Do you ever regret having children?

Should have said our loss, due to estrangement

There have been times when I've regretted having our youngest TBH. Losing him and our only GC has been and continues to be the most heartbreaking experience of my life. But overall no, no regrets.

We have wonderful memories of his first 27 years. To quote from a song called 'The Dance' "Our lives, are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain but then I would have missed the dance".

No, although when my first was a new born baby and I was sleep deprived and shell-shocked by the whole experience I did wondeendor a fleeting moment if I had done the right thing.
But no I have two and they and my grandchildren are the best things in my life. I don't regret having them for a second. Sometimes I wish I had had one more though.

I desperately wanted children, Took five years before first one was born, then we made up for it and had four more within next six years (the last two being twins). Along with an adopted son who was our baby.
Do not regret having them, although the heart ache and tears when our youngest died at the age of 25 is still being lived with although that was 17 years ago.
However, I do worry about the world that my g.children are having to grow up in. When Trump was elected in USA, for the first time I regretted having children and g.children. Hostages to a fate that I had not expected.
Political situation, the hatred, climate change - I often feel guilty about these young ones.

No

We have two sons and three GCs. Life without them would have been so much less interesting and enjoyable. I would have liked more children, but it wasn't to be. Now they live over an hour away and we see them only occasionally. But that's fine, they seem to have happy and fulfilling lives, they are all healthy and solvent. So can't grumble, and love it when we see them.

Our families lives miles away from each other but I cannot imagine life without my children and grandchildren.
The technology today allows us to be part of all their lives and when we meet up for family get togethers it is wonderful.
Life without childen is unimaginable for me.

No regrets at all at having my 2 sons, now 48 and 45. They are the best thing that has ever happened to me, brought me no trouble and are 2 decent human beings.

I was a single parent for a long time so things could have been easier financially for us, and I wish I hadn't lost the baby in between them both.

But now I have 4 lovely grandchildren and feel blessed.

No - for years and years I was absolutely adamant that I never wanted children, then I had a bit of an epiphany moment and decided that I did, after all. I now know that even if I've never really achieved much else on this planet, I've produced two wonderful, caring, hard-working human beings of whom I couldn't be more proud.

What Esspee said

I have had 3 children all planned and immensely loved. Even as a child I always wanted to be a mother and my first career was nursery nursing.

My daughters are in their thirties and forties now, my eldest daughter has 2 children my youngest is still single and has none. My second child a boy died in childhood but I would still have preferred to have had him for a few years than not at all. Every life has purpose and meaning. I loved and still love him very much .

Never, never, never. To us all three are wonderful, my only regret is the treasured one that was stillborn. Raising children is not easy you do the best you can and there are times when they are growing up if you wonder if you are raising them right. Now they are adult and have given us six lovely grandchildren. We know how very fortunate we are.

I'm with you, CrazyH, I was much more laid back and less worried with my grandsons, I guess it's because you don't have the onerous task of bringing them up to be good people - it's down to their parents and all we need to do is love 'em! We must have done something right though as both DD and DS grew into wonderful adults.

However, if I were a newly-wed now today, I'd think very carefully about bringing children into a world that this one is turning into, what with climate change, plastics, terrorism, drugs and human trafficking. I fear for my grandsons' future, I'm afraid.

I think perhaps my mother should have had only the one child, not the eight that she had; she was not maternal and so I became a surrogate 'mum' to my siblings at a very early age by default. I was often described as a 'born mother'. I married very young and when I finally became pregant after two years of trying I couldn't wait to become a mother 'for real'. I think I inherited my mother's missing maternal streak because motherhood, in many ways, has defined me - and even now, in my mid-sixties I am still gathering 'children' into my expansive family.

So, no, I have never regretted having children.

Not alone Esspee The title of the thread does not cover it for me. I don't regret having my children one iota, I love them and my grandchildren dearly.
However had I been young in a different era I would have opted not to have children. It was expected of us to have a family, terminations were not freely available and career women were few and far between. If I was young now I would opt to be child free, I'm not the most maternal person in the world.

No don't regret having children, but regret not being a better, relaxed, easygoing Mum.

Never, our lovely daughter married a smashing young man giving us 2 equally lovely grand-children, and our son with all his difficulties has been a joy, taught us a lot about tolerance and understanding, quite apart from the friends he has helped us make, and we are equally proud of all of them.

No! Not for one second have I ever regretted having our four children. Even with the ups and downs, going through hell each time one of them was ill, and some of the dubious choices they have made in adulthood, they, and my one grandchild, are my world. ❤️

No regrets from me either. Yes of course it was a hard slog at times coping with them all when they were small, but now they are all grown up, married and one has a child herself it is wonderful.

I am especially appreciative of the fact that in the main we all get on very well together.

Reading the very sad 'estrangements' stories on here makes me realise how lucky we are.

Looks like I am going to be the first to say that if I could go back in time I would keep taking the pill.
Much as I love my children I think I would have had a better life if I hadn't become a mum.

I have always said you will never have as great a joy as being a parent nor would you have the great sorrow.
Nope I only one and my life is enriched by having him

I never regret it either. Thank God they're all great friends to eachother and to us, now that they're in their 50s.
We have 4.
What I do regret is not being a better mother from time to time. Motherhood is difficult, but none of us is perfect.

No.
We were married for 5 years before any children, partly financial reasons and partly because we were enjoying ourselves. We went on to have two and as yet no GC. Both DS and DD have good jobs, so does DiL, no talk of GC and I would never ask as it's up to them. We are both only children and my husband has never minded that but I wish I had siblings.
I worked full time when the children were small, I didn't have a choice with a mortgage to pay. I wish I could have had the extended leave available now. We waited until the time was right for us to have children and haven't regretted it. Many ups and downs along the way as previous posters have said. However as well as loving them both, I like them a hell of a lot.

Being a mother and then a grandmother has been my greatest joy!

Never, not for one second, wish I could say the same
about their father☹️