There is no right or wrong way to do life. There is only the right set of choices for you, and of course those can change as the years of your life slip by.
That said, an increasing number of people are making the decision to remain childfree – not childless – and they don’t mind telling everyone who will listen that they don’t regret their choice, not one single bit.
From the state of the world to the economy to just personal preference, their reasons are sound – and these 20 people are ready and willing to sass anyone who wants to say otherwise.
20. This sounds like goals.
Also a whole mood.
auntie shark. cool, confident, childless over 30 lady who loves going to dinner by herself. she doesn’t apologize for dropping f bombs in earshot of her nieces/nephews. airline miles are her love language. statement jewelry is a must. i am auntie shark. auntie shark is me. 🦈
— Franchesca Ramsey (@chescaleigh) March 21, 2019
19. Or when they poop.
Or when they just start demanding too much attention. The list goes on and on!
The great thing about being an uncle is being able to give the kid back when they start crying 👶🏽
— Rob Rolfe (@enterrob) November 10, 2015
18. Is it the dark circles or the giant coffee that gives us away?
I think it’s the whole not-pretty picture.
When my friends tell me about the joys of having children, I'm always moved by just how tired they look
— Atsuko Okatsuka (@AtsukoComedy) July 15, 2018
17. One of those things requires much more maintenance than the other.
One of them also steals a lot more sleep.
"Wow 3 tattoos.. those are pretty permanent you know"
Me: wow 3 kids… those are pretty damn permanent CAROL
— Emily Barry (@EmiBarry) July 26, 2017
16. Well that’s just not nice.
Rude, is what it is.
⚠️IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN⚠️
cuz i don't and i slept in until 11 and it was glorious and i just wanted to let you know
— bananafanafofisa (@lisaxy424) October 21, 2017
15. Or taking a nap. Or eating fancy food.
Ahhhhh there’s just so much I miss.
Any guilt over not having kids and cauterizing my vein of the family bloodline goes away when I can spend four hours on a Saturday reading a book.
— Elizabeth Hackett (@LizHackett) January 19, 2019
14. Every choice is valid.
Ones that involve beaches even moreso.
Every woman my age is either pregnant or planning to get pregnant and my husband and I are sitting here planning our next vacation. Am I adulting wrong? #childfree #nokidsforme
— E. (@joltofimpulse) March 4, 2019
13. Some of them have that extra decibel, too.
Those are the ones that really clench your ovaries.
There is no better birth control than the sound of a child screaming.
— Lee Newton (@leenewtonsays) March 18, 2015
12. That is the preferred term.
I have to say, I like it. Not that anyone asked.
“I'm not childless, darling. I am childfree.”
— Whores of Yore (@WhoresofYore) March 19, 2019
11. Some people just don’t know what to do with them.
And that’s perfectly fine.
*someone hands me a baby*
Oh… no thank you
*places baby on the ground*— moody monday (@mdob11) April 25, 2014
10. Turn the argument around, yes.
People love it when you do that.
"You don't want children? That's selfish!"
"It IS? I'd better get a vasectomy so I don't pass on my selfish genes!"
— Zach Weinersmith (@ZachWeiner) January 18, 2016
9. It doesn’t matter, because guess what?
It’s not your problem!
oh your son is 73 months old that's cool i literally i have no idea if he's five or forty two
— Julia DeLois (@jdelwoo) June 20, 2012
8. Definitely go with the second one.
You’ve gotta have a little dramatic flair in this life.
Telling people “I don’t want kids”:
-“You’ll change your mind one day”
-“When you meet the right person…”
-“You don’t understand, you’re not a parent”Telling people “My bloodline ends with me”
-Dramatic
-Your bloodline feels sacred and mystical
-Vaguely threatening— Jemima 🎃 (@Skelpyy) April 24, 2019
7. Don’t look in a mirror while you do it.
You might see how youthful you look and dig in even further.
if you say "I don't want kids" three times a middle aged person will appear and explain you might change your mind
— annoying pink cat (@ohnoNOTFEMINISM) October 2, 2017
6. I’d say it depends on the dog.
And the kid, to be honest.
The average yearly cost of raising a child is $15,000+. The average yearly cost of raising a dog is $1,000.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
— goose🩷 (@nuttermybutterb) July 3, 2019
5. Every family looks different.
As long as there’s love, it counts.
Can we just stop with folks asking married couples, “When are you going to start a family?”
We ARE a family. On every legal document, survey, and on every plane of existence.
WE. ARE. A. FAMILY.
We are a two person family with our own plans and traditions.#Family #Childfree
— M.E. Ellison (@The_ME_Ellison) April 29, 2019
4. That’s the best kind of money.
This sounds like a very exciting and nice life.
Ladies, imagine this. It's 15 years from now, and you have no kids. You're the cool wine aunt that occasionally comes back to the country for a brief visit before leaving for another long exotic vacation, you have no commitments and a suspicious amount of money.
— 🇸🇩 لاز 𓂆 (@Notidenttified) May 24, 2020
3. Yes yes a nice baby indeed.
Very squishy.
Friend: [showing baby photos]
Me: Ah yes, very baby— moody monday (@mdob11) August 15, 2015
2. Fingers crossed your kids have good taste.
All cartoons are not created equal.
Before having a kid the most important thing to ask yourself is “Am I ready to watch the exact same cartoon on repeat for the next 4 years?”
— rob fee (@robfee) March 3, 2015
1. Get your kicks, sir.
You don’t even have to share.
I'm 38 years old and childless and I'm shopping for a swing set for my backyard
you can't tell me how to live— Jess Fink🌈🔥🍉 (@JessFink) August 2, 2019
I respect their choices, 100%, and honestly, am a bit jealous of all their alone time.
The grass is always greener, of course. At least for some people.
Are you childfree? Do you have a house full of kids? I love you the same either way!