Childfree adults have a basic need (and right) to have environments which foster adult-only spaces and interactions.

Since we’ve had to unexpectedly delay the release of Episode 3 due to some hardware and WiFi issues with the computer which has the editing software installed, we decided to give you another blog post to tide you over! Continuing our discussion onĀ the article about adult bullying Balt shared in Episode 2, let’s look at the ways childfree by choice people and their needs may be ignored or excluded by our larger culture and individual parents (or their cliques) in specifically social settings.

 

Being Ignored or Excluded

As much as child-free people are put on the spot and harassed for their decision, one might think that being ignored or excluded isn’t a relevant factor in the bullying of those without children. But, on closer examination, it’s not uncommon for animated talks around the water cooler about family and children to go silent as we walk into the room. We often will receive glares and rebukes if we try to offer our views to participate in the conversation. Once valued friendships can become neglected and abandoned by new parents once the first child is born; there’s no more time for adult friendships with the childfree when there’s a baby and family to care for. Unwarranted pitying looks from those who have started having children are commonplace to those who are kid-free, followed by silence and solitude once old friends eventually accept that we will not give in to peer pressure to procreate. As the parents herd themselves together, the childfree are left to seek out other adults with similar freedom and interests because many of the supportive relationships we’ve fostered over the years have been discarded with the baby’s bathwater. New relationships can be […]

In our last podcast episode, Balt shared an article about adult bullying and hypothesized that this dynamic is an accurate description of how our larger culture and individual parents (or their cliques) treat people in the childfree by choice community. If this theory is correct, let’s look at one of the ways that behavior might manifest.

 

Labels & Stereotypes

“You’re so selfish and self-absorbed for not having kids.”

“You’ll never know the true meaning of what it is to love someone until you are a parent.”

 

We’ve heard them all. While we may not have to worry about name-calling quite so much as adults, labels and stereotypes for childfree populations are numerous. We’re told we’re sad, lonely, bereft, and inferior… that our choices, relationships and […]

20 Aug / 2018

Ep. 1: Introductions

Public Facebook posts discussed in this Childfree Loudmouths episode.

Meet the Childfree Loudmouths’ co-hosts, Lilith and Balthazar, in our debut episode as we give a brief recap on when we knew the decision to be child free was right for us. Get an earful of what to expect in future episodes, hopefully to include interviews, listener mail and the evisceration of hate mail. This episode also includes the first (but not the last) examination of children and parenting in social media. Get ready to be loud & proud. […]