The term childless applies to anyone who wants a child and cannot have one. The term childfree applies to anyone (straight, gay, or bisexual) who plans not to raise or bear children for a variety of reasons.
Unlike many other sites, the resources of this website (and its popular discussion board) are designed to be a haven for those who prefer to be childfree throughout their lives, for a variety of different reasons, not for those who have children or those who want children someday.
There are many reasons people choose not to have children. Some prefer to invest their time in their work or their partner, practice Voluntary Simplicity, have busy lifestyles, are concerned about the environment, or have survived an abusive childhood. Health, financial and ethical considerations may play a part.
Due to greater reproductive choice, more and more people are choosing to live free from the obligation of raising a family. Some childfree people have always known they didn't want children, while others made the decision later in life.
Many people like children but prefer the freedom they enjoy in the childfree lifestyle, while others exclusively prefer the company of adults. Sometimes childless adults choose the childfree life after realizing that they like their lives just as they are and would miss the freedom.
Are the Childfree Selfish?
The choice not to bring new children into the world is not inherently selfish. Historically, many childfree people have been active volunteers and generous philanthropists, while others spent their childhoods helping raise their siblings, or currently act as caretakers for their aging parents. Too many children have been brought into this world by passive, indifferent, distracted, or abusive parents. Being childfree is about making responsible choices as well as knowing one's limits, interests, and lifelong intentions.
Spotlight on a Few Helpful Resources for the Childfree at ChildfreeByChoice.Com
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 1975 about one in eleven women was childless by the age of 44. By 1993, that number had risen to approximately one in six. 34.9 million American families were childless and only 33.3 million families had a child under the age of 18.
According to Newsadmin.Com, the newsgroup alt.support.childfree was the 14th most read non-binary (conversation based) Usenet newsgroup in 2003!
The Childfree Life