by Britgirl on December 24, 2011
Just popping in to wish everyone Season’s Greetings. And as it’s Hanukkah as well – Happy Hanukkah.
Thank you for all your comments and insights on the childfree blog this year. We still get hundreds of visitors to it… there are many people who still need to know that there are more childfree people out there – and that it’s quite all right if you don’t have a hankering for children.
I just love Christmas…always have. In years past I used to find that people I met would always tell me Christmas was all about children Which seems to imply if you didn’t have them, if you happened to be childfree you were missing out on all the fun. Not so. I think I have the same excitement as when I was little. Now of course if one does have children they are clearly going to play a big part of Christmas. Since most people have kids they (still) automatically believe everyone has them too and hence the statements.
It can also be rather uncomfortable if you are childfree and have family who covertly or overtly suggest you should have kids – and if you happen to be getting together at this time, which many families do. The good news is you can adeptly side-step any conversations, just change the subject. It works.
Anyway…I love the festive feeling in the air and the way people wish you Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year just because. This year for some reason there have been far fewer people insisting that Christmas is about the kids… (that happened more this year with Halloween I found) personally I have always had a childlike pleasure in waking up on Christmas morning even when I spent the time on my own. I’ve had fun picking out and wrapping gifts for friends and family. With most of my family in England I will miss them, it would have been nice to arrive with gifts for my nieces and nephews, but I plan to make it a good one anyway and enjoy the time relaxing with my husband and friends. I’ve also managed to avoid the mad shopping rush… it’s fun watching then last minute shoppers when you’ve done all yours. I don’t watch T.V these days so I don’t see too many of the ads either.
And of course it’s a great time to look back on the year and forward with hope to the New Year.
How are you spending the Christmas/Holiday season? If you have any tips for other childfree readers get through or enjoy the season, feel free to share them here.
However you happen to spending the Holiday season, Best Wishes and a very safe and Happy New Year.
Cheers,
Britgirl.
by Britgirl on December 2, 2011
So I’ve been very busy for the past few months – but having a lot of fun. The dance classes are taking off and we’re heading to a great new location in the new year. Very excited. It’s left me not so much time for even thinking about childfree stuff, let alone blogging about the life childfree. I simply live my life. As I’ve mentioned before dancing classes are excellent ways for singletons and childfree people to get together and make new friends as well as keep fit. It makes me feel even better that I’ve started something to help people meet and make new friends. It’s great for couples too, you just don’t need to be a couple. So for those simply enjoying being single or who want to avoid the traditional child laden conversations it is ideal. Anyway, that’s not the main part of this post, which is actually about the link sent to me by a reader.
These days I rarely read the mainstream media and even less do I read it when it comes to articles mentioning the childfree. I find even if the article is positive (rare) it inevitably attracts negative anti-childfree posters who like nothing better than to find a way to say children and motherhood is “the way” and that childfree life – isn’t.
Still, I read this article which to me started off wanting to stir it anyway. At first the comments were ok. Then, predictably, the ugly posters entered the fray.
Oh, and let’s not forget the flawed “research” that passes as the basis for implying that parents are healthier than the childfree (because the childfree are of course lonely and isolated).
I always thought that the choice you make yourself is the one you are happy with. And as far as reproducing is concerned both men and women need to be able to have support in resisting the pressure to reproduce if they do not wish to.
Anyway. As a childfree person I have much more time to take care of myself and my health. I know many parents are tapped out looking after children and who barely have any time to themselves. They also tend to get any germs their offspring regularly bring home. I don’t see many women in their 40’s suddenly going into isolation… (as one poster said) on the contrary if you go out you’ll see they are out enjoying themselves.
Articles like this do very little to help inform, and seem to do more to encourage criticism of a choice because it’s not “the so-called norm.”
What do you think – both about the article and the fact that any mainstream article inevitably attracts people who love to disparage the childfree choice?
Why is it that those with children (and wanna-be parents) still find it necessary to place one choice (having children) as more important than another choice?
Why is it (still) anyone’s business if people prefer to be childfree rather than parent?
Share your thoughts – and by the way men – please chime in with any thoughts of your own, your views are just as important.
Thanks for the link. And thanks for all the comments on past posts on the blog – keep them coming because they do help many other childfree people who may be looking for support or like-minded people.
Who’s Healthier Women with Children or Women Without Children?
