The ChildFree Choice
T R U E S T O R I E S. D I F F E R E N T E X P E R I E N C E S. S A M E C H O I C E . We have sent humans into the depths of space. We have developed stem cell treatments for human disease. We have accepted reality television as a valid source of entertainment. And yet, in our increasingly progressive culture we still hold on to some limiting beliefs about the roles of women. While we have come a long way, there are ongoing unspoken expectations about the timeline of a woman's life. Our culture continues to quietly nurture this idea that women who choose to not have children are somehow breaking with societal expectations of what is ‘normal’ or acceptable. Even more so than the men who share their lives, and choose to be childfree too. When asked about the reactions of others to their decision to not have children, Laura states, "No one asks my husband why he doesn't have children; that somehow he wasn't involved in the decision, it must have been the wife that made that call. Even when we are both standing right there, they ask me why I didn't have children."
by Paula H. Cookson 76
