Admitted member of the "motherhood mafia" goes to No Kidding!
Savannah Morning News columnist Anne Hart attends a local meeting of No Kidding! and comes away with some impressive insights:
I went to gain insight into why the child-free choose their lifestyle. And to find out how those of us suffering from ''placenta brain'' - a disease identified by a woman's inability to talk about anything but her pregnancy, nursery and the little genius she's carrying - can step outside our obsessions and learn from the child-free.Those of us in the motherhood mafia, or on the verge of being inducted, need to stop trying to persuade non-parents over to our side of the playground. Life is not, after all, a big Red Rover game. Not only should we accept their decision, but also encourage them to talk about their choice, if they're feeling chatty.
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1 Comments:
Hello Anne,
I just read your article "Honey where are the Kids?Not Here" which appeared in the October 15, 2006 Savannah Morning News. Your article is well written and you make your points well.
My girlfriend and I don't want any kids. I am 37 and she is 43. I underwent a vasectomy 4 months ago and have no regrets about it. The procedure was quick, inexpensive and the discomfort was minimal. The doctor and nurse who performed the procedure were very professional and courteous. No personal judgment or commentary was said during a consultation a few weeks prior to the procedure.
The same should be true for a woman who wishes to undergo a tubal ligation.
A few days ago I rode up the chairlift at our local ski area with a high school classmate. She and her husband have two sons, age 3 years and 4 months. While Karen and her husband Dan are very proud parents, they don't push their views on me or anyone else.
The most common comment I hear is "who will take care of you when you are older?" My reply is that there is no guarantee that an adult child would be willing or able to take care of me in my autumn years. I know of several cases where parents had to care for adult children who became seriously ill.
Before I met my girlfriend, I was told "I would change my mind" or "there is no way I would meet someone who is childfree." My reply is that a couple can agree to disagree about politics, find activities to share and do separately but can't have a half a kid"
Best Regards,
Mike Engelhardt
Los Alamos,NM
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