Are You Childless By Choice?

Marriage And Beyond

oi-Anwesha

By Anwesha Barari

Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 17:45

There seems to be a general consensus on the fact that children are binders in a relationship. When a couple is settled, happy with each other and wish to celebrate their togetherness they have a baby. The corollary is that there can be no happy marriage without children or at least a single child. This is a misconception that need some addressing. There are many people who would like to be childless by choice and very happy in their situation. Our conception of a childless couple is a middle aged couple depressed and craving foe a child. It is not always true as childless marriages too can be successful marriages.

Here is a list of reasons for which married people or partners living together remain childless by choice.

Why Are Couples Childless By Choice?

• In this age of tough competition and cut throat professionalism is it really that hard to guess? With both partners working in demanding careers or top corporate portfolios it is better to be a childless than irresponsible parents. A family can have one career and a job but the scenario these days is that both partners work equally hard and have no parenting time at all.

• Some people are childless by choice of career. How will two astronauts who travel to space every year have babies? How will a couple both of whom have transferable jobs bring up a child? Sports persons who travel all year long on tours cannot think of have babies without ruining their careers.

• Some couple are childless because they have decided in advance that they will pursue their passion. People have a passion for adventure sports or traveling to the most remote locations on this planet. A child for such couples is an obligation that they do not want to tag along. They prefer to travel light and keep all their free time for their hobbies.

• Some people know themselves well enough to judge in advance that they are going to make bad parents. It is not like everybody is born with maternal or paternal instincts. It is possible for people to be totally indifferent to children, even their own. So intellectuals, artists or writers who wish for solitude may make this choice.

• Some childless marriages work out well because the couple is so much in love that they have time for nothing else. They feel that having a baby will intrude into the time they have for each other. It may also lead to unnecessary arguments and marriage problems that they do not wish to incur. In short they are happy with each other without the added happiness of a child.

• A couple may be childless because they do not wish to get married. Living in is alright as long as you don't have a child that needs social recognition. So those who don't believe in the institution of marriage may not want a baby.

Being childless by choice is a possibility people may consider.