Time magazine is at it again, printing inflammatory covers for articles that make segments of our society feel dissed, this time focusing on “The Child-Free Life.”
Thank you, Time!
Thanks to you, I wound up on Fox & Friends two mornings in a row, talking about whether the new trend of couples who forego having children means we are a selfish society that doesn’t know the meaning of good old-fashioned sacrifice. Two mornings in a row, mom blogger Elizabeth Esther maintained that parenting is a sacred honor that every red-blooded American adult ought to partake in for the betterment of our country’s future, while I pretty much said that parenting is stinkin’ hard even when you opt in. Becoming a parent because society expects you to does no one any favors.
She said the magazine cover featuring a lazy, child-free couple lying on a beach sends the wrong message that life is about pursuing selfish interests. I declared that they’re lucky not to have to see “Smurfs 2.” Also, I pointed out there’s more to the article than the picture on the cover. And I said you don’t have to give birth in order to make a difference in the life of a child. The anchor on Sunday’s show added that Mother Theresa had no children, which is a valid point. Then I went home in the Fox News limo and showed off my TV makeup at Target.
Anyhow” target=”_blank”>, here is a link to Monday’s segment, in which I actually nod and agree with Gretchen Carlson on national TV. Who knew?
What do you think? Are the voluntarily child-free selfish?
Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you, a thousand times over.
I am a happily married childfree woman, by choice. I also happen to LOVE kids and have spent most of my adult life working with kids as a nanny, a autism specialist, an infant-toddler teacher, and a photographer. Your defense of my choice was absolutely refreshing and you did not stoop down to Elizabeth’s level of snarky retorts and rude facial expressions. I just wish Fox had taken the time to contact a CF woman so we could discuss and/or defend our choices to women like Ms. Esther who feel that it is utterly selfish to not produce a child.
Thank you, sincerely. I would be proud to have a friend like you!
I ended up agreeing with everyone during the interview.
I do not think that couples who choose not to have children are selfish, and I definitely do not think that everyone should have children. BUT…I wish our society would stop viewing children and childbearing and raising primarily as burdens. Having kids is frequently talked about as something that gets in the way of your life, not as something that enhances it.