Childless by Choice: I Don't Hate Children, I Just Don't Want Any

I married at the fairly young age of twenty; my husband four years older. Both my husband and I had already decided before we even met that we did not want children. I'm now 27, and still do not want children. We are childless by choice. Unfortunately, society is still determined that everyone wants children. If you don't want children, society maintains, there must be something wrong.

It's surprising how many people are comfortable commenting on such a personal choice. One coworker told me that all men wanted children and my husband was lying about it. Others ask me why I don't like children. It's not a matter of not liking children. I'm a bit uncomfortable around babies, but I've counted many kids amongst my list of friends. I've even worked in elementary, middle, and high schools and what I liked best was working with and encouraging the young folks. I just don't to be responsible for them 24/7.

There are many reasons to choose a childfree life. I'm not out to convince the world to stop having children, but I do want society to respect my choice to not conceive. My reasons for a childfree life include never wanting children and lifestyle reasons.

Growing up, I was never taught that girls had to get married and have children. Instead, I was taught that I could do whatever I chose. From a young age, I knew that it didn't involve being a mother. I remember playing Barbies with my best friend. Her Barbie was married and having a baby. My Barbie was a happy, single, and childless veterinarian.

Although I know that I would love any child I did have, I currently love my lifestyle too much to change it. Being childfree means that I have freedoms that my parents never had. Both my husband and I are self-employed. We can take vacations when we desire, work when we want to, and change locations whenever we get bored. We've lived abroad for three years and enjoy moving to new locations. Although that might be possible with a child, I wouldn't feel comfortably disrupting a child's life on a yearly basis.