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Concept
Voluntary childlessness
Summary
Voluntary childlessness, also called being childfreeness, describes the voluntary choice not to have children.
In most societies and for most of human history, choosing not to have children was both difficult and undesirable (except for celibate individuals). The availability of reliable contraception along with support provided in old age by one's government or by one's savings rather than one's family has made childlessness an option for some people, though they may be looked down upon in certain communities.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word childfree first appeared sometime before 1901. It entered common usage among feminists during the 1970s, and was described as a 'trend' in 2014 in Psychology Today online magazine. The suffix -free denotes the freedom and personal choice of those to pick this lifestyle. The meaning of the term childfree extends to encompass the children of others (in addition to one's own children) and this distinguