Wednesday, January 13, 2010

What does the term 'childfree' mean to you?

Is it different to childless? Should it be used more often as there are more and more couples opting not to have children.What does the term 'childfree' mean to you?
Being childfree means the person does not have or want children. If you ask someone, ';Do you have children?'; and he or she (or they if you're addressing a couple) say, ';No, we're childfree,'; that means you don't have to ask if they're planning to have any in the future, and you don't have to ask if they've seen a doctor about that, etc. They don't have them and they don't want them, end quote. That means that you're free to talk to them about work, politics, literature, the weather, movies, etc., because children are a non-issue for them.





Naturally, of course, there are people who listen to a man or woman or couple say, ';We don't have children and don't want any,'; and think they're saying:





';We don't want children NOW, but would welcome a discussion of how great of parents we'd be if you and only you would talk us into it,';


OR


';We have some dread medical condition that prevents us from having children, and would welcome your unsolicited pity,';


OR


';We don't have children and aren't going to have any in the future, but are simply dying to give all our money and time to your children,';


OR


';We don't have children and don't want them, and want to hear all about how having children is mandatory in your religion like that trumps all arguments,';


OR


';We don't have children and don't want them, and that of course means that we hate all children everywhere and want them all to die, which necessitates abusing us like dangerous criminals.';





What it really means is: ';We don't have kids, aren't planning to have any, and are happy this way.'; End discussion. No one needs to project any more onto that.





Upon being introduced to a childfree couple, just say ';How do you do, John? How do you do, Jane?';





Easy peasy.What does the term 'childfree' mean to you?
Well it depends what you are looking at !


if it says that on a can of tuna , you know no children are present in your meal , or no children where killed in the process of harvesting your tuna!





If your date tells you that he/she is childfree there are no children present during your date or at any other time!





If you bought a shirt at wall mart , and the label reads childfree that would mean that no poor little children worked 16 hour days to manufacture your shirt , but you can bank on it that it is a stinking lie!





hope this helps!
Looking at in the context you seem to be implying, ';childfree'; to me, indicates the choice and lack of desire to have children. ';Childless'; implies the desire, but inabilty to have children.
Free of children, seems like it would be used more for people who choose not to have children.





What a great attitude you have poppy, I hope you children grow up with your ';tolerance';
It means a lifestyle choice. ';Childless'; implies that you might still be wanting children or trying to have them, but you haven't managed to yet. ';Childfree'; means that you do not want children and are not trying to have them, and in fact, will never have them. There's a big difference. A childfree person (like myself) has made a personal and voluntary decision to never have children.
I think it is used more by those who don't want children versus those who do
to me, here are some reasons





1. To not have any child. or maybe not even in your family as of now.





2. to be sorta ';carefree'; happy, and childish. imaginitave, and wild.





3. to just be away from kids or family, like if you were on a private cruise alone, or something.





Hope I helped!:-)
Being childfree is quite a different thing from being childless. A childless person might still want children, and may even be undergoing fertility treatments. A childless person is potentially still open to the idea of parenthood, which a childfree person is definitely not. My spouse and I are old enough to be grandparents, had we bothered having children...which we didn't. We made a decision many years ago to not have children, and we're very, very happy with our decision to remain childfree.
';Free'; or ';less'; really depends on your perspective on children.





I do believe that more and more couples and even singles are beginning to realize that a child does not necessarily define your life but does enhance it.
Mean u want to have spend quality time urself or with your husband romantically. U take them to their grandparents or babysitter.





childfree means being free of children, free of many of the obligations, responsibilities and other parental duties that having children includes. It usually means a happy state of being in which no lack is felt without children.





Suppose you and your hubby would liek to go on getaway cruise to have fun and pleasrue yourself. Less of stress and nervous breakdown.





