I love this piece! As a childfree woman myself, I don’t understand why other parents don’t thank me for this. I pay my taxes to local schools just like them but those resources can go to their kids. I frequently watch out for stray kids out in public. I can babysit my nephews.
And I think we do need childfree as a word. There are a lot of people who would love to have children but haven’t been able to for some reason. We are a totally different group from them and we like this word. If someone doesn’t like it, they’re likely projecting their own feelings about parenthood onto it. (Fun fact: many of my parenting friends, especially men, have admitted to me that they often regret the choice to have children. Yeah, let that sink in.)
Sugar-free, fat-free. cancer-free, the list goes on. Our language uses "free" as a designator of being free of something unwanted or harmful. Perhaps there IS another word? I think if i don't have children and I choose not to - saying it that way isn't great, since I have to choose a negative. So I agree we need another word or phrase. It's more like some people CHOOSE parenthood. Maybe a person without kids is just the neutral. And if you chose TO have kids, well, that makes you a parent.
I love this piece! As a childfree woman myself, I don’t understand why other parents don’t thank me for this. I pay my taxes to local schools just like them but those resources can go to their kids. I frequently watch out for stray kids out in public. I can babysit my nephews.
And I think we do need childfree as a word. There are a lot of people who would love to have children but haven’t been able to for some reason. We are a totally different group from them and we like this word. If someone doesn’t like it, they’re likely projecting their own feelings about parenthood onto it. (Fun fact: many of my parenting friends, especially men, have admitted to me that they often regret the choice to have children. Yeah, let that sink in.)
Sugar-free, fat-free. cancer-free, the list goes on. Our language uses "free" as a designator of being free of something unwanted or harmful. Perhaps there IS another word? I think if i don't have children and I choose not to - saying it that way isn't great, since I have to choose a negative. So I agree we need another word or phrase. It's more like some people CHOOSE parenthood. Maybe a person without kids is just the neutral. And if you chose TO have kids, well, that makes you a parent.
Ugh, kids though.
(JOKE)
((Although...))