Let’s talk about not having children
Not having children is on the rise in many countries across the globe and many millennials are quite vocal about not wishing to go the family way. Yet, choosing to be childfree or being childless still is a subject not much talked about–the focus tends to be on having families and raising children, in rural, town, or city life. Childless Living is about what people like us do with our time, about how we spend our money, and–most of all–how we find purpose and fulfilment in the four seasons of our lives.

“Not having children myself, I became fascinated by the growing awareness that parenting is not for everybody.”
Never truly attracted to family life myself, I began openly discussing why people didn’t have children and how that was for them, resulting in intimate conversations with childless women and men and surprising insights. Inspired to delve further, I interviewed non-parenting people aged 29 to 92 across the globe. I heard stories across the spectrum, from exhilarating to painful, from people still on the fence to the childfree who have always known starting a family was not for them. Many had been waiting to be listened to with sensitivity and no story was like the other. The interviews complemented my worldwide survey and recent research I could find.
“I wanted to paint a rich picture of the lives of childless and childfree women and men.”
This book is for everyone who has not gone the way of parenthood, who has close family or friends who lead self-directed lives without offspring, and for all those who are still contemplating this essential life choice. The stories in this book also testify that not having children of your own in no way means the joys (and trials) of children pass you by altogether. This book shows that it is ok to celebrate not only the parenting way of life and the children who come to those who love them, but also those who are brave enough to follow the lesser known path of non-parenting.