For my understanding, ';Childless'; means no children or without offspring. This kind of negative word for this term. Women who have had health or medical issues such as, misscariages or abortion etc.
I consider myself to be childfree. That means that I'm never going to have kids, by a conscious decision. I am absolutely not interested in becoming a parent. That's a far cry from childless, which means that I might still be interested, but medically incapable. I'm quite capable, but have chosen not to have any children. Not now, and not ever. So, I'm childfree.
FREEEEEDOMMMMMM!
Childfree is partly about contentment with the fact that you don't have kids (i.e. we're not any ';less';) and partly about the permanence of that choice.





A couple who do not want children and are committed to never having them in the future is paradigmatic.





However, it is also possible that people who did once want children and discover they are infertile can become childfree. To do so is to stop trying to have children and to focus instead on the positive aspects of one's life without children. This is a disputed and less common usage, and the mainstream childfree community may dispute it, but it seems to be a useful term in fertility groups.





I think that the separate term is important - not just because the term childless has negative implications but also because the childless need their own word. For those of us who have chosen not to have children, it would be embarrassing to be on the receiving end of sympathy if we were to tell people we're childless.





Likewise, without our own term there is a danger that the childless-by-choice (a term too cumbersome to suffice) would co-opt the word. Then when infertile couples say that they are childless, people would start assuming they don't want kids!





These are two very distinct groups of people, and each deserves their own word. ';Childfree'; is the best way we have found thus far to let people know that our childless status is permanent and does not indicate an inability to bear children.
We are a group of adults who all share at least one common desire: we do not wish to have children of our own. We are teachers, doctors, business owners, authors, computer experts - you name it. We choose to call ourselves ';childfree'; rather than ';childless,'; because we feel the term ';childless'; implies that we're missing something we want - and we aren't. We consider ourselves childFREE - free of the loss of personal freedom, money, time and energy that having children requires.
i think childless is when you have no children. when my little boy stays out the night with his granparents, i always say i am childfree for the night.
Childfree is the perfect description of those couples who are not going to be the best of parents and reflects so accurately their attitude to the resonsibilities associated with family life. It's their choice and children are better off for not knowing them.





I am childFREE!Reasons are as follows: abuse, genetic flaws, inherited illnesses, heart disease, and so on down the lne. YOU might want to put innocent kids through that, I choose not to. Childfree means taking responsibility for my choice not do do that. Besides, I'm not overly fond of loudmouth, screeching, free roaming kids.
I see the sign ';childfree zone'; in ads for bars, restaurants, etc. Meaning adults only, no kids allowed in
There is a distinction and it should be made by those that want to distinguish. I don't presume to know why people don't have kids, whether by choice or by bad luck so I either don't say anything at all or childless. I wouldn't want to hurt the feelings of someone who can't have kids and badly want to. They suffer so much that I choose to put their feelings above the people who choose not to have kids. I don't mean to offend, but I figure that people who choose not to have kids would understand.
being happy and free
it seems to be a modern term for childless, i guess childless gives the idea that you are 'less' but child free is a more positive term meaning you're 'free' from children, particularly for those who want to have children. I have no children, by choice but would never say i'm 'childless' becuase it sounds like i want them but can't have them...
I't a politically correct, feminazi variation on childless. Like most made-up, soft-headed, politically correct terms, it means absolutely nothing to me.
Sounds like you don't like kids. Child free means you are free of something you consider binding. oh well, if that is the term you prefer you are better off ';childfree';.
Childfree is the perfect description of those couples who are not going to be the best of parents and reflects so accurately their attitude to the resonsibilities associated with family life. It's their choice and children are better off for not knowing them.
I think ';Child free'; really is almost an offensive term; it signifies that the subject of the sentence does not like or want children, which, when used in the wrong or innapropriate context, could make many people feel misrepresented. ;)





It rather reminds me of 'pest free' or 'vermin free', you know? When you get your house inspected and they check (hopefully) those little boxes? Almost as if children were a nuisance or a hinderance.





';Mary was child free';


is far more offensive to mary and to readers than saying


';Mary was childless.';
couples should have their own children.....


they will not be happy
child free means you get a free child








no i just think it means you can take more vacations and you don't need a babysitter
Different than childless. Parents whose kids no longer live with them could be ';childfree'; but not ';childless';.

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