Many people feel they have to become parents. Those who would rather not have kids sometimes face pushback from people who do. Jake, who posts on TikTok as @jack..tok, is one of them. When he tells people how he really feels about becoming a parent, his decision isn’t always met with kindness. Sometimes, he feels they’re trying to gaslight him. His video has amassed 826,100 views and 3,394 comments, with many commenters agreeing with him.
Jake said he can’t believe how people react when he tells them he doesn’t want to have kids. His reason? He likes his independence, and he isn’t envious of his friends when he calls them and hears their kids screaming in the background.
People tell him things like, “it’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” seemingly trying to convince him to change his mind. This reaction annoys him because some people seem to think that saying he doesn’t want kids isn’t a good enough reason.
One person asked him who would take care of him when he got older. Jake thought it was wild to put the responsibility of caring for him on the shoulders of children he never wanted. It’s a controversial topic, but many people in the comment section sided with him.
Commenters Say Not Having Kids Is a Valid Choice
“I don’t want to be a parent because I’ve actually put thought into what that means,” one commenter agreed. “I do not desire to voluntarily be in a state of overstimulation and constant worry for years,” another shared.
Others suggested that some parents might be so insistent on convincing others to have kids because misery loves company.
Someone else commented, “They seem to think it’s immature or selfish not to have kids and say, ‘You’ll change your mind when you get older.’ Erm, no, I won't; every year I get proven why I shouldn’t haha.”
Many praised Jake for thinking carefully about parenthood. Some commenters believed people rush into having kids without considering whether they truly want to be parents.
“We’ve put more thought into not having kids than most parents did before they had them,” one person reflected. Another added, “Having a child is the LAST decision you make for yourself. After that it’s not about you anymore. It’s about them . I think a lot of people don’t think about that.”
“I can barely take care of myself, at this point even if I did want kids, it would be selfish to have kids that I can’t take care of just because I want them (still don't want them though even if that wasn't the case),” one TikToker wrote.
Overall, commenters largely agreed with Jake and praised him for standing by his decision despite the pressure he says he faces from people who want him to have kids.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made by @jack..tok, which are based solely on his account of the interactions shared on TikTok.
