Women who didn't plan on becoming mothers but are mothers all the same are beginning to speak up (Photo: Shutterstock)
Whether or not a woman should have or choose not to have kids will always be a sensitive topic. Some women know that they wanted kids from a very young age, but for others, its not the case. Theres a part of society that doesnt believe there are women who really dont want kids and with that comes a lot of heavy judgement.
ALSO READ: Five tips on talking to your kids about their fears
Within that community of women who have no desire to have kids, are those who actually end up having children. Life happens, things change and you find yourself breastfeeding at 1 a.m. while youre half asleep. Now you have to awkwardly accept the congratulations for your baby and a part of you wants to curl up into a ball and cry.
Heres some advice if you find yourself with kids when you never planned to have any.
i. Youre not alone
Society likes to isolate women who dont want to have kids. Youll face the pressure if you attempt to air your views and surprisingly, some family members will even resent you for it. And now that you have kids, theyll automatically assume that you changed your mind just like they said you would. Only a few will understand how you feel about the whole motherhood thing and eventually you might even meet some women who are going through what youre experiencing.
Recently, women who didnt desire to have kids have started being more vocal about how they feel, which is revolutionary. They might still feel comfortable sharing their stories anonymously but, at least you know youre not alone.
ii. Youre not a horrible mom
Its hard to admit that you didnt want to have kids in the first place. It doesnt mean that you hate your kids and it doesnt make you a horrible person. It just means youre being honest. Dont feel horrible about yourself if you dont enjoy carrying your baby or spending every single moment with them. Its going to be tough for a while but the fact still remains that motherhood isnt necessarily for everyone. Hold on to your truth regardless of how people feel.
ALSO READ: Online app making homeschooling smooth
iii. You shouldnt be forced to have more children
Things might just get worse if youre pressured into having more kids. Its one thing to amicably decide to have more kids with your partner but it shouldnt be a matter of forcing issues. Youre the one wholl bear the burden of carrying the baby through the nine months then go through the pain of labour and delivery. Perhaps youll even be the one to change the diapers throughout and handle everything else in the household so I believe you have the right to decide whether you can handle more kids or not.
iv. Never resent your children for it
Its not your childs fault. They didnt sign up to be born. Although you have a right to feel the way you do, you should never take out your anger on them. Every child deserves to be loved by their parents regardless of whether they were planned or not. Parenting will force you to do things you never wanted to but thats just how life is. You have to appreciate them for who they are and focus on the joy they bring.
v. Things might change
Some mums actually come round after some time.There are still those moments where you miss your childfree days but for the most part, they learn to embrace their new lives. Seeing your baby smile as they sleep peacefully or noticing they have the same dimple as you can actually turn things around. Itll be a gradual process of making lemonade out of the lemons that life gives you.
ALSO READ: #FridayFashionInspo: Sizzling mum of five, Keke Cameron is keeping it hot and trendy
Do not miss out on the latest news. Join the Eve Digital Telegram channel HERE.
Read the original post:
A word for mums who never wanted kids - The Standard
- Happily Childfree [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- The Childfree Life Index page [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- The Childfree Life [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- Childfree - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- Living Childfree - RESOLVE: The National Infertility ... [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- Vacation Without Children (Childfree Getaways) [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2016]
- Complete Without Kids: a Childfree by Choice Handbook ... [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2016]
- I Do NOT Want Kids! ( CHILDFREE / KIDFREE dating ) aka ... [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2016]
- Childfree News [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2016]
- the childfree-by-choice pages [ potpourri ] [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2016]
- The Childfree-by-Choice Pages [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2016]
- Childfree Me Reflections on my choice to be childless [Last Updated On: July 3rd, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 3rd, 2016]
- International Childfree Day | Celebrating Childfree Men ... [Last Updated On: July 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 25th, 2016]
- The Very Sad Childfree Life | Strange Notions [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2016]
- Childfreedom [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2016]
- Jillian Michaels - Scary Mommy [Last Updated On: December 31st, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 31st, 2016]
- Voluntary childlessness - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: February 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 1st, 2017]
- Mommyjacking The Childfree Life - STFU Parents [Last Updated On: February 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 1st, 2017]
- Why No Kids - We're childfree and happy. You could be too! [Last Updated On: February 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 4th, 2017]
- Only One in the World: Pioneering NotMom Summit to Connect Childless & Childfree Women - PR Newswire (press release) [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- I had a vasectomy and I have no regrets - Why a lot of people are opting for a child free lifestyle - SDE Entertainment News (satire) (press release)... [Last Updated On: February 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 26th, 2017]
- This May Explain Why So Many People Feel Outraged About Childfree Adults - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2017]
- Ugh: Americans Still Think Less of People Without Kids - Glamour [Last Updated On: March 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 6th, 2017]
- Meet The Twenty-Something Childfree Women Fighting To Be Sterilised - Huffington Post UK [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2017]
- Child-free and OK with it but still dealing with moral scolding and ... - Salon [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2017]
- Childfree: Meet the women who don't want to become mums - ABC Online [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2017]
- What not to say to couples who don't have children - The Irish Times - Irish Times [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2017]
- The Childfree, Outrage, and Where It Belongs - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: April 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 7th, 2017]
- Chrissy Teigen: We Shouldn't 'Assume All Women's Goals Are To Have Kids' - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: April 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 13th, 2017]
