Some people dream of being parents, while others have sworn off ever having kids. Both are personal choices, and both are fine. Or at least, thatâs how it should be. But as we have come to learn, there will always be certain folk who feel theyâre entitled to othersâ reproductive choices.
Like the parents of an engaged couple who refuse to accept that their adult kids want to remain child-free. Both the husband and the wifeâs parents are demanding they have children, going as far as threatening to cut their inheritances should they not agree. The drama is unfolding just weeks before the coupleâs wedding, and itâs cast a dark cloud over the plans.
This couple has been together for over a decade and has decided against having kids
Couple sitting on a couch using a laptop, smiling while discussing family pressure and inheritance concerns.
An increasing number of people are choosing to be child-free, but research shows that many still face stigma
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage⌠Thatâs pretty much how the world operated back, back in the day. But to say things have changed is an understatement. Relationships and families come in all shapes and sizes, and many people are throwing outdated expectations to the wind as they remain child-free by choice.
There are lots of reasons why someone might decide they donât ever want kids⌠Money, career, travel, health, age, etc. But a Pew Research Center study conducted in 2023 revealed that for many, itâs simply a case of âI just didnât want children.â
A separate study, carried out by Jennifer Watling Neal, a professor in the social/personality psychology program at Michigan State University, found that 1 in 5 adults are child-free.
âThat means that they didnât have kids and they also expressed that they didnât want to have children in the future. And that was quite a large number,â Neal explained during a podcast. âWe werenât necessarily expecting to find such a large number of child-free folks in Michigan.â
The expert says that while the research is only focused on adults in Michigan, that stateâs population is similar to the general U.S. population in terms of age, race, education, income and politics. âSo we believe that our findings might apply more broadly,â Neal adds. âAnd if that pattern that weâre finding holds up nationally, it would mean about 50 to 60 million Americans are child-free.â
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While not starting a family is becoming increasingly popular, Neal found that thereâs still some stigma attached to that decision in some quarters. âWe in the U.S. live in a society where the norm is very much still having children and having children is very valued. So people who do not have children and who also donât want to have children are really sort of going against that norm,â she explained.
According to Neal, women (unsurprisingly) bear the brunt of the stigma. The expert says that common stereotypes that are mentioned often for child-free people, especially women, are that theyâre âselfish, self-centered, that they might be focused on their career, that they have no responsibilities, that they have lots of money, that they hate children, and that they might regret their decision later.â
Neal and her team found that men, people without a college degree, and people who have or want children often hold more negative views of child-free people, so theyâre more likely to endorse some of these stereotypes.
According to the expert, the child-free trend is not unique to the United States.
âWeâre seeing similar trends in other countries where weâre seeing potential increases in a decent sized population,â says Neal. âThe prevalence rates vary quite a bit, but weâre seeing upticks.â
âGo get a vasectomyâ: People flocked to the comments, with many shocked at the parentsâ entitlement
Comment advising how manâs parents try to guilt-trip couple into having kids and threaten disinheritance.
Comment on reddit discussing a couple whose parents try to guilt-trip them into having kids and threaten disinheritance.
Commenter criticizing manâs parents for trying to guilt-trip couple into having kids and threatening disinheritance.
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Reddit comment discussing manâs parents trying to guilt-trip couple into having kids and threatening disinheritance.
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Commenter responding to manâs parents guilt-tripping couple about having kids and threatening disinheritance online.
Screenshot of a social media comment praising a couple for not giving in to parents’ guilt-tripping over having kids.
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Reddit user discusses manâs parents guilt-tripping couple about having kids and threatening disinheritance over grandchildren.
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Comment discussing how manâs parents guilt-trip couple about having kids and threaten disinheritance for not complying.
Text post discussing parents threatening disinheritance to guilt-trip couple into having children despite financial and personal challenges.
Reddit comment advising a couple to ignore parentsâ guilt-tripping about having kids and consider a vasectomy instead.
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Screenshot of an online comment discussing parents trying to guilt-trip a couple about having kids and threatening disinheritance.
Reddit comment discussing parents trying to guilt-trip couple into having kids and threatening disinheritance.
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In a shocking update, the guy revealed that âsomeoneâ had tried to cancel his wedding
Outdoor wedding aisle setup with chairs and floral decor, symbolizing a couple facing pressure from manâs parents.
Many people urged the man to make use of password protection⌠on everything
Screenshot of a Reddit conversation where manâs parents try to guilt-trip couple into having kids and threaten disinheritance.
Text post from a user reflecting on feeling guilt and hesitation after a difficult phone call with man’s parents about having kids.
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Comment advising to consult a lawyer when manâs parents try to guilt-trip couple about having kids and threaten disinheritance.
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