Disliking Children - New Trend?

Does anyone feel that there is a strange societal shift moving towards the outward and almost borderline hatred of children. There seems to be a widespread intolerance of any and all developmentally appropriate childhood behaviours. Yet somehow this is the same society that argue for the rights, acceptance and accommodations of people who are neurodivergent. Now don't get me wrong, I know that the two may not be entirely comparable, but if we consider that individuals who are neurodivergent simply perceive, experience, and move through the world and social environments differently than neurotypical adults why is it so intolerable to people to view children with the same empathy and understanding? We know for the vast majority of children that this is a temporary state of being and that as their brains develop and mature they will learn the accepted social behaviours. So what's with the double standard? And more importantly, in what ways can this rhetoric become dangerous and progressively harmful towards children, who are already one of societies most vulnerable groups? Please share your thoughts!

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I'm not sure this is true. In years gone by children were 'to be seen, not heard' and were not tolerated in many contexts. That's different now! Kids are people and as such have just as much right as anyone else to exist in public spaces. I agree that lots of people without kids dislike that - long haul flights and nice restaurants being examples where people can get quite vocal about it. But that's likely always been the case - you just see it more because of social media. People nowadays are also more comfortable and safely able to say that they don't want kids for whatever reason. And that's ok! Those sentiments existed before it's just that people weren't allowed to express them without fear.

I don’t know about disliking kids but I have noticed a lot less people being pleasant about having them and discouraging others. So many times I see people talking about kids or if they should have them and parents say “don’t!” and discourage. Even when I was first pregnant, mums and dads I worked with or knew were nothing but negative about kids and the experience of parenthood. Only one lady I work with had my mentality of children are a blessing in life and positivity around the whole motherhood thing. To me, kids are a true blessing. I see myself happy in life, even on those tough toddler days. I would never say to a person talking about having kids one day “don’t do it”, “are you crazy?”, “your life will be over” (all things I was told). Just last month I was in a shop and the cashier was talking about my new baby and said she wanted kids, the rude lady behind me said loudly “do yourself a favour and don’t”…. Alright crank, wind your neck in.