5 Thought-Provoking Quotes to Ease the Peer Pressure to Have Kids

Not all childfree women are barren. Some women may have lost children early in their lives and never had more. Whatever the situation, some celebrities managed to have refreshingly honest conversations about a very personal subject to empower women. Remember it could always be a decision to opt out of parenting and the pressure to have children. Childfree women are far from incomplete and we have some celebrity quotes to help you see that womanhood is not always synonymous with motherhood.

• "I try not to listen to the shoulds or coulds, and try to get beyond expectations, peer pressure, or trying to please—and just listen. I believe all the answers are ultimately within us. When I answered those questions regarding having children, I realized that so much of the pressure I was feeling was from outside sources, and I knew I wasn't ready to take that step into motherhood." ​​—Kim Cattrall, O Magazine, 2003

• “I’m happy, but the fact that I'm not married and don't have kids — it's taken me a long time to get to a place where I actually am OK with that, where I actually don't feel like I'm some sort of loser."—Rashida Jones, The Guardian, 2014

• "I've thought about this a lot lately. I never thought I'd be this age and not have kids. But my life has also gone in a million ways I never anticipated. I kept feeling like I'd wake up with absolute clarity, and I haven't. And we have a pretty great life together. The chance that we'll regret it doesn't seem like a compelling enough reason to do it. I may wake up tomorrow with that lightning bolt, and I'll have to scramble to make it happen."—Jennifer Westfeldt, New York Times, 2012

• "Of course I wonder what that would be like but, your destiny is your destiny and I can't imagine, if by some miracle I got pregnant…at this point in my life, I wonder, could I even manage that? It would be a lie to say there's not a bit of sadness there, but I don't get caught up in it."—Kylie Minogue, The Sunday Times, 2018

• “So here I am sorting out what MY LIFE looks like when it’s fully mine, it takes a certain bravery to do that. It means risking being misunderstood, perceived as alone and broken, having no one to focus on, fall into or hide behind, having to be my own support and having to stretch and find family love and connection outside of the traditional places. But, I want to do it. I want to be the Brave Me, the real me, the one whose life is my own.”—Tracee Ellis Ross, Ebony Magazine, 2017

Reach for the Stars: Successful Women who Make Childfree Look Good

News flash! Women can build a life of success without ever bearing a child. For those that do, they are often shamed or labeled everything from selfish to “less of a woman”. No matter how someone gets to the decision, there’s certainly a lot to look forward to as more women blossom into what society still questions. Cheers to women empowering women (even men) who opt to live childfree.

5 things the workplace can learn from childless women

Often times people assume women without children have a ton of free time to do one thing......work. So you're the first person called into the office for late or overnight shifts. Why is that? Maybe it's because childless women aren't respected in the workplace? I certainly feel this way.I'm sure this is all to familiar to single women too. Now, what if you're married? Does that mean, childless couples struggle to figure out what to do with their free time?

If you're exhausted because you're childless then here's a list of 5 things you can share with co-workers even some family members and friends to ensure them that you're not twiddling your fingers at home.

1. Childless women and couples know how to have fun: Yes, surprising but true and they often look forward to the weekend because they're child-free. Bingo!
2. Lazy time is necessary: We may not have children to feed, bathe and spend time with but oversleeping on a Sunday is not a crime.
3. Self-care is crucial: When you're childless, you can often find at least 10 things to do for yourself especially if you always have a jam packed calendar. Martini and manicure anyone?
4. Impromptu becomes the norm in life: I'm not talking about last minute calls or requests from your boss to work late but impromptu happy hour events or evenings with friends who may suddenly visit from out of time. FYI: spouses actually like to surprise their loved ones with quick getaways or romantic walks through the park or at the beach.
5. Explanations are a health hazard: Never offer an explanation as to why you can't work late or cater to someone else's needs. It's very rude for people to manage your child-free time. Duh!

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Childless and on trial.....

Many women whether childless by choice or those struggling with infertility often feel pressure from others to have a baby just to feel normal. Some questions or comments are rude even if they don't come from ill-intentions.

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), 1 in 8 couples have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. In fact, researchers say one-third of infertility is attributed to the female partner, one-third attributed to the male partner and one-third is caused by a combination of problems in both partners or, is unexplained.

It's natural to want to catch up with a friend, or spark up a conversation with a co-worker especially if they're married. We're told first comes love, then comes marriage, and later a baby carriage. But that's not always the case for couples.

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