Dear Circus Readers,
Never under any circumstances is it alright to ask a woman in "child bearing years" if they are going to have children. Variances of this that are also intolerable include but are not limited to:
"So are you planning on having a baby soon?"
"Oh you have been married x years it is time to start a family."
"Do you have children?" followed by "No, are you going to?"
"Your clock is ticking. You only have x good years yet."
This also includes variations of these statements to parents of adult child bearing aged children who are within earshot:
"Oh it is so sad that you only have 4 legged grandchildren"
"Oh you have 3 grown children and no grandchildren how sad?"
I am SICK of it! People, especially acquaintances, feel that making small talk includes prying into your sex life. Personally it is none of their God-damned business. I don't walk around asking you if you and your husband are having sex regularly. You would be offended if I did.
First of all not everyone wants to have children. Why should they justify this to people that they barely know? It is a personal decision to have kids. Secondly, how do you know that you aren't talking to someone who has been trying to conceive for a long time and it hasn't? How do you know if you are talking to someone who is infertile? Do you realize that you may send people into a downward spiral that may take them days to get over? Do you really want to be responsible for causing that person so much pain? Third, it is just a royal pain in the ass. Why should I justify to you, a person that I just met, my personal decision of when and how to start a family? I don't ask you why you drink, smoke, snort crack etc... This is along the same lines of asking a single person why they aren't married.
People are so damned insensitive!!!! Think before you speak people!!!!
