A Reddit Post on No One Believing Women Who Dont Want Kids Went Viral

A Reddit Post on No One Believing Women Who Dont Want Kids Went Viral Some women are childless by circumstance, but evermore are childless by choice. And recent reportsindicate that this trend shows no sign of reversing rather the number of women without children is anticipated to rise. Just nine percent of women born in 1946 had no children, whereas National data suggests that 15 percent of women and 24 percent of men hit 40 without havingkids, and one in five women enter menopause without children, according to another study. But its not a generational thing. According to theCassandra Report Ages and Stages, one-third ofmillennials dont want to be mothers, either. Thirty-four percent of them dont want to give up their flexibility, while 32 percent dont want to take on the responsibility. In fact, 2016 bevlkerung data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that the number of births fell one percent from the year prior, bringing the general fertility rate to 62 birt hs per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 (the lowest its ever been) and that trend has been driven by a decline in birthrates for teens and 20-somethings.Of course, there are circumstantial reasons as to why women arent having babies, too. On top of not wanting to give up flexibility or take on the responsibility of children, women are entering the workforce in larger-than-ever numbers, and millennials especially are faced with burgeoning debt coupled with rising costs of living. A recent Healthline study finds that over half of millennial women and men are delaying parenthood for career security and financial reasons, but theyre also not aware of the odds of conception challenges and the cost impact of postponing parenthood. Just 32 percent of millennials are aware that half of the population over the age of 35 will need medical intervention to have a baby, and theres no guarantee that it will be successful, according to Sexual Health Magazine.Other women just dont see children in their f utures, and not having children was never much of a decision or choice, anyway. But society hasnt yet accepted that, as illustrated in a recent sub-Reddit. 31 f here, have a career, a car, own property. Anti-monogamy, so I date around (women and men). Why is it that when men proudly state that they dont want kids, its all congratulations and claps on the back, but for women its Youll change your mind someday. I get this from family, from friends, from strangers. The notion that men can know themselves while women are just sitting around waiting for their minds to change is sexist, misogynist nonsense. (And, no, anecdotes about your one friend who did change her mind arent compelling or convincing.)Most commenters agreed with her. One wrote Military wife, and CF, you would not believe the bingos I get for it. Apparently, youmust have children if your spouse is active duty. Whats the point in even living on kusine without children? That house could have gone to someone thatneeded it. Oh the dog has his own room? What about when you have children? Where will they go if the dog has a room? You drive a coupe? Where will you put the car seat?Another shared Somebody (a man) asked me just yesterday when I was having a baby yet. I asked him why he is always asking me this and he said because its time. Im 25 and Im trying to get my own life together let alone a helpless being. Its annoying and it makes me feel under pressure to decide if and when I want kids before its too late. It does seem to only be people who have kids themselves who ask you things like this Youre not alone if finding this attitude annoying.One woman wrote Im one of those who has never wanted kids, ever. I got sterilized in my early 30s. I dont have a maternal bone in my body and never have. There are plenty of other humans who are ready and willing to keep this planet populated. They dont need me to contribute. Its not like the human species is in danger of dying out or anything.The Reddit poster later thanked commenters who understood her, but acknowledgedhow theamount of resistance in the comments, although relatively small,was frustrating and really highlighted how some folks, men and women, cant wait to shut women down...See, this whole I knew a woman who changed her mind so its okay to assume thats going to be the case for all women is nonsense, she wrote. Women are not a monolith. I will literally never have kids.Though ever more women are deciding not to have children, society as a whole still expects them to.My ex friend (child free) was interviewing for medical school and, during her interview she was asked, What is your plan (career-wise) when you have kids? one Reddit computer-nutzer commented on the sub-Reddit. Not if. When. Ignoring, of course, the complete ludicrousness of the question to begin with, surprisingly when she asked her male peers after she got in if they were asked about their having children preferences, not a single one said they were asked that question.Hopefully, as the language surrounding these lifestyle choices starts to change, as will attitudes.Social scientists once referred to everyone who didnt procreate as childless, which can indicate that theyd tried and failed to make babies. Now, however, theyve mostly shifted to use the term child-free, which gives women more credit for choosing not to have children.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solotravel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.