- Ina Garten On Being Childfree: 'It's A Choice And That Was The ... - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: April 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 21st, 2017]
- Let Them Be Snipped: A Proposal of Ideas - ODU Mace & Crown [Last Updated On: April 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 23rd, 2017]
- I Have No Regrets About Choosing To Be Childfree - Huffington Post India [Last Updated On: April 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 23rd, 2017]
- Recognizing Childfree Families On International Family Day - HuffPost [Last Updated On: May 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 17th, 2017]
- How People Decide Whether to Have Children - The Atlantic [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2017]
- Overlooking the childfree is a mistake - Spectator.co.uk (blog) [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2017]
- 'Strangers should mind their own business about my child-free status' - Independent.ie [Last Updated On: June 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 9th, 2017]
- Why Not Wanting Kids Is a Good Enough Reason to Not Have Them - POPSUGAR [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2017]
- What We Get Wrong About Women Who Don't Have Kids - Refinery29 [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2017]
- Why you should go on a child-free vacation - Femina [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2017]
- Vacation without Children - Childfree Getaways - TripSavvy [Last Updated On: June 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 23rd, 2017]
- Why am I expected to have children just because I'm a woman? - Irish Times [Last Updated On: June 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 27th, 2017]
- Can Everyone On RHONY Stop Shaming Carole Radziwill For Not Having Children? - Refinery29 [Last Updated On: June 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 30th, 2017]
- Myths and Facts About Living Childfree - RESOLVE [Last Updated On: July 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 1st, 2017]
- Celebrating ChildFreedom on the Fourth of July - HuffPost [Last Updated On: July 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 4th, 2017]
- Home | Childfree Women UK & Ireland [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2017]
- Ode: Divorced and dating again, childfree by choice - KWIT [Last Updated On: July 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 26th, 2017]
- Ode: Divorced and dating again, childfree by choice | KWIT - KWIT [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 28th, 2017]
- Calgary bucking national trend of couples with fewer kids, census ... - Calgary Herald [Last Updated On: August 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 5th, 2017]
- How Not To Be A Dick To Your Childfree Friends [Last Updated On: August 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 11th, 2017]
- 9 Childfree Women Explain What Life Is Like Without Kids ... [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2017]
- Im childfree, not childless heres why that difference matters - Stylist Magazine [Last Updated On: October 24th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 24th, 2019]
- 10 top tips to take the stress out of Christmas shopping - Offaly Express [Last Updated On: November 30th, 2019] [Originally Added On: November 30th, 2019]
- Since the age of 5, I've known that I don't want to be a mother - CBC.ca [Last Updated On: November 30th, 2019] [Originally Added On: November 30th, 2019]
- Deciding whether to have kids or not is hard, but there is a way forward - ABC News [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- This Is What No One Tells You About Being Child-Free In ... [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2020]
- 5 Things 'Childfree' People Want You To Know | HuffPost Life [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2020]
- 10 Women Look Back On Living Childfree By Choice | SELF [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2020]
- Things You Only Know If You're Childless - And Not By Choice - Grazia [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2020]
- Child-free women are tired of being told they'll regret it - The Big Smoke Australia [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2020]
- Childfree and Childless The Difference - The Good Men Project [Last Updated On: May 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: May 24th, 2020]
- Coronavirus Is Killing the Working Mother - Rolling Stone [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- 'The Big Bang Theory': Why Was Bernadette Really Reluctant to Have Children? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- First Thing: could the pandemic turn red states into swing states? - The Guardian [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- More women like me are choosing to be childfree. Is this the age of opting out? - The Guardian [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- Please Just Let 'Sex And The City' Die - HuffPost Canada [Last Updated On: December 29th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 29th, 2020]
- Bridgerton Premiere Recap: Scandal Broth Served Hot - Vulture [Last Updated On: December 29th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 29th, 2020]
- Albums of the Year 2020: Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters - The Arts Desk [Last Updated On: December 29th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 29th, 2020]
- Stop Telling Women That 'There's Never A Right Time To Have Kids' - YourTango [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2021]
- Having it all, redefined: Every woman gets to have her own definition. Dont let unrealistic expectations bu - The Times of India Blog [Last Updated On: March 9th, 2021] [Originally Added On: March 9th, 2021]
- Female firefighters lead the charge for change and urge women not to give up - ABC News [Last Updated On: March 9th, 2021] [Originally Added On: March 9th, 2021]
- 44% of Canadians feel their careers would suffer if they revealed mental health issues: report - Coast Mountain News [Last Updated On: March 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: March 31st, 2021]
- As climate anxiety builds, these women are choosing to not have children - Yahoo Lifestyle [Last Updated On: April 23rd, 2021] [Originally Added On: April 23rd, 2021]
- Generation Childfree: Not having children to save the planet - AL DIA News [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2021]
- Female and Childfree, In Pictures - The New York Times [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2021]
- Im childfree even though Id make a great mother, because America is no place to raise a kid - The Independent [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2021]
- Looking Back: 2020 Childfree Trending - Childfree Expert ... [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2021]
- No Kidding: The Childfree Movement Hits Close To Home ... [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2021]
- TikToker tells moms traveling with noisy kids they need to apologize: I am so sorry that this is not something youre used to - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: June 4th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 4th, 2021]
- All in the Family: The Modern 'Multispecies' Household - The Bark [Last Updated On: August 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: August 16th, 2021]
- New Book Just Like Family Explores How Pets Transformed the Idea of Family - The Bark [Last Updated On: August 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: August 16th, 2021]