What issues will I face as a childfree woman?

I don't like kids and I don't want them. I know what I want in life and that does *not* include a baby. I want a career, I want a life and I want to keep my freedom.


Before anyone condemns me, I'm not a cold-hearted ice queen. I just don't like kids, I don't like how society puts parents on a pedestal and I don't like how 90% of parents or kids act. But I will care for a kid if absolutely necessary.


What issues will I face in general: dating, working, shopping, etc?What issues will I face as a childfree woman?
One in five women in the USA are or will be child free.





Shopping will not be a problem. You will have more money, and less debt than the other 4 out of 5 women in the USA.





Dating will not be a problem. There are plenty of child free men around. You just won't be able to get dates with highly egotistical men that feel that you are a threat to their sexuality. Somehow I don't think that will be a big deal for you.





Some people, usually religious types will openly ostracize you. They will get away with it, and forget your company HR doing anything about them.





Lets look at the bright side. You will still look 30 when you are 40. You will have a lot of stamps in your passport.What issues will I face as a childfree woman?
You will face a lot of disposable income.





I also agree with you wholeheartedly on the issue of overpopulation and too many children without parents. This is why I plan to adopt.





EDIT: I know exactly what you meant. You are an adult. Why are you looking for a reason to be a martyr? No matter what you do in life, someone is going to disapprove. No one here can prepare you for that. You have to go through life and experience it. You needn't worry about what people you have yet to meet will think because their opinions on the subject don't matter.
I never wanted them either. I wasn't fortunate enough to have a brilliant career (yet-that best-selling book may be on its way soon,haha)but that's neither here nor there-I get by quite comfortably and love travelling the world. Someone once said to me, 'What about your old age?' Good grief, even if I had had kids I wouldn't expect them to look after me,especially nowadays when people often live hundreds of miles or even in different countries to their parents.


I have a partner, it was never an issue-he's not kid-oriented either. We are both youngest children in our respective families, and also had huge age gaps between us %26amp; our nearest sibling, which I think may have something to do with why we are not interested in young children %26amp; find them irritating. We just weren't used to having them around.


Where I work loads of the women don't have kids and are in their 40's,so it's not as uncommon as it might seem! Several of my friends don't have them either.
I agree the with the disposable income thing because that's true for me because i don't have any kids and im about to hit 30 soon. However, I once DID NOT IN ANY WAY wanted to have children. Then, one day I decided that I did want to have them. Now, again, I don't want any kids. I'm scared of having a big belly.....the look of a pregnant woman's face is always ';i'm tired and miserable.'; I enjoy the freedom that I have. However, I dated a guy who wanted to date women without kids. His brothers are the same way. For one thing, neither him or his brothers have any children; therefore, they would rather be with someone who doesn't have any children. So, if they married a woman without children, they will have children for the first time together. For me, there haven't been any issues that i have faced not having kids, just those with kids who's ';misery loves company'; attitude pressuring me to have kids. I'm not saying that having children is misery-just the ';i don't have freedom; i need a baby-sitter; i have baby-daddy drama, etc.'; tend to make SOME ppl with children feel bitter towards those without children. As far as work, GIRL, you have all the freedom in the world from needing a baby-sitter while you work. Get your career on! Who cares that you don't want kids; kids aren't for everybody. On the other hand, you never know what the future may hold. You may have a life-changing experience that just may change your mind.
Expect to be told that you're selfish, cold, not a real woman, not following your purpose in life, unnatural, etc. Be prepared for people to say they pity you and you're missing out and don't know what ';real love'; is. I've heard all of the above and more.


As for dating, make it clear up front that you don't want kids and it shouldn't be a problem. Some men honestly do want kids, others think they're supposed to, and some want them just for the ';Kodak moments'; and won't do crap to help take care of them. There are guys out there who don't want them, they just may be harder to find.


I know childfree people who have been discriminated against in the workplace by having to work more hours, holidays, etc. and cover for parents who have some kid issue that takes them away from their job.


On the other hand, some employers like to hire women without kids because they won't be taking that time off.
Well from the experience as a ';young'; childfree man, I also share your views. I cna't stand society on how they treat the parents better than us.





Childfree people face harassment from the parents, get negative comments, judging us because we don't want kids. Its our lives, not theirs. Right?





For working, I think most people who are childfree will keep that to themselves. For dating, most people want kids (sadly) compared to those who don't. The dating pool for childfree people is sadly low. I don't understand why people our age want kids anyway, knowing that the world is overpopulated and evil as it is.





But being childfree, the parents are the worse, especially the mothers. They act like cops or hoodlums, always harassing people because of their status. They've tried to discourage me from being childfree. As a result, the parents gained my personal hatred towards the them.





They need to understand that kids aren't for everyone and some people don't even like kids. They can't even stand the sight of kids or being around them.





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childfree
The issues that you will face vary tremendously based on your social setting, religious affiliation AND your attitude/ personality.





I've heard many childfree people lament about the negativity that they have from others because of it; but after talking to them I often think that not all of the negativity is about their choice some is about their attitude. And you might be on your way to some people ';issues'; based on some of the comments in the original question.





It's absolutely your right to not like kids, but telling someone you don't like kids would be like telling me you don't like Black people or telling the wife of a paraplegic that you don't like handicapped people. And no race, handicapped-ness and childhood aren't comparable things usually, but my point is if you tell someone that you don't like a particular type of person that they either are or love you are bound to get negativity from that person.





And saying that you ';want a life'; as if to suggest that those who do have kids lack a life will cause more judgment than necessary for you.





If you learn how to express your own life desires (which are perfectly valid) without denigrating others, I would say you'll probably have far fewer people issues than many complain about.





Now, other issues:





Dating- It might be surprising at how much the desire for kids can make or break an otherwise good relationship. Hopefully, you'll find someone of the same mindset as you and hopefully neither of you will change your mind down the road or at least change it at the same time. But many of in love people have walked away with broken hearts because one simply refused the idea and the other couldn't possible let it go. Or you marry someone and they are miserable because they underestimated just how much they really did want kids.





Working-If you work in a family oriented atmosphere you will probably find yourself feeling left out a little more IF you really don't like kids. Because people who have them tend to enjoy discussing them and doing stuff with them so you'll have to hear about stuff you don't like or try to force them to not talk about the stuff that matters most to them. And the company picnic will suck for you since people with kids will probably bring them. If you work with other people who don't care for kids, or if you do appreciate them on some level you will probably have no major work issues. Most normal people do have various things that bind them together and cause good working relationships.





Eldercare might be more of an issue for you without kids. It seems that health care workers are much better to people when they know someone is coming to check up on them. And having an advocate in old age is a really good thing. There is no promise either way, of course, but generally families where the parents raised loving children usually have more familial advocacy in old age. Not necessarily day to day care taking but just knowing that an older person has loving kids to watch their backs makes people treat them nicer. I really hate that and try to advocate for the elderly, however sad but true they don't always get treated good if it weren't for threat of suit from their kids.





That's all I can think of...








Sorry, forgot 1 area. Stereotypical culture WILL cause you some drama. How much is pretty much up to you, I think. People expect women to like and want kids. Not fair, but it is what it is. So, not being that woman does make you strange in the eyes of some and a sinner in the eyes of other more extreme people. BUT if you have a laid back attitude and can discuss the differences without dogging out people you stand a much better chance of someone hearing your view and maybe broadening their view of what good, normal women look like.