I’ve been thinking about the words we use to describe those who choose not to have children. Years ago it was “childless”-those who didn’t have kids, by choice or not. The word became criticized by those who chose not to have kids because it denotes a lack or an incompleteness. In the 70s “childfree” started as a reaction to this “less” concept. While it has more positive connotations than “childless,” “free” is also interpreted negatively, reflecting someone who shuns the responsibilities of parenthood, aka “adulthood.”
This belief has its roots in pronatalism, the backbone of why those who don’t want children are judged. It’s our deep seated value system that is pro-baby, encourages reproduction, and exalts the role of parenthood.
With pronatalism in mind, take the focus off “free” and “less.” What’s left? The word “child.” The very words we’ve used begin with the focus on child—at its root, it comes from a pronatalistic context! What could we use instead –to finally get away from ties to pronatalistic thought?
I am reading 
I had to post a comment–while I have seen childfree sites and lots of posts that I would consider less than kind spirited, in my experience there are far more childfree that are not out there bashing parents or kids. Heather also says she thinks the literature out there is “colored with a tone” that made it hard for her to want to see the childfree perspective on things because it’s so “derisive” of parents.” What literature does she mean I wonder. In the last 20 years …
