“As a cis-het woman, it feels like society is always ready to say you’re not living your life in the right way.”
I’m 35 and childfree and I’m not sure if that will change. I can’t say that I’ve ruled having children in or out completely, but the older I get, the more likely it seems that I’ll stay this way. I’m becoming more and more OK with that.
But just as the pressure to become a mother begins to ease, I feel a new one creeping in.
The version of a childfree life I hear about most is one with wonderful freedoms like a great career, going wherever, whenever, and having time for a variety of projects and hobbies.
As much as I think that’s great, I find it important to remind myself that if I’m not career-driven, don’t travel the world or have a side hustle, I’m not wasting this “opportunity” for freedom or living a less-valid version of a childfree life.
Both my partner and I have stressful jobs and busy lives and it’s the quiet freedoms I’m afforded – like snuggling up on the sofa with my dog for hours and watching some crap tv – that make me think a childfree life is a good one.
As a cis-het woman, it feels like society is always ready to say you’re not living your life in the right way. I refuse to feel invalidated because I’m not a mother so I must also refuse to feel invalidated because I live a childfree life in the way that suits me.
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