What are the advantages of being childfree? This is a question childfree people are asked often. It’s also a question fence sitters often wonder about as they deliberate parenthood.
If you fall into one or both of these categories, here are 21 reasons that outline the benefits of being childfree.
With more and more people consciously choosing to be childfree, the benefits of not having children are starting to outweigh the reasons for having them.
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21 Advantages of Being Childfree
1. Your Carbon Footprint is Reduced
We leave a ginormous amount of carbon footprint behind us. By opting out of having kids, you are directly contributing to the reduction of the carbon footprint on the planet.
Even if it’s just 1 kid you’re not having, it’s still a significant reduction.
2. Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money
According to the USDA, as of 2015, it costs an average of $233,610 to raise a child from birth to 18.
That doesn’t include college fees or if you end up with a deadbeat kid that’ll sponge off you forever.
Do the math. Fewer dependents on your income mean you can save more, make better financial plans, and reach your financial goals faster.
You’ll also have more money to wipe your tears when people insist your life is meaningless without kids.
3. Best Antiaging Routine
Nothing ages a woman faster than having kids and running after them. Kids are stress and a lot of work. No kids. Less stress. Look younger.
We will talk about the additional aging effects of the wrong partner in a different article.
4. Reduced Overpopulation
The planet has too many people on it already and we are sucking all the resources. When you don’t have kids, you’re not contributing to overpopulation.
5. Spontaneity is Your Middle Name
Without kids, you can go anywhere and do anything whenever you like.
You can be as spontaneous as you want without having to worry about school, routines, extracurricular schedules, etc.
This is my favorite advantage of being childfree because I love to pick up and go without notice. My childfree friends and I do this a lot.
6. All the Sleep
If sleeping were an Olympic sport, I would have more medals than Michael Phelps! I love to sleep so much.
Without kids, there’s no one to interrupt your beauty sleep and wake you up 40 times a night.
You can sleep in as long as you like on weekends and you can go to bed whenever you like.
7. Your Body Doesn’t Have to Change
A woman’s body changes drastically when she goes through pregnancy and it’s never quite the same again. This is not a fun process.
Then there’s the whole labor and shoving a baby out of your lady bits part. While some women love that, the thought of it fills a lot of women with horror.
Plus some women also have tokophobia so choose to opt out of having kids because they don’t want their bodies to change in that way.
8. Relationship Longevity
Lots of studies have found that the health of a relationship suffers when kids are added to the mix.
Your relationship gets to remain healthy when kids are not involved.
This doesn’t mean your relationship won’t blow up for other reasons. It just means it’s less likely to blow up without kids in the mix.
This also doesn’t mean couples with kids can’t make it work but yes, the relationship suffers when kids become involved.
9. No Instant Replay of “The Omen”
You’ve seen a kid throw a tantrum in public, right?
Like roll on the floor, screaming at the top of his/her voice “The Omen” style?
While everyone throws eye daggers at the parents like they’re minions of the antichrist?
Yeah, you won’t have to deal with that ever. Maybe with your nieces and nephews but you get to give them back to their parents at the end of the day.
10. No Teenagers
You remember being a total douchebag when you were a teenager, right? When you have kids, you will have to deal with that too.
Choosing not to have kids means no teenagers in your future so go on and enjoy your Peter Pan existence forever if that’s what you want.
11. Your Home Will Remain Spick and Span
A child can turn a spotless room into a scene from Armageddon within a few hours no matter how hard you try to keep it clean.
You won’t have to deal with that if you don’t have kids. And if you’re a naturally messy person, remember you have money to hire someone to clean up after you.
12. Silence is Golden
Some people can’t stand silence or be in a silent environment but a lot of childfree people cannot live in a chaotic atmosphere.
Children are noisy and chaotic. That is a simple fact that cannot change. If you prefer silence, then you and kids are incompatible.
13. Bad Genetics Aren’t Passed On
If there’s a family history of physical or mental illness or some other negative traits, you’re doing any kids a favor by not bringing them to this world because you don’t want to pass any of that on.
14. Time for Selfcare
You will have all the time you need to indulge in self-care.
You can focus on yourself and your needs exclusively and rejuvenate your soul with what you need to carry on with your life journey. This is a luxury most mothers do not have.
14. Focus on Career Growth
You can focus on your career growth and trajectory when you’re childfree. You don’t have to take a break from work for maternity leave, stay-at-home parenting, etc.
Fewer breaks from your career mean faster progression. Many kudos to women that can work a full-time job and also parent.
Couldn’t be me. Which is one of the reasons I’m childfree.
15. No Planning for Anyone Besides Yourself
You don’t have to worry about cooking for different taste buds, cleaning, planning, doing laundry, etc, etc, etc for anyone else but yourself.
16. More Time for Your Hobbies & Interests
When you have kids, your hobbies and interests eventually start falling by the wayside and may even disappear altogether until your kids grow up.
The world is littered with people who gave up their dreams/interests/desires to raise kids. You don’t have to join the fray.
17. No Children’s TV
Listen, I love Frozen and Paw Patrol as much as the next kid but dagnabbit, I don’t want to watch it 40 times a week.
Guess what? As a childfree person, you won’t have to!
18. You Can Leave Your Things Anywhere You Want
Between my siblings, their kids destroyed about 5 phones and 2 TVs that I know of. If it’s eye level, you can be sure kids will destroy it.
With no kids, you can leave your things anywhere you want in your home and they won’t get destroyed because you looked away for 5 seconds.
19. You Don’t Have to Worry About What You’re Going to Get
Having kids is a bit of a lottery. You could get the most perfect kid in the world. Or you could get the next Ted Bundy.
You really don’t know and you’re stuck with whatever your kid turns out to be. This worry is removed when you choose to remain childfree.
20. No Disneyland (Unless You Want To)
Need I say more….?
21. There’s More Than One Way to be a Parent
You can choose to become a pet parent – dogs, cats, birds, etc. Or you can choose to become a plant parent.
Many childfree individuals and fence sitters find the satisfaction they need from nurturing a pet or a plant.
Plus you don’t have to give any of them up if you’re not having kids.
So, are there any disadvantages to being childfree? From where I’m standing right now in my life, the answer is NO!
Are you thinking, “So, who’s going to take care of you when you’re old?”
First off, it’s cruel and selfish to bring another human being into the world for that purpose. Second, we’ll talk about that a bit more in a later article.
At the end of the day, this is about you and what’s best for you.
Make the decision that will make you happy but if you’re not sure, think long and hard before jumping into motherhood.
Got other advantages of being childfree not mentioned above? Share in the comments section and I’ll add it to the article.
Childfree Chica is living her best childfree life and enjoying every moment of it. She funds her childfree adventures by making smart financial decisions and investing her money wisely. You can learn more about her and this community HERE. Interested in telling us about your childfree journey? Submit your story here.
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