We’ve all heard the American Dream:
Go to school
Get a job
Get married
Buy a house
Have children
Retire
Grow old together
Do I need to do all of these things to live the American Dream? If I follow this blueprint am I guaranteed success and happiness?
I think a lot of people go through life and do things because it’s the next thing we’re supposed to do as humans. Outside pressures to live and act in a certain way are relentlessly blasted at us from Family, Friends, and now more than ever, Social Media. Open Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and what do you see? Posts from someone on an exotic vacation. Posts from a couple that is now newly engaged, Posts from someone buying a house. Posts with pictures of their family. These types of posts subconsciously make us feel like we’re missing out on something or we’re not living the American Dream.
But have we ever stopped to think about what makes ourselves happy? Can you be successful and happy even if you don’t do any of these things? I would argue that you can. I’m hoping to hit six of the seven in my life. The one I’ve consciously decided not to do is have children
Yes, this was a conscious decision in my life to not have children.
Growing up I thought I wanted children. Obviously, my parents had children and all of my childhood friends had parents, so it felt like part of being an adult was to grow up and have children. That was just what you did.
I could envision buying a baseball glove for my son and getting it all broken in for him. We’d go to the park and play catch on a nice summer day. I could envision going to a playground and pushing my daughter on a swing. These were just visualizations. I didn’t truly think about whether these types of things would make be happy until I met my now wife.
My wife has known since a young age that she wanted to live a Child Free Life. When we first started going out she insisted that she never wanted to have children and that if I did, we shouldn’t be seeing each other.
The more I got to know her and explore her reasons for not wanting children, the more it became clear to me that I wanted to live a Child Free Life. This was a critical turning point in my life because I challenged my own thoughts and assumptions and looked at it from a different angle. Making the decision to not have children drastically changes the course of your life and future.
I thought about the decision of whether I wanted children or not for a long time. Ultimately, I decided to not have children.
Here is why I’ve decided to live a Child Free Life:
- Raising a child is a lot of work that requires constant attention.
- Reports show the average cost of raising a child is over $230,000. (I disagree, I think it’s much more and I’ll tell you why.)
- Children cry, scream, throw temper tantrums and act out constantly.
- Parents make immense sacrifices for their children in all areas of their lives. (When you know what you’re looking for, you can spot this all the time.)
- Studies show marriages without children are more successful and fewer end in divorce.
- Children take time away from your own hobbies, career, time with your spouse and friends.
- Your child could grow up to resent you.
- I love to travel. Children would put a huge strain on my ability to travel as much as I want.
- Living Child Free can be a healthier lifestyle.
- Living a Child Free Life gives you much from freedom.
I want to explore what a Child Free Life is all about. It is definitely not for everyone, nor do I want to push anyone to live a Child Free Life, but it’s a huge life decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. There are pros and cons to having children or not and I want to dive deep into these topics. There are decisions people make because they think it’s the next thing they need to check off from their life checklist. There are a lot of believed truths in the world and many of them are worth examining.
I see living a Child Free Life as far more than not having children. Living a Child Free Life is not simply not having children. It’s a lifestyle choice to deliberately not have children that opens so many other opportunities to live a full and happy life.
I want to help you determine if living a Child Free Life is right for you, because it’s not for everyone. In fact, it’s not for most people. Is it the right choice for you? Living a Child Free Life has its challenges, but if you’re up for the task, please run beside me and learn what living a Child Free Life is all about.
