Babies

[Bobbey]

Guys, I think I have a problem.

I cannot bring myself, for the life of me, to like babies and small children, or to find them cute. I've been asked a couple times by siblings if I plan on having children later in life, and frankly, I can't give them a complete or straight answer because I'm afraid of what they might think of me. I've been told outright by some people that I'll never be a complete women if I don't fall pregnant and have a baby later, which I believe is total and utter bullshit and downright insulting.

Some people say that my maternal instinct just hasn't kicked in yet and that eventually, I'll see babies everywhere and start wanting to have one once my friends start popping them out in a couple years, but the thing is, I feel that I already have a maternal instinct, but not towards human babies, but instead, towards puppies or kittens (especially puppies). I'll almost always instantly go ''goo-goo eyes'' and start talking ''baby-talk'' when I see a small puppy, and I instinctively want to take care of a puppy in an ''It needs me!'' kind of way, but not when I see a baby or small child. If I hear a baby cry, it automatically makes me cringe and I just want to get away as fast as a can, same as when some of my friend ask me if I want to hold their new born kid. I really REALLY don't want to hold a newborn, since I'm clumsy as hell and dropping said baby is definately a possibility. The whole ''but they're small and cute and chubby!'' thing doesn't work with me. Also: small kids crying in a store because they're not getting what they want; I feel like punching them in the face.

I've actually worked with children for 6 years at a job I had back when I lived with my parents, and back then, I never really had problems with children, heck I even had fun taking care of them in the day-care. Near the end though, I started getting tired of the job and especially of the kids' attitudes towards other kids and how they treated their parents. I used to want to have children when I was younger than now, but with the passing of the years, the more I see kids, the less I want to have them.

My question to you guys is: is this normal behaviour? Is there something wrong with me to think this way? Do any of you guys want children later in life, or do some of you think like me? I'm curious to know what everyone thinks.