Why I don't like children. (or another reason for people to dislike me.)

Most people I tell this to always have a negative reaction to me disliking children. When I say dislike, I mean avoid. I don't hate them, I just don't like them like most people do. I don't have the overwhelming urge to take photos of adorable children, or to play with children. I was always more of a observing-from-the-bench person.

Children are adorable. I get it. I've just never had the instinctual desire to want to be near one. 

Sometimes children can be ill-mannered. We all have bad days. I get that too. But when I see a parent allow their kid to run around and scream, or when I see a child wail and throw tantrums on the floor of a supermarket and the parent is still cooing and trying to appease them, or when I see a parent run after their child in a restaurant trying to make them eat, or when I see a child spit and curse at their parent, I know that's not just a one-time thing. 

Children will be children, but manners are a basic requirement for every human being. 

If a child has bad manners, the parent cannot assume that people will disregard it because "kids will be kids", or "my child is still young." I don't think everyone should adhere to a my rules, or that everyone should behave the same way, but there are consequences to spoiling a child, and everyone needs to have basic manners, especially when they're in public. 

So I avoid children. 

I avoid their parents, as well. I stay away from them, because I know I don't enjoy their company, and I sure as fuck know they don't enjoy mine. I choose not to confront the issue because I know parents protect their kids no matter what. My own mother would, and so I know these are not things I can bring up with their parents. So I choose to avoid.

I avoid because i recognise that this is MY issue. 

I know it's confronting for some. I have no motherly instincts. I don't even intend to have children of my own. There are people, like my cousins, who are terrific with children, who know what to do with them, who love children. That's great, and that's impressive to me. I just don't. And I don't feel like I should be judged for it.