's: their body is still intact.

If you think being a parent is as physically grueling as combat then I'd suggest you either meet some parents or get into some fights because you have a serious misunderstanding of one or the other.

In any case, outside of the extremes there really isn't much physical difference between 40s and 20s unless you have health issues or you don't exercise. I'm 45 and lift about what I did when I was 25. My cardio is better (boxing, muay thai) and I don't need as much sleep as I used to when I was a kid. You don't want to step in the ring with a guy in his 20s/30s because your reaction times are ~80-150ms slower but that has very little impact on your ability to change a diaper.

Step outside, touch some grass, and meet people in the real world.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with regret of not having kids

#275
post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of comments here are along the lines of, “how you’re feeling is not really about what you think it’s about.” I think that’s very dismissive. Just because some others can’t relate, that doesn’t mean what you feel is not valid. We are biological beings, and the drive to procreate is very strong. It is existential. Some feel it more than others. I am very sorry for what you’re going through.

I really don't agree. Going from one extreme of not wanting kids to waking up in the middle of the night with panic attacks caused by the idea of not having them? Hell, hints of borderline suicide ideation? That looks like a significant struggle with mental illness to me. Forty is often that turning point in life where the end starts to look closer to the beginning. You have a lot more of your life to look back at an…

> Going from one extreme of not wanting kids to waking up in the middle of the night with panic attacks caused by the idea of not having them?

I'm not going to psychoanalyze someone by a single text message, but I also thought it was unusual to swing that hard. Probably the decision was not thought well and hence the regret, maybe the neighbors have beautiful babies and FOMO brings regret, maybe it's a mid-life crisis where we worry about our legacy, only they know.

I can only contribute my experience deciding not having kids. We both agreed to not have them, we're 50 now, the window has closed indeed for us, and we don't regret that decision at all. It's fantastic to age together and be the center of our own little family. What little need for forging a malleable mind is left, is fulfilled by the sporadic visits to/from our nephews and nieces.

Whatever OP does, I hope he doesn't do it on impulse. It's immensely better to regret not having kids, than regret having them.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with regret of not having kids

#276

New(ish) parent here. Two things: First, the bad news: lots of comments saying stuff like "Don't have kids to fill a perceived hole in your life". In general, the advice "Don't do ____ to fill a hole in your life" is good for frivolous things, but I don't think this applies to being a parent. Parenting is a biological and psychological life milestone. To me it's felt more like leveling up my maturity than buying or a…

As a stepfather of a child since he was age 3 (age 9 now), I agree whole-heartedly with your second point. I have a very deep emotional attachment to him, and I've never felt like I'm missing out on anything because he's not my biological son. Full disclaimer, I have no biological children to compare my feelings/experience with. I don't feel the comparison is necessary, just adding that in case others feel it is important.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with regret of not having kids

#278
0. Don't beat yourself up. Mens' bilogical clocks tick later than womens'. If your wife wasn't excited about it then it makes sense you would just go along without children until you are 40. Also don't let anyone tell you that kids are just a "want" or something, if children are right for you, they're more than a "want".

1. Get some feedback from professionals about whether you are mentally healthy enough to make important decisions. If not, try to get healthy before proceeding. But the default will be for them to tell you to wait and see, which closes options for you and your wife. If you get the feeling they don't really care about you and they are just giving the easy answer ("another decade of therapy at $100/hr, then ask me again"), seek another opinion or try to assess the situation yourself. Everyone has some mental issues and sometimes you need to move on with your life.

2. If you believe children are right for you, talk to your wife and bring her for counseling. If she's not on board and doesn't get there quickly, consider whether you are really right for each other. You have 40 more years together. Divorces are easier without kids, and if she doesn't want kids, then she hasn't "wasted" her child-bearing years on you, so there will be less pain.

3. If she's on board, go to a fertility doctor without delay, even while still trying naturally.

4. If it doesn't work, then you have to consider what to do next. Sometimes, trying and failing gives you a new outlook, and you'll value the relationship you have with your wife more, and move on with other meaningful pursuits. But also perhaps not, and you may still need to consider starting over with someone else. But there's a risk you will end up alone or with a bad marriage, which is pretty common.

5. Consider religion in your life regardless of what happens.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with regret of not having kids

#279
I have three kids. I don't get to see them nearly as much as I want to. I live in another state. I moved here to start a business after I separated with their mother about 3 years ago. Now I regret almost everyday. I live in fear of the world they'll grow up in, and I miss them terribly.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with regret of not having kids

#280

This is not about kids. You are mentally ill in a serious way. The the therapy you have gotten so far is either incompetent or you are so sick that you need time in an institution where your tragedy can be treated seriously. I know a number of people who chose not to have children. Some have some level of regret but nobody is going through the kind of dysfunction you are. You have a lot of years left. (Also, please d…

Being unhappy about a bad situation isn't a mental illness, it's normal. If you try to change your feelings while staying in the same situation, you'll just make yourself more depressed. It's better to change the situation.

The severity of the symptoms are what makes this different. Having panic attacks in the middle of the night because he doesn't have kids, and and being triggered just walking around is not normal, it is a mental disorder.
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