Blog Profile / La Vie Childfree
| URL : | http://lauracarroll.com/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Lifestyle Choices / Child-Free | |
| Posts on Regator: | 135 | |
| Posts / Week: | 1.5 | |
| Archived Since: | August 28, 2011 | |
Blog Post Archive
MPR’s Poll on the Societal Impact of Children
I had the pleasure to be on Minnesota Public Radio this week, along with Bryan Caplan, the author of Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids. The title of The Daily Circuit’s program was, “Is It Immoral to Have Children?” We did not really get to the answer to this question directly, but there was good [...]
Reporting Back: The April On-the-Ground Question
The April childfree On-the-Ground question was: What do you get the most from online childfree communities? And in your opinion, how could the online childfree community improve? Here’s what you said: Moving to May, change is afoot this month… I am going to give the On the Ground question a rest for now. Why? My [...]
Unintentional Insults on the Childless & Childfree
On the heels of being interviewed for an upcoming article on the topic of what not to say to childfree friends (and why), I saw this article by blogger Nicole Ciomelc about one of the worst bingoes the childfree and childless in particular can get. It puts a spotlight on how the childfree and the [...]
Importance of Career, Marriage & Parenthood: New Pew Research Center Report
Pew Research Center has a new report out on men and women, and the importance they put on key aspects of their lives. Respondents were asked questions related to their careers, marriage and parenthood. There are interesting numbers, especially when it comes to differences in women and men when it comes to the importance of [...]
Melinda Gates on Birth Control as a Global Human Agenda
Just watched this and want to pass on. Melinda Gates is up to the global impact of women having conscious control over their reproductive lives. Is it possible that an eventual global impact could be not just controlling the “when” of motherhood, but a living reality that it’s truly optional to begin with? Now that [...]
New “Childlessness” Numbers & More from The National Survey of Family Growth
The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) has a new report out on fertility statistics for the years 2006-2010. The NSFG is one of the few organizations who break the “childlessness”category out into “voluntary,” “involuntary” and “temporary.” The report is packed with data; here are some highlights of findings in the childlessness area: From the [...]
3 Favorite Strategies for Answering the Infamous Question: Why Don’t You Want Kids?
As the answers to this month’s On-the-Ground question come in, one thing that some people mention as something they’d like to see online childfree discussion forums do is have more tools for dealing with challenges of the childfree life. One of the challenges the childfree talk about is how not to get defensive when asked by [...]
Childfree Introverts, Extroverts, or Ambiverts?
I continue to be curious about whether the childfree are more likely to be introverted. I posted on this topic awhile back with some interesting research on introverts, and more recently read Susan Cain’s excellent book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking looking for possible answers… While the childfree [...]
Charles Knowlton: A Father of “Children as a Choice”
In Elizabeth Kolbert’s recent article in The New Yorker talks about a guy who sure is worth knowing about: doctor Charles Knowlton. Why? Because he may have been a father of the idea that having children is a choice, that parenthood is optional. Check out what Kolbert says… She writes that according to one historian, [...]
Reporting Back: The March On-the-Ground Question
In part as a nod to Women’s History month, the March On-the-Ground Question was: Who is your favorite childfree woman and why? She can be dead or alive, famous or not, someone you know personally, any childfree woman! Here’s what you said: The April Question is: What do you get the most from participating in [...]
Be Part of Research on Childfree Women: Call for Participants
I am all for supporting research on the childfree. Adi Avivi, a clinical psychology doctoral student at Long Island University recently contacted me, and is doing an interesting study. Are you a childfree woman who is at least 21 years old who might interested in participating in a study about the place of Internet communication [...]
Childfree & Parent-to-be Friendships
There’s a good deal of talk about how the childfree often lose friends when kids come on the scene, or at least about how the friendships change. Here’s a woman who asks the friendship question from the perspective of the parent-to-be: “How can I keep my childfree friends in my life when I decide to [...]
Where are the Not-Famous Favorite Childfree?
In honor of Women’s History Month, this month’s On-the-Ground question has been: Who is your favorite childfree woman and why? She can be dead or alive, famous or not, someone from your professional or personal life, etc. I have been collecting responses over the course of the month, and am noticing an interesting thing… Not [...]
Falling Birthrates, More Elderly – An Opportunity?
One of the many ways being childfree has been criticized relates to how it contributes to falling birthrates. Some experts think that low birthrates are not good for the future of countries, or the world, for that matter. Why? Because there will be too many old people. As Bryan Walsh on Times’s Ecocentric blog writes, [...]
Childfree Me – Up Close & Personal
I have been interviewed for lots of articles over the years, but this request came from the site, “Fab Over 50? and the (delightful 30 something) editor wanted to talk with me up close and personal about my life and childfree choice. I thought I would cross post the Q&A part of the article [...]
Retired “Niche Living” – What Would the Childfree Version Look Like?
In the same edition of Time as the article on living alone as “the new norm,” there’s another one that got me thinking about childfree applications. This one is on “niche aging.” Fast forward to your retirement (ok, that might seem far away but from On-the-Ground question responses, many think way ahead about this!) with [...]
What The Childfree & Living Solo Have in Common
I recently saw a stat that surprised me in the Time article, “Living Alone is the New Norm.” Latest 2011 U.S. Census data tell us that 28% of Americans live alone. That number means they are now “tied with childless couples as the most prominent residential type.” The meaning of “Childless” here includes …..any home [...]
The Many Women in History Who Got It–that Motherhood is Optional
Have you seen the collage of never-mom women from history (and some still alive) on pinterest? Olivia Reading has done a great job. It’s Women’s History Month, and I find it inspiring! Check it out, and maybe it will inspire your answer to this month’s On-the-Ground Question. Simone de Beauvoir (pictured) is one of mine… [...]
Reporting Back: The February On-the-Ground Question
The February question was: How has being childfree had the most positive impacts on your life? What do you foresee as future positive impacts? Here’s what you said: March is Women’s History Month. So the March On-the-Ground question let’s focus on childfree women. The question is: Who is your favorite childfree woman and why? She [...]
Were the Childfree Bad Babysitters?
Running across a post by Sue Fagalde Lick on a babysitting jello fiasco brought back memories of my own babysitting days. I have some babysitting stories to tell as well. Babysitting was the first “job” I had and did it as a teen. I grew up to have no children by choice, so did that [...]