Are your family and society pressuring you because you chose not having kids for your life? You can rest easy that you’re not alone in this decision.
Indeed, an article in Time Magazine found that more than 47 percent of women now choose to live kid-free lives.
The trend is growing as more women hold careers and look to their professional lives, and it doesn’t leave much time for children. Additionally, people can look to other methods to find happiness. The old theory that having a baby brings happiness has been unproven.
Raising children is a difficult task, and it’s not a job for the faint of heart. While a child does bring lots of joy into a person’s life, they also bring a lot of responsibility and tie you down. It’s not easy to travel the world, move up the corporate ladder, and live a carefree lifestyle when you have a toddler in tote.
So what about all the family members that pressure you for grandchildren to add to their growing brood? You can let them know that you are not singled out as this growing trend has fewer people looking to grow their family and instead focus on their own health and happiness.
Reasons Why You Should Avoid Growing Your Family
You know the reasons why not having kids works for you. You want your freedom and don’t want anyone or anything interfering with your lifestyle. Remember, nearly 50 percent of women in this country feel the same, so it’s obvious the tide is shifting on whether having children is acceptable. Here are some reasons why you should feel justified in your decision.
1. You’ll Be Healthier Mentally and Physically
You’re in it for the long haul when you choose to be a parent. Think of the journey to motherhood as a sprint and not a marathon. There’s no real defining moment when the responsibility ends.
When your child turns 18, they still need a parent and support. There is no magic number when you stop worrying about your children. A study was conducted in the Journal of Child and Family Studies.
A mother’s health is affected by the moment she brings a child into this world. Relationships are messy, and the association between a parent and their child is often complicated. You will worry, pace the floors, cry your eyes out, and stress about the child’s choices. Indeed, all this strain can take a toll on your health.
To say there is a great deal of energy, dedication, obligation, and accountability when you have a child is an understatement. According to the study, women who don’t bring this stress into their lives are healthier. So the next time someone pressures you to have a family, remind them you will be much healthier without one.
2. You’ll Get More Sleep
Parents lose a lot of sleep over their children, and it’s not just in the first year that you will be sleep-deprived. On average, a mother gets about 1.5 fewer hours of sleep each night, according to a recent study.
Dads are also in the same boat, as sleeping with a crying infant nearby is hard. While some people try to compensate by napping whenever possible, parents regularly complain about fatigue problems. When you have issues with sleep deprivation, it can impact many areas of your life.
Did you know sleep deprivation can cause hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease?
3. You Won’t Have As Much Exposure to Germs and Illness
Many parents rely on daycare centers to watch their children while they work. Sadly, children are germy little creatures as they wipe their noses frequently, lick things, and pass the germs from toy to toy. Daycare centers are cesspools of germs, and it’s not uncommon for things like the stomach flu or other illnesses to spread like wildfire in these establishments.
You will, no doubt, miss fewer days of work over trivial illnesses spread by your children. Not having kids will allow you to accumulate those sick days for personal use.
4. Intimacy Won’t Be An Issue
Having a kid certainly takes a toll on your relationships. If you can’t get your child to sleep at night or in their bed, it can cause intimacy problems. A tired person that is stressed out and worried their child doesn’t feel like being romantic.
You would be sadly mistaken if you think the trouble ends when they become teenagers. A survey conducted found that parents of teenagers have 45 percent less sex than parents with no kids. So no matter your child’s age, it seems they will impact your romantic life.
5. Your Back Might Be Healthier
Hippokratia notes that many women develop lower back pain during pregnancy.
But after you give birth, you might not get the rest you need for your aching back. It takes some real muscle to lift a baby in and out of a car seat as well as carrying them on your hip wherever you go. All these muscles will become strained, and this pressure can lead to continued back pain.
Though the pain isn’t often immediate, over time, you will notice that your body creates ways to compensate for the unevenly distributed weight of carrying a toddler.
6. You’ll Have More Money
It costs a lot of money to raise children in today’s world. A U.S. Department of Agriculture report estimates that it costs around $245,340.00 to raise a child from birth to age 18.
You’re responsible for feeding, clothing, and education, and you can’t forget about all those other little expenses that come into the mix. No wonder you will have more money if not having kids is your choice.
7. You’ll Eat Healthier
It’s challenging to eat and live a healthy lifestyle when you have children around. They want finger foods, and of course, you must give them the occasional cookie to keep them well-rounded. However, if you’re going to eat a plant-based diet like is observed in a vegan lifestyle, it’s almost impossible with a child.
Children have different nutritional needs than that of an adult. It’s more difficult for parents to maintain a healthy body as they don’t have the energy to cook two different meals.
8.Your Stress Will Be Less
Stress is inevitable in life. However, when you have children, you are faced with things like economic and emotional strains and your job tensions. Constant stress plays a big part in your mental and physical health. It’s no fun to go to bed at night and worry about how you’ll pay bills and make it for another month.
Not having kids is a wise choice if you want financial freedom and less stress. You won’t have to worry about how you’ll pay for little Susie’s piano lessons or Johnny’s football team requirements. When you stress less, you live a more healthy and happy life.
9. You’ll Have Plenty of Alone Time
One of the parents’ chief complaints is that they don’t have enough time to be alone or care for themselves. While you don’t need much solo time, taking a bubble bath and listening to music occasionally is nice. Sadly, a parent would like to use the restroom in peace.
Children are time hogs as their needs are always pressing. In the younger years, they’re very clingy as the need to be close is ever-present. Not having kids will allow you to spend time pampering yourself and enjoying a quiet evening without interruptions.
10. Your Relationships Have A Better Chance of Lasting
You know that children strain finances, health, and intimacy, so it’s no wonder that people with kids often have problems keeping a relationship. Trying to juggle work, home, and the kids leave little time for romantic interests. Even those who manage to have relationships will struggle when the needs of the children come first.
While some people stay together for the kids, many walk away because of the children too. A relationship doesn’t need youngsters in it to survive. If anything, the ones without children seem to last longer and are healthier.
Final Thoughts on Not Having Kids, Despite the Pressure
While many people have a clear picture that a woman must marry and have children in their heads, social norms change to incorporate a different view. Not having kids is an option you can make, and no one can force you to think otherwise.
Whether you have children or not is a very personal topic, and you don’t owe anyone an explanation for your decisions. If you want to focus on your career and experiences in this life, you might be better off without children. Some people are not the parenting kind, and that’s okay. The world needs aunts and uncles as well as good cousins too.
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