feedback for "Non-Breeder 3: Waiting Online"

1. That was fun to read - well written and genuine.  I could have said many of the same things at 25.  But, I became (happily) pregnant at 28.  I went from thinking babies were aliens to seriously craving one of my own in three short years - I'm not even sure how or why.   Ten years and four kids later I am delighted with how my family-making decisions turned out.  It is funny/cool how fast one's mindset can change in a short period. Back then I was not tapped into the Blogosphere so I don't know how being privvy to others' experiences might have impacted me.  Nonetheless, I just wanted to say I enjoyed the piece and wonder how it'll strike you when you read it in five years. 

   posted by : BBBGMOM on 2/12/2007 at 1:23 PM Flag For Abuse

2. when we recently did a survey of our blog's readers, some 54 percent of those who answered the survey (more than 1,000 women) had no kids. I was like, why the fuck would anyone without kids want to read my bullshit? This article helped me answer that question. They are judging the fuck out of us.
   

   posted by : Dutch on 2/12/2007 at 7:08 PM Flag For Abuse

3. I was so happy to see this article!  I read non parenting websites all the time (including yours, dutch) but for slightly different reasons.  I always said that I didn't want kids at all.  I reserved the right to change my mind at any time, but I honestly never thought I would.  I like staying in bed until noon on Sundays and taking off for a long weekend whenever we want.  A couple of years ago I met my now husband and within the first year of meeting him I completely changed my outlook.  Something about that point in my life, the relationship I was in, the man I was with, my hormones....something changed and I decided that I very much wanted to have a child.  I stumbled on Dooce's website right around that time and I was hooked.  I found Dutch and Wood's website through Dooce, and I found Babble through Dutch.  Those are really the only three parenting blogs that I read and I read them because I like the writing, and I like the parenting styles (or at least what I can see of that style in the posts).  It makes me look forward even more to having my own kid, and a lot of the posts give me food for thought.  A few of our friends have kids already and I've passed information to them that I've learned from these blogs and they've often wondered where the hell I got this information seeing as I have no kids of my own.  I'm embarassed to tell them that I read these parenting blogs because I think they'll have the same reaction as Dutch seems to :)  Anway, this is getting long, I just wanted to say yay at finding out that I'm not the only non parent reading these blogs on a regular basis.  Hopefully that'll change in the future, but until then I'll continue to read and yearn for the days that I have my own stories to post!

   posted by : bluestar on 2/13/2007 at 9:57 AM Flag For Abuse

4. bluestar: I was being a little assholish, I suppose. I love that non-parents read sweet juniper. seriously, it makes me incredibly happy. I remember sitting on the bus one day before we had a kid, and seeing this cute young mom with her own sense of style and a beautiful toddler and she just seemed to be having such a wonderful time with her. I felt this pang in my heart and in her I saw the possibility that my wife and I could do it without losing any of the joy in our lives, that we might even be able to add to it. I have been told by some non-parent readers that our blog has had a very similar effect on them, and to me that is a tremendous honor.
   
   
   
   
   

   posted by : Dutch on 2/13/2007 at 11:40 PM Flag For Abuse

5.   I don't think dutch was being "assholish", I think it's true. People without children read about people with children to make judgements.  They love saying "If that was me I wouldn't do that, I'd be perfect, blahblah blah.  I know, because I used to do the same thing.  Now I know better. 

   posted by : Troll on 2/27/2007 at 10:28 PM Flag For Abuse