“You Can’t Speak On What You Don’t Know” Should People With No Kids Speak About Parenthood?

How can someone with no children have an opinion on parenthood or how to raise kids? Usually, the first response from someone without kids is, “Well, I helped with my brother and sister,” or the classic, “I have nieces and nephews.” THEY ARE NOT THE SAME! They aren’t YOUR offspring! So should it matter if someone without children of their own gives parental advice?

This has been an argument from civilians speaking on the military, white people speaking on black people issues, non-abused victims speaking on abused victims. The comparisons could go on forever. And the basis behind the comparisons is the idea that no one can speak with first-hand knowledge about something they have never done nor experienced. How could their opinion be relevant if it’s based on the experiences and opinions of others?

Everyone that has children right now can remember back before they had kids. We used to have our own opinion on how our friends or family should discipline their children, how to celebrate their accomplishments, what we would do “if they were my kids.” Did your friends listen to your advice back then when you didn’t have kids of your own? Doubt it!

In life, the way you THINK you would handle situations may or may not be how you actually handle them when confronted with the circumstance head-on. The way you claim you will handle your child may not be what you do once you have your precious pride and joy in front of you. Most importantly, all of the expenses, mental, emotional, and physical sacrifices, the not-so-endearing parts of parenthood, people without kids don’t think about when they’re telling a parent what they should or should not do. 

There is nothing on Earth comparable to being a parent. Only true parents can understand and relate to that. Not to say that people without kids don’t know how to care for a child’s basic necessities and not to say someone thrust into parenthood unexpectedly can’t figure it out. However, it is indeed hard to speak about something you don’t know.

How do you feel about it?