March 25th, 2005

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The Long View
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Childfree By Choice

When I first found this site (via Jan), I thought Childfree By Choice was some clever satire. After all, check out the picture of some happy couple spinning on the beach. As it turns out, they’re serious:

Due to greater reproductive choice, more and more people are choosing to live free from the obligation of raising a family. Some childfree people have always known they didn’t want children, while others made the decision later in life. Many people like children but prefer the freedom they enjoy in the childfree lifestyle, while others exclusively prefer the company of adults.

It’s kind of MyFirstWebsite, but I suppose it’s good for them to take a contrarian position. It immediately reminded me of the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement.

Comments: 6 Responses so far

heather
March 25th, 2005
12:24 pm

that’s nothing… check out http://www.nokidding.net/.

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Preach
March 25th, 2005
1:25 pm

How many times do we have to sub-divide interests groups before we are all in a group of one? Do we need our life style to be validated by becoming parts of ever smaller ‘groups’ who’s primary purpose is congratulatory mutually assured back patting?

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gillian
March 25th, 2005
1:42 pm

I think my parents are interested in joining that movement.

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donna
March 25th, 2005
3:05 pm

Preach: Well, I’m childfree and if I have anything to say about it (and I do) I’ll be staying that way. I have no interest in being included in with most childfree people, since they tend to rabidly foam at the mouth a little too often for my tastes. :)

However, I can certainly understand WHY. Try being a 25 yr old woman and, in a conversation about children - because trust me, it comes up - you mention that you’re not planning on having any, and even more, that you’re planning on getting a tubal ligation. Suddenly everyone within hearing distance tells you what an idiot you are, and honestly, that’s tiresome.

It’s nice to know that not EVERYONE thinks you’re an idiot simply because you don’t want children.

[Reply]

Andrea
March 25th, 2005
5:12 pm

I have a baby who’s almost six weeks old and I was, obviously, pregnant for 40 weeks before that. I’m surprised by the number of childfree individuals who automatically assume that I think everyone should have children. I have found that many people launch into rants about how they’re never going to have children. I often shock them by applauding their decision — I think the worst thing anyone can do is to have a child for the sake of social pressures. But what’s with the rabid outcry? It’s not like I asked them about children…(And I don’t think I talk more about my baby than other people talk about their cars, careers, courses, etc.)

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Preach
March 28th, 2005
7:07 am

Donna:

First off everyone thinks that everyone else is an idiot. That is just the way it is. People have an almost impossible time seeing past their own interests, whatever they may be, and there is an almost automatic response to sub-divide into ever increasingly smaller groups that are ‘just like me’, and before you know it you belong to the Southside Chicago Gothic Childfree Scrap Bookers Club, and have lost all appreciation for anyone else’s viewpoint. What I am saying is that we surround ourselves with people that are like us, so that we have mirrors and no one challenges us and we see ourselves reflected back at us a 1,000 times.

So instead of forming clubs for this that and the other thing we should learn to embrace each others passions and understand that what fits us does not fit others.

[Reply]

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