When people question and probe me about not having children (which happens way more often than my own social boundaries would allow) I sometimes bring up the courage to mention that I don’t want any, at least not at present circumstances, because I live with mental illness and would first and foremost need to gain stability myself, before ever considering bringing a child into my life. Most people always seem to brush off my argument as if I’ve said something stupid. But it’s never the people who’ve also grown up with mental illness in the family who question this. Those are usually the ones to nod silently when hearing my reply to the line of questioning. To someone who knows what such an environment can be like, my statement is common sense.