Complete Without Kids

Exploring all facets of childfree living.

by Ellen Walker, Ph.D.

Childfree by Choice—A Growing Trend

In my clinical psychology practice, I see a lot of students from our local university, and it's refreshing to hear that more and more young people are viewing the choice of whether or not to have children as simply another big decision to make when exploring future life option. Read More

Arguments Against the Villainization of Childfree Women

It seems unfair to generalize about women who are childfree, but just go online, and you'll come across myriad examples of this very topic. Sadly, many of these generalizations are negative and hurtful, and the comments are popping up worldwide. Let's take a look at a few that I've run across lately. Read More

Friendship Survival for Childfree Women

Let's face it, when a woman who is childfree by choice hears that her girlfriend is "in the family way," it's not uncommon to have mixed feelings. Of course, she wants to be happy for her friend and hopeful that she can be supportive throughout this big life change, but there's also the realization that her friend's life is permanently altered. Read More

Is Christmas Just for Kids?

Is Christmas just for kids? I say-no way! Christmas is a time of joy for us all. I view it as an all-American holiday that has religious meaning for some but can also be enjoyed for the many other things it represents. No, Christmas is not just for kids! Adult pleasures abound and may be even more wonderful than the magical feeling children have while awaiting Santa Claus. Read More

When and How Do You Tell Someone You're Dating that You Don't Want Kids?

When it comes to romance, the discussion of whether or not you want to have kids needs to happen right away, perhaps on the first date. Why? Read More

Seven Reasons Choosing to Be Childfree Is on the Rise

We are living in a time of rapid change! I'm noticing a significant increase in childfree topics in the media these days. There are adults portrayed in movies that are openly choosing to not have kids and are simultaneously portrayed as fairly normal. Another shift is the percentage of adults who arrive at the end of their childbearing years and are not parents. Read More

Welcome to 7 Billion!

Population experts report that the global population will reach 7 billion on October 31, 2011. Wow! The number is mind-boggling, especially when placed next to the fact that, in 1968, when Paul Ehrlich wrote The Population Bomb, there were around 3.5 billion people in the world. We're growing at a rate of a billion every 12 or 13 years. Read More

Are You a Better Person Because You’re a Mom—Or Because You’re Not?

I read a blog recently written by a mom who expressed her opinion that motherhood has made her a better person. She explained that, prior to her unplanned pregnancy, she was an irresponsible party girl and this lifestyle came to a screeching halt once she found out that she was going to be a mother. Read More

Childfree Women Have More Friends than Mothers! Fact or Fiction?

Intuitively, it would seem that a woman without kids would have an abundance of free time, and therefore more hours to devote to friendships. But for several reasons, this is not necessarily the case. Read More

Childfree for the Environment's Sake

PETA was in Seattle this month, asking parents to consider not taking their children fishing. They cited abuse of fish as one reason but also spoke out on the depleting ocean populations. I personally have fears about the future of our earth and how humans will survive, and it's surprising to me that we don't all want to take bold action to protect our resources. Read More

Behind the "Childfree" Label

It's fascinating to read stories from childfree women relating their individual experiences and feelings about not having kids. There are as many explanations for why a person doesn't have children as there are for any other life status, such as being single or living in a city far from where one grew up.

Jumping To Conclusions Read More

A Peek Into Childfree Living

As a childfree adult, I've found that when someone asks me if I have kids and I reply, "No," most people don't feel comfortable following up with a request for more information about my reasons for not being a mom, nor do they ask about my life without children. Not asking, however, doesn't mean that there isn't curiosity about these topics. Read More

Do I Wanna Be a Dad? Things to Consider in Making This Huge Life Decision

The choice of whether or not to have children is probably the most important one of a man's life. Just think about it-if you marry the wrong person, you can get a divorce. If you go into the wrong career, you can retool and try something else. If you move into the wrong neighborhood, you can pack up and relocate. Read More

More Women Are Choosing Career over Motherhood: What’s Leading This Trend?

According to a recent New York Post article, 43 percent of college-educated women between the ages of 33 and 46 are childfree. And many of these women appear to be bypassing motherhood altogether, as opposed to simply postponing it. Read More

How to Cope When Your Friends Start Going Ga-Ga Over Babies

Some women say they feel a strong yearning to become a mother. Read More

Planning for the Future as a Childfree Adult

On Wednesday afternoon, my husband got a phone call telling him that his eighty-nine-year-old mother, who lives in our town, had fallen and been taken to the hospital. We didn't think much of it, because this same scenario has happened on several other occasions, but when he finally made it home late that night, I found out that this time was different-she had broken her hip!! Read More

Childfree Travel: Are We Asking for Too Much?

These days, articles and comments on childfree travel seem to be everywhere. Travelers are requesting flights without kids or with separate family sections, and the demand for childfree resorts is up. Read More

Five Reasons Childfree Adults May Be Happier Than Parents

Intuitively, one might think that a person who doesn't have kids would feel a sense of emptiness and deep regret in his or her decision. Believe it or not, we find that the exact opposite is true. One myth about childfree adults is that they're happier because they are selfish and have more money for fancy vacations and sports cars. Read More

Is Motherhood a Losing Financial Proposition?

I recently came across an article describing a concept called the "motherhood penalty." This "penalty" refers to the fact that mothers earn less than similarly qualified women without children, and they also face discrimination in hiring and promotion. Being one of those women without kids myself, I have some thoughts on women's wage discrimination. Read More

Are There Disadvantages to Being Childfree?

It might seem odd for me, a childfree woman who has written on and spoken out about the positives of life without kids, to ponder the disadvantages of this option. But if you are exploring such a huge life choice, it's just as critical to have a full awareness of its downsides as it is to know about the benefits.

Being a misfit among ones peers Read More

9 Reasons Puppies Are Easier to Raise than Children!

I'm the "mother" of two darling terriers, Bella and Scuppers, and let me tell you, some days they can be a real handful! Although Scuppers is almost two years old and potty trained, he continues to want to be all boy and to mark territory (my walls!!) occasionally-he has a cute blue diaper that he wears when he's at home alone. Read More

Not So Happy Mother’s Day!

It’s that time of year again, when women are told over and over, “Happy Mother’s Day!” Read More

Discrimination Against Childfree Adults

Childfree adults are speaking out more and more these days about discrimination, and while this murmur growing to a small uproar is actually a surprise to many who didn't realize the discrimination existed, consider the following real life examples Read More

What’s Up With These Moms? Motherhood Is a Commitment!

There's a disturbing trend that appears to be growing in popularity in the US-mothers running away from home, or even worse, murdering their children. Some mothers commit suicide after killing their children when they can no longer cope. Read More

Childfree Adults— Not All Alike: Three Subtypes Explored

Misconceptions about childfree adults, many of which are unflattering, abound. Such misconceptions lead to typical stereotyping, in which a group of people is treated as a whole, as if they were all exactly the same. The reality is that childfree adults are as varied as any other category of men and women. Read More

Direct and Subtle Pressure to Have Children—How Can a Childfree Wannabe Cope?

The whole topic of childfree living is controversial, and becoming more so all the time. Just this week a woman submitted a comment on my book, Complete Without Kids, saying she thinks it's ridiculous that a book had to be written on the subject. Read More

Fact or Fiction: Childfree Couples Are Happier than Couples with Kids

Just this week I was a guest on a morning talk show, and my host was a married man with a child. He mentioned that children are often a bonding factor for couples and he wondered how how childfree couples are able to build and maintain a close relationship without a child. My response surprised him! Read More

Misconceptions About Child-free Women—And Ideas on Addressing Them

Last Saturday night, my husband and I were at a party with a whole new crowd. I started up a conversation with a woman around my age, and as soon as I introduced myself, she asked, "So, do you have kids?" I smiled, and replied, "No, I don't have children," and we stood there in an awkward silence until I asked her if she was a mother. Read More

The Rift Between Parents and Childfree Adults—Why Can’t We Just Get Along?

Why can't parents and child-free adults get along? Read More

A Woman’s Biological Need to Nurture—And How To Satisfy It When You’re Not a Mom

How does a woman satisfy the biological need to nurture when she's not a mom? Read More

Ellen Walker, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and the author of Complete Without Kids: An Insider's Guide to Childfree Living By Choice Or By Chance.

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