Comments on: No Kids? No Problem

By: minp

minp — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:30:30 +0000

It’s too bad your whole article is about justifying the fact of being childfree. I’m childfree and proud of it ! Thank goodness, I have no history of mental or genetic disease in my family. My lifestyle choice is not a negative one, but it’s positive, I made this choise because of positive reasons, and I didn’t for one moment feel I was depriving myself of something, on the contrary ! I deeply resent the fact that people expect the childfree to have “good reasons” to “explain” their choice. Why should I ? I don’t like the burden of children or their company and that’s it. Why should I have to invent some stupid excuse to explain away the choice that I’m proud of because some people feel uncomfortable with it ? It’s people who reproduce who should explain why they chose to ad to the burden of overpopulation, certainly not us ! Come to think of it, when people ask me “Why don’t you have children ?” and I answer back “And why did you have them ?”, they are so taken aback with my question that it’s obvious no one had ever asked them before … what worries me most is that they never seem to have asked THEMSELVES this question before they went and bred …

By: Caitlin Kelly

Caitlin Kelly — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:33:49 +0000

Thanks very much for making this point. It wouldn’t work for us personally, as we live in a one-bedroom apartment where I work. But it is a great idea and I appreciate your mentioning it.

By: datajunkie

datajunkie — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:09:41 +0000

One option for some to consider regarding numbers 1 & 7. The US foster system is full of kids who desperately need someone to care about them. Older children, who have outgrown the “cute” phase can be particularly hard to place. Foster is not the same as adoption, many of the kids need a temporary solution while their families of origin get it together, or while permanent solutions are found. My folks even started out doing weekends with kids who were struggling in their foster placements. I don’t know if that’s available in every state. Foster care is still incredibly hard work, emotionally and physically, and is not a choice to be made lightly. It is also not a “better” choice than a fulfilling carreer and life that happens to be entirely child free. It is a choice most people don’t consider, though, and thus worth bringing up.