The latest hot topic in newspapers and magazines seems to be the (apparently scandalous) notion that some people don't want children. The whole thing seems to be fuelled by Corinne Maier's book No Kids: 40 Good Reasons Not to Have Children. The publisher describes it as a "shocking treatise."
Why is this shocking? . . .I can't see why listing the cons is so controversial. Surely everybody who has children -- or who at least had them through planned pregnancies -- has considered the pros and cons and made an informed decision. (Or maybe they haven't. That's a scary thought.) The answer to the question: "Should everyone have kids?" is quite obviously "no." Some people just don't want to, which is fine. I wouldn't want those people raising children and hating every moment of it, would you?
Technorati Tag: childfree
2 comments:
One of the best books I've read is called The Parent Test, by Ellen Peck. It's from 1978, so some of the monetary things are outdated - but it's written from the idea that parenting is a huge commitment, and that people have different aptitudes for doing it, just as they have different aptitudes for being a physician, an athlete, et c. It explicitly contemplates childfreedom as well as parenting, and I think the assessment is very spot-on.
We don't require everyone to have the same profession or lifestyle or habits. Nor should we require them all to be parents.
I read it, I loved it and I highly recommend it! Here's a woman with two children of her own keeping it HYSTERICALLY REAL.
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