The Baby Matrix and The Pronatalist Marriage Assumption
With the Supreme Court taking on same-sex marriage (or will they-we shall see), marriage traditionalists have been out there touting the old notion that the purpose of marriage is ultimately about procreation. Old, indeed. And just no longer true. Even marriage...
On the Advantages the Childfree Have For Parents and Kids
There remains the popular stereotype that the childfree must not like kids, and because we choose not to raise children we don’t want them to play a role in our lives. This is just not true for so many people who don’t have kids by choice. As associate professor and sociology department chair at the University of Maine Amy Blackstone writes in her piece, “Childless & Loving It: Not Being a Parent Has Advantages For Families & Kids” the childfree have an “important role to play in the lives of children.” Her interview research lines up with what I have found, starting with the fact that many childfree would say they “enjoy the company of children.”
Using Humor to Squelch, Not Reinforce Childfree Stereotypes
When I first saw the title of Jen Kirkman’s new book, I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales From a Happy Life Without Kids, I sighed. On the upside, I loved the idea that there was a new book out by a great female comedian who was childfree. Following the...