La Vie Childfree

Staying on the theme from the last post that the greenest thing a person can do is to not have kids….ok I realize it’s not realistic to think that more people than not will decide to have no children, so what about the idea of couples only having one  child?  Author Bill McKibben takes this on with his book Maybe  One. 

McKibben writes if we averaged 1.5 children per woman,  not just about 2 which is what it is now, and we reduce immigration somewhat, in 2050 the U.S. population would be 230 million, which is what it was when Ronald Reagan was elected.  He argues that it would make a difference in reducing environmental damage if more people would stop at one child.

But it’s best for a child to have a sibling, right? McKibben says wrong. Continue reading “How About Having Only One” »

In the fall of 2007, two 23 year olds, Emma Bernstein and Nona Willis Aronowitz set out on a road trip across the U.S. to ask 20 somethings what feminism means to them. They interviewed about 250 women in 25 cities, and their story is told in the new book, Girldrive: Criss-Crossing America, Redefining Feminism. Reading about their story made me think of one of my feminist heroes, and wonder if they or those they interviewed knew about her: Estelle Griswold. She was a dogged, driving force behind overturning laws that banned the use of contraceptives.

In 1965, she was the Executive Director of Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut. She and Dr. C. Lee Buxton, a physician and professor at the Yale School of Medicine, decided to test the constitutionality of the Connecticut law banning contraception (in place since 1879), by …

Continue reading “Feminism: What Does It Mean Today?” »

One thing I hear a lot from childfree singles and couples is the challenge of finding like minds to befriend and socialize with.  No Kidding!’s annual convention is one place to do just that.  No Kidding! is a non-profit social and activity group for childfree and childless singles and couples. It has over 40 chapters in 5 countries, and once a year they gather to have all sorts of fun.

This year it is April 22-25 in Houston, and on the morning of Saturday April 24th, I will be speaking at the conference.  Here is what else will be happening — the conference schedule includes:

Continue reading “Annual International Convention of Childfree” »

Mailonline has an interesting article by Lucy Cavendish, “I love my kids, but I admit it-I’m happier on my own!”  She talks about how she loves her kids but has to admit her moments of “genuine bliss” do not revolve around being a mother. 

As you might expect,  she got an array of comments, from criticizing her for admitting this, to “of course you need a break from the kids!,” to speculating she regrets having kids, and more, some sympathetic, some harsh.  

She speaks to how the book, Bluebird: Women And The New Psychology of Happiness confirms she is not alone.  When author Ariel Gore asked mothers to keep track of their moments of genuine bliss, they mostly had to do with…. Continue reading “Talking the truth about being a mom” »