Article on being childfree

[Aletheia]

I found this to be an interesting read:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c72pnllv8nko

[Murdoc's Mistress]

Too many people are only interested in women following the status quo. Grow up, get married, have children and then lose yourself entirely to being a wife and mother. Anything outside of that box is frowned upon and ostracized as an abnormality.

Funny how doctors can dismiss and lecture women over wanting sterilization before a doctor feels they are ready for that, but these same doctors won't bat an eye if a man wants a vasectomy. Its only women who need to be guided into making "the right decision" (i.e. get knocked up and have kids like a "normal" person).

I don't care if the birth rates are dropping or whatever other fear mongering bullshit the media, politicians and right wing mouth pieces are whining about. Our purpose isn't just having kids and continuing the species. We're kind of a fucked up species and honestly, it will do the planet good once we go extinct. We don't need to keep breeding.

[Anonymous 1]

Many economists predict that a growing elderly population will strain Social Security and otherwise overburden a shrinking labor-force. Some, including a large number of social conservatives, believe a falling birthrate will exacerbate social isolation on the individual level, doom American economic and political power on a global scale, and undermine conservative family ideals. Others, including liberal journalist Matthew Yglesias, wants to see the US population grow to counteract China's international influence.

More worryingly, political scientists warn that societies with declining birthrates are more likely to embrace right-wing populism, nationalism, and xenophobia.

Ethnocentrism and white supremacy have long fueled fears about demographic change. White nationalist political groups, from the Nazis to Hungary's current ruling party, have pressured women to have larger families.

https://www.businessinsider.com/republi ... ies-2021-4

[AZOldGal66]

I think as a society whole, we need to stop politicizing every little thing. It's insulting and it's arrogant.

We need to stop worrying so much about percentages when it comes to the private choices of others. And we need to stop giving a damn about WHO might be behind WHAT.

Two of our kid's (one is a daughter and 37; the other is our son and 31) do not want children and for their own private reasons.

If a woman or even a couple choose to be child free, it's their private decision with no diabolical intent and it's the the business of no one else.

[AZOldGal66]

I think as a society whole, we need to stop politicizing every little thing. It's insulting and it's arrogant.

We need to stop worrying so much about percentages when it comes to the private choices of others. And we need to stop giving a damn about WHO might be behind WHAT.

Two of our kid's (one is a daughter and 37; the other is our son and 31) do not want children and for their own private reasons.

If a woman or even a couple choose to be child free, it's their private decision with no diabolical intent and it's the the business of no one else.

[SallyMae]

No country should be worrying about birth rates and immigration at the same time.

[mommy_jules]

"I have felt like a freak because of it," she said.
"I feel like my perspective and my experience is just not acceptable."
In Caroline's eyes, society is set up for motherhood.
"You realise how you're quite excluded from a lot of life," she said.

It’s weird how this is true, but at the same time not entirely true. Our society doesn’t benefit women.

[Olioxenfree]

Not everyone wants to have kids and I think this is the first generation where that’s becoming more “acceptable”, but there’s still a lot of judgment and obstacles. Even after six kids, when my husband got a vasectomy we still got lots of “what if you change your mind”, and my husband would always just say we can adopt, get a sperm donor, whatever, but the tiny chance we could change our minds isn’t worth me having to go through years more of hormonal birth control with possible side effects and the risks of unplanned pregnancy when we decided we were done. We love our kids, but we decided that we were happy with this number and I don’t want the possible health effects of further pregnancies now that I’m in the later half of my 30s.

I think that there also are women who would want to be mothers except they don’t want the loss of identity that our society tries to force on us. I’m not saying kids don’t take a lot of my time and aren’t a part of who I am, but I am still my own person and have my own life. It took years to get over the mommy guilt that others were always telling me that I should have for not revolving my whole existence around my kids. They are my top priority, but I also firmly believe that they will not be traumatized if I go take a kickboxing class instead of staying to watch while they take their gymnastics lesson at the Y. That time with them is about quality instead of quantity and it’s okay for me to go out with my friends one night a week and to have my own hobbies. They know that I don’t drive an hour each way to go to all of their away games because I am my own person with things to do, not because I don’t love and support them.

[Pjmm]

"I have felt like a freak because of it," she said.
"I feel like my perspective and my experience is just not acceptable."
In Caroline's eyes, society is set up for motherhood.
"You realise how you're quite excluded from a lot of life," she said.

It’s weird how this is true, but at the same time not entirely true. Our society doesn’t benefit women.

I don’t think our society benefits independent women anyway. As a working mother I felt isolated from other moms. And the same as a single parent. I tried Parents without Parents but I just didn’t mesh with the group. I’m also an older mom as far as the south is concerned. My friends are mostly childless people or their kids are grown

[Pjmm]

"I have felt like a freak because of it," she said.
"I feel like my perspective and my experience is just not acceptable."
In Caroline's eyes, society is set up for motherhood.
"You realise how you're quite excluded from a lot of life," she said.

It’s weird how this is true, but at the same time not entirely true. Our society doesn’t benefit women.

I don’t think our society benefits independent women anyway. As a working mother I felt isolated from other moms. And the same as a single parent. I tried Parents without Parents but I just didn’t mesh with the group. I’m also an older mom as far as the south is concerned. My friends are mostly childless people or their kids are grown