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No disrespect again, but I'm getting a chuckle because I don't care for other people's children very much and am relieved when they go home, however I adore my own. I don't think the childfree are the only ones who get tense or feel overwhelmed around other folks children. I think part of this is actually not about disliking children now that I'm think about it, but about being paralized by parents nowadays who don't want anyone but them disciplining thier children even when thier children are absolutel unruly. It makes it difficult to be around running and screaming children when you can't interceed and tell them to stop something they are doing wrong.

Definitely paralysis has something to do with it. I hate being around my nephew-in-law (whatever the proper designation for that relationship is). His parent applied no discipline and he the most obnoxious teenager I've ever met. Being around him made my face hurt for a while, and I really puzzle on it. It was always my right cheek that would feel sore. Then it dawned on me. About every 20 minutes this kid does stuff that would have gotten me slapped (mom was a lefty, slaps hit the right cheek) and seeing that behavior would bring back those memories of discipline (contrary to how I might have presented it my mom wasn't heavily into corporal punishment, I got I think 4 spankings and maybe a dozen slaps in the face in my whole childhood, the rarity of it makes it stick though, and I can honestly say I deservered every one and probably a few more). It's probably a safe bet I'd be much more tolerant of children if more of them earned toleration. In the end though I know I would never be able to provide the amount of love to a child they deserve.