Even though I know I have no business having a baby, it feels like a door closing on my fingers every time I see it happen to someone else. I’ve just learned that friends are expecting in August. Mixed with the rush of joy on their behalf, I feel a pang of envy. Even though […]
Many of us feel perfectly whole without children — our lives are full and busy enough. The fertility rate in the United States has hit a 30-year low, falling to 60.3 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age. For those of us concerned about overpopulation, this may not seem like overly alarming news. Unfortunately, a […]
When they came into the world, I knew I was complete. I always wanted to be a mother. I loved kids and they loved me. In fact, I was convinced that I was born to be a parent. So while my friends planned take-no-prisoner careers, I thought about baby names and nurseries. The only problem […]
Saying “pregnancy is disgusting” or “breeders are contributing to overpopulation” is just as bad as the concern trolls who say childfree folks are “selfish.” This morning on Facebook, I saw this piece, “For Young Women, Not Having Children Has Become the Rational Decision,” from Mic, which was published back in April. And then I read the […]
Parents are brave and strong and incredible people. But so are astronauts and brain surgeons, and I don’t want to be those things either. I’m often told that I’d make a good mother. Depending on my relationship with the person making this wildly incorrect statement, I have one of two reactions: either a small, insincere […]
Sure, I have met some cool children over the course of my life, but deep down, I just know it’s not for me. What I am about to say may stun and horrify readers… I do not want children. Ever. I know some of you are probably wondering why I would deny myself the joys […]
Dear Dana is a bi-weekly advice column for humans who engage in romantic relationships. Please send your dilemmas, issues, conundrums, assumptions, conflicts, anxieties, worriments, obstacles, complications, predicaments, queries, questions, and any other synonyms for “problems” to deardana@rolereboot.org. Dear Dana: Long before my wife and I got married, we agreed that we didn’t want children. We love […]
Having no career, and no baby, am I arguably even a woman at all? Or am I a woman who has nothing at all? It seems not a day goes by when I’m not reading another headline arguing whether women can have it all, or, more accurately, why they can’t. In last week’s New York Times […]
Some of us choose not to have children—and for good reason. It’s been about 10 years since anyone asked me, “Why don’t you have kids?” “Just lucky, I guess,” was my response then (it was a kid who asked me), and my friends and colleagues just know it’s a non-issue, like you wouldn’t ask Woody Allen […]
This originally appeared on ScaryMommy.com. Republished here with permisison. So, you want to raise kids the right way? Easy! 1. Breastfeed them. Or don’t. If you want to give the natural way a shot and you have the determination, support, and drive, go for it! The medical community says it’s best for babies. If cracked, bleeding nipples, […]
