~* Reason #11: Christmas *~

I wasn't gonna do it, but I feel obligated. Christmas is a huge reason I'm glad I don't have kids. 

Christmas with kids is expensive. This year, I didn't have a single person to go shopping for. I sent a friend of mine some gourmet chocolate bars, and I made some chocolate bark for another, but I didn't have to. I couldn't have done that with kids. And kids these days are so damned expectant- they aren't hoping and wishing for gifts, they actually expect to see a freakin' PS4 or an iPod or a tablet or whatever. Who has that kind of money?? Well, obviously the parents buying this kind of thing, but I don't. 

Then, there's also the baby-sitter. Kids are off for 2 weeks from school. Parents aren't usually off for the same two weeks. Actually, in this town, a lot of them are military so they get holiday leave, but in general... Plus, even if I had the time off, I'm not sure I could stand to be cooped up in a house full of kids for two weeks non-stop.

There's also all the other stuff- Christmas baking, Christmas pageants, Christmas music, Christmas presents for the kids' friends and their families, deciding who goes where for Christmas. Yeesh. 

I guess the bottom line on this one is that I am well aware of the fact that I am not properly equipped to suitably provide an enjoyable Christmas for a child, and so, I am glad I don't have to.

~* Reason #10: Santa Claus *~

Yep, Santa Claus.

Don't misunderstand, I love Christmas and all things Christmas-related. But I don't want to have to try to explain to a kid for about 7 or 8 years that some fluffy dude with a beard and a red suit drops off toys to every kid in the world on one night out of the year, and then have to tell them that I lied to them for 7 or 8 years.

Lying aside, there's the explanations. Why Santa is a movie star. Why Santa is at the mall. How Santa can be at all of the malls. How Santa fits down the chimney. How Santa makes it to all of the houses in one night. How Santa gets into homes without chimneys. How Santa makes reindeer fly. How Santa can eat all those cookies without getting sick. And the list goes on.

Well, at least the Salvation Army stopped using people dressed up as Santa. One less question to answer- why Santa is begging in front of WalMart like a homeless person.

~* Reason #9: Cold, Rainy Days *~

No, it's no coincidence that today is a cold and rainy day here in the Sandhills. It's one of those days best spent curled up on the couch under a blanket. It's one of those days where you turn on Netflix and let yourself fall in and out of sleep to the sound of Charlie Hunnam on Sons of Anarchy. It's one of those days where you crack open a beer at 3pm because, well, why not?

Now, I couldn't do that if I had kids. But, what would I do??

On sunny days, even cold ones, I can see going outside. Go to the park. Go rollerblading or bike riding or just walk the dog around the neighborhood. But on a day like today, kids get cabin fever. I remember. You can only color so many pictures or read so much of a book at one time. And sure, there's TV, but I HATE kids programming. I'm sure that's a reason you'll see somewhere down the line. So, they'll eventually start complaining. "Mom, I'm bored." Ugh. Maybe you get lucky and ship them off to someone else's house for the day. But maybe you are that someone else, and now, instead of just your own whiny little kid, you have 2 or 3 or more....No curling up on the couch with Charlie and a beer for you.

Side note- I came across this article this afternoon. Some of you may think I'm a child-hater or just a really selfish person. I promise, I'm not either. I simply know that I would not be a good mother at this point in my life. Maybe I will be one day, but not tomorrow. This article made me feel a little better about that.

http://thoughtcatalog.com/abby-rosmarin/2013/12/to-the-women-who-choose-not-to-have-kids/#HS1qKjxHi1sGGWXH.01

~* Reason #8: Trendy Christmas Presents *~

This is the only part of Christmas I'm getting into right now. I'll save the rest for later.

Every year, there are a handful of "must-have" things for kids. Tickle-me-Elmo. Furbies. Playstation 1 through 16. It happens every year. People wait in line with their Thanksgiving dinner on paper plates on Thanksgiving morning now, since Black Friday sales start earlier and earlier. They push and shove and trample each other for whatever the "gotta have it" toy is this year. Some people luck out and get it. Some people don't. And some people are greedy and buy as many as they can at a discounted price and then sell it for profit to people who didn't get in line early enough to get one.

That's what I've been seeing today. I am a member of a yard sale site on Facebook, mostly because I like to window shop (yes, even virtually). There's a thing this year- Doc McStuffin or something like that. It's a toy doctor thing, I guess. Apparently, it is listed on WalMart's website for $65, but they've been sold out for about a week now. In this yard sale group, one member got a couple and she is selling them for $250 each!!

Don't get me wrong- I won't deny anyone the chance or right to make a buck. But some poor kid is gonna miss out because this bitch got greedy and now the kid's parents can't afford the one toy that the kid really really really wanted. Not to mention the other kids who are going to say "Didn't you get one for Christmas? Santa must not like you." and all the other mean things kids say to each other. The parents are going to feel like failures, they let their kid down. They couldn't get the one toy that was on the "must have" list. All because someone wanted to make some money.

OR- all because kids aren't raised to appreciate the things they DO have these days.

Depends how you look at it.