There is a lot of re-framing that is happening due to internet culture and sometimes it is eye roll inducing but one of the words that I have come to appreciate is childfree. Creating a distinction between those who desire to have children but have yet to have them and those who do not want any.
I was mindlessly scrolling Instagram, as one does, and came across a picture: a couple had posted a baby birth announcement. One comment under it said: "Now your life begins" and I smirked. The amount of times I have been asked what I am waiting for, why I wasn't working on becoming pregnant, is astronomical.
I am immune to this conversation but I confess that I feel a type of way when people who haven't reached my level nonchalance are bombarded. Messages that their lives have no purpose UNTIL they have children, messages that they are making the WRONG choice by waiting before they have children or by choosing not to have any. I do not remotely concern myself with other people re: the issue of children, beyond believing people SHOULD have children because they want to have them - this needs some self awareness obviously.
Actually, I find the whole conversation boring, tedious even. And that’s the thing - must I always have to talk about children and such other related topics? I realise that I want to be in community with people in the same headspace as me. I know it's a tough ask given that I'd also expect the people to want to have experiences and talking points outside of talking about their relationships and/or children (lack thereof). It is quite tiresome the way it seems that conversations revolve around what it means in our lives to not have children, as if to keep justifying ourselves. Do you get me? I want to break free from those dull types of conversations.
Let me also say I find it interesting how people who don’t have children must be seen to still like children. Meanwhile, I am with Miriam.