BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids What Flavor of Child-Free Are You?

Right, my nieces mean the world to me. I would take them in as needed. And I have friends with kids that I really love too. So child-free isn't exactly what this forum is, if you think of child-free as "no meaningful interaction with children."

I think married no kids says it well, as a shorthand for 'longterm relationships without kids.'

I put married under 45 because I am 28 but my husband is 49 so...we get it from both angles... I am no that I like being an aunt but I love the fact I can send them back home to there mom and dad more. I now that if worst came to worst I would take in anychild that needed some where to go but I dont want to give birth to my own child. I have to many health issues for one and two, I would not bring a child into my family who is only family when it is convenite for them to be. I would not put a child through that! but a child that has no one and no where to go its kind of us or nothing.... its just different you know. I just dont feel like it is right to bring a child into the world the way it is when there are so many kids with nobody or next to nobody. dont get me wrong I respect the good parents out there that take care of there kids and show them love and respect. I have nothing against people having kids but its just not right for me.

Just over 6 years.. living together about 4.5...

No paper because:

1) Am not religious.

2) Don't want any hassle of people even assuming I'd ever change my title or surname

3) I don't see the point - I am secure in my relationship.... some women seem to think if you get married the bloke won't cheat - if the guy is going to pork someone else, he's going to pork someone else...

4) It's hassle - I don't want issues over 'you have to wear a dress', 'you have to have a stag night with strippers', 'you HAVE to invite Great Aunt Mavis even though you haven't seen her in 20 years'

5) If it aint broke, don't fix it - I'm happy, he's happy - why change that?

Plus.. I like not being married.. loads of women seem so OBSESSED with marriage .. 'I've left so many hints around and he still hasn't asked me' .... 'I've been with my boyfriend for 2 months and he hasn't proposed.. should I dump him?'

Far more important things in the world - I have independance, I have a partner I love and I'm happy.. I don't think I'd be happy being married...

Wow, I'm really in the minority here. I put dating under 45 but should've put "other." I've had a friend with benefits for 3 years, met him 6 years ago. He's not just a booty call, though. We're really good friends with a lot in common. We simply don't want the hassles of a serious relationship, which is exactly how I feel in regard to the childfree lifestyle. I want my life to be as simple as possible.

My flavor is married at age 40, been married six years now and with no chance of kids (we got the male tubes snipped first thing in the first year). We were so relieved to had met someone who had zero interest in bearing children.

I only have a few friends left who have not had kids, but i consider the empty nesters to be kid-free, b/c we can do things together in the same way people who never had kids would - on the moment get togethers, travel weekends, adult activities....stuff not centered around either finding babysitters or dealing with little ones running around while adults are trying to talk.

So i feel a kindred to anyone who doesn't have kids in the home and feel empty nesters are included.

Jilly, by that definition, would you also consider parents with full-time nannies or children at boarding schools to be childfree?

I am going to strongly disagree with the idea that someone who is an empty nester is childfree. Does that mean my parents are childfree? There are no kids there.

That is pretty ridiculous, actually. It's a slap in the face to someone like myself who has actually never had kids. It's not the same thing at all. I can't believe, in all honesty, that anyone could possibly think that that definition even makes any sense at all.

This is exactly how my husband and I felt when we started dating. In fact, we talked about the fact that we didn't want kids and our finances in our first couple weeks of dating. So many people seem to wait a while to talk about such important issues, and some get married and don't even know these things about their partner. I don't get that at all.

Manatee, i would take it on a case by case basis.

Pinecone, it's still my own opinion for what it's worth. And that is what I am sharing here.