Dear Abby: Why it’s tacky to talk about kids with people you don’t know

DEAR ABBY: I was wondering how to handle questions I get about children. My wife and I don’t have kids. For example, at a networking event in which people don’t want to lead off with what they do, children seem a “safe” topic. In my opinion, if someone wants to bring up the subject of children, they should first ask if everyone in the group has them, because it becomes awkward when they get to me, and I say we are childless. (Same goes for other sensitive topics, such as cancer, etc.) Isn’t it rude for people to assume that everyone has children, because, if they don’t, they are then excluded in the group discussion? I can’t share my child’s graduation story, broken bones, etc. -- CHILD-FREE IN MICHIGAN

DEAR CHILD-FREE: Not everyone has kids. It’s a fact. Rather than rude, the questione