And Bingo Was His Name-o
One of the blogs I read on a more or less regular basis is Like It Is. Like It Is is a blog devoted to all things childfree. The Brit Girl, who authors Like It Is is usually spot on with her commentary on life for those of us who have chosen a different path than most people.
Recently, The Brit Girl has taken to reviewing all the Bingoisms the childfree have to endure from those who cannot fathom that rational adults can actually choose NOT to have children. She has divided her descriptions into Part One and Part Two.
Depending upon how long you’ve been childfree (some people decide when they’re still kids themselves…other don’t make the decision until they’re well into adulthood), chances are you’ve heard at least a few bingoisms.
If you’re not familiar with these phrases, I suggest you read the posts I linked for explanations and commentary. Who knows…maybe reading this post and The Brit Girl’s posts will cause those of you who have uttered bingoisms in the past to think twice before saying such stupid/inane/rude/obnoxious things in the future. I mean, after all, the childfree don’t go around asking people who have children what they’ll do if, down the road, they change their mind about their choice.
And, for you childfree out there, if you want to play, here’s a bingo card you can use:
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January 31st, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I was amazed by how many of my friends have made the decision to be childfree. It’s pretty liberating, actually, to know that we have a core group of people who are married and feel the same as us. It also helps that one couple includes two teachers. They even work with kids all day and have no plans for children. Perhaps that why!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
There should be an equivalent for the “selfish, horrible, shortsighted parents” of only children.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Ah, yes, I’ve heard that parents of onlies are second in line after the childfree when it comes to rude and obnoxious comments regarding reproductive choices.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Ahh.. yes, I’ve heard this as well since I’m an only child and my dad was an only child. I get the, “Oh, you must have been spoiled growing up!” comment from time to time.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Hopefully moving out of the burbs will expand our circle of friends to include some non-breeders. We’ll see, LOL.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:57 am
People seriously make those comments? Isn’t the decision to have a child or not personal? Rude!
March 13th, 2008 at 9:43 am
[...] I think people who have chosen to live their lives childfree get pissed off at the cavalier and condescending attitude of parents (”you don’t have children so you couldn’t possibly understand,” “oh, you’ll change your mind,” “who will take care of you when you’re old,” etc., etc., ad nauseam) because parents don’t seem to realize how much thought most childfree people have put into this decision. For the vast majority of us, this is not a “phase.” This is how we’ve chosen to live our lives for very specific reasons. If you feel that the childfree community is hostile towards parents, maybe you need to look at how we’re treated by a lot of parents. Not sure what I’m talking about? Just refer to the Bingo Card. [...]
June 30th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
[...] to the Newsweek article. Some of them are absolutely mind-boggling, not to mention full of BINGOs. I think I got a full card with in just one [...]