16 Stories From People Who Choose to Be Childfree

Most people would describe parenthood as a real joy and a great accomplishment. And
to some, the desire to become parents is auto-piloted, based on the impression that parenthood is a requisite of society. But there are also men and women who do not feel the urge to bring a human being into this world, and they have their own reasons for it.

Bright Side has gathered diverse views from people on why they defied cultural norms and decided to lead a child-free lifestyle.

• I don’t want to spend all my time watching for a kid and spending money on them. I like to enjoy my own things. BoGa91/Reddit

• I’m 45. The only time my ovaries react is when I see kitten videos, doing tiny squeaks. katwoodruff/Reddit

• I can only tolerate children for a small amount of time. I get joy and happiness from other things, like getting sleep and doing whatever I want! slimfastd*young/Reddit

• I am 56 years old and no, I don’t regret it! I’m simply a loner by nature, and I’m happy hanging out with my pets. an_imperfect_lady/Reddit

• One (of many) reasons I don’t want kids is that I can’t even handle a puppy. Tried in grad school, failed miserably (lack of sleep for me is not good). I mean, if I can’t even handle a being that I can put in a cage for 8 hours, and I’m still going insane, that’s reason number a billion I should not have kids! mst3k_42/Reddit

• My decision to not want children isn’t just because I can’t stand kids, but because I can’t afford to give a child everything they need. I sometimes can’t look after myself properly. Not to forget that heart issues, poor eyesight, and diabetes run in my family among other things. These are not something I’d want to pass down to the next generation. ratdarkness/Reddit

• I grew up with a daycare in my house and am very comfortable around children, love them a lot, can spend hours and hours enjoying time with kids of all ages, am really good with them, know how to take care of them, and am happy to be a major part of the lives of various kids (niece, nephew, friends’ kids), but simply lack the desire for my own progeny. Persimmon_Lover/Reddit

• Kids are a lot of time and money. You always have to be “on” for kids, especially when they’re super young. I know that I have a lot of trauma that I haven’t dealt with from my own childhood, and I don’t want to accidentally take it out on them and/or live my life through them. xaledonia/Reddit

• My wife and I are like children ourselves, we live very brightly, creatively, engaged in public cultural enlightenment activities. With children, we would not have such freedom. And how would our children be perceived by this world. We don’t worry about not having children. vladimirdorda/Reddit

• Best decision I ever made. However, it wasn’t so much a decision as it was knowledge. I knew from a very early age I would not have kids, just didn’t see them in my future and never wanted them. I love my solo, selfish life!!! Do what I want, when I want. Staywithme1968/Reddit

• I’ve been taking care of my siblings basically all of my life. Too many times I made sacrifices for others’ sake. I really enjoy not having to worry about others too much and having a lot of alone time. wraithofthefallen/Reddit

• I frequently find myself wishing that I had a family. I envision the occasional Sunday dinner with the kids and the grandkids, running to the mall with my daughter or whatever. But I also remind myself that there is no guarantee that I would’ve had a happy family, and I have every reason to believe that I would not have been a good parent. Isawonline/Reddit

• I never had the urge to change diapers or lose sleep, free time, and most of my earnings. Other peoples’ kids are great. Mostly because they are other peoples’. When people ask, “Who will take care of you when you’re old,” I tell them that when I’m 75 I will adopt a 40-year-old! fwubglubbel/Reddit

• I’m child-free, retired, and happy. How happy? Julie Andrews spinning on a mountain top happy. I have nieces and nephews (and now their kids) anytime I want to relate to kids. Ad***s/Reddit

• I have a younger brother with 2 kids, 3 years and 6 months respectively, and my older brother and I (both child-free) get to play the role of “funcle” or PUNK (Professional Uncle, No Kids) and spoil them rotten without the raising them part! Demo_Model/Reddit

• It’s expensive and I don’t wanna pass on my genes in particular. Unknown/Reddit

Do you think the option of not having children should be viewed by society as viable? We’d love you to share your opinion in the comments below.