(In response to a now-deleted writeup...) Knifegirl is referring to my node on the The worst question you could ask a woman is... node. What I wrote in that node was the frustration of being questioned about why I don't have children at least twice a week. You should all consider yourselves lucky if you don’t get asked this question. The office I work in is full of single mothers, married mothers, lesbian mothers, grandmothers, and every other type of mother in between. If I’m not being asked why I don’t have children yet, I’m being asked why I’m not married. It was like this at the last place I worked at too.
It was not my intention to come across as superior to other women because I haven't had a child. However, I do find it sad when women make children the entire focus of their lives and can not talk or think about anything else. (See my node women who talk about their children all day, for more on that.) Hell, I find it sad and annoying when people talk about nothing but work or sports too.
I like children most of the time. I might have some children of my own someday. However, I feel that there is more to being a woman than being a mother. It bothers me that many women do not have interests beyond their children. It bothers me that a large part of the value of a woman to her peers and society comes from her ability or lack of ability to have children. It bothers me that there are a lot of women who do nothing but have kids and then do not raise them properly.
I want to challenge myself to do a lot of different things in my life. Having children is not high on my list. I wouldn’t mind some respect for not having kids at an early age or for doing my part to help control the population problem, but I don’t expect it. I respect people who raise their children instead of just having them and expecting them to raise themselves. I have even more respect for people who adopt and/or care for foster children, which is probably what I will end up doing.
I have a hard time finding any respectful feelings for people who breed like rabbits and expect everyone else to find that something to be proud of. If that’s a ridiculous sense of superiority, then I’m guilty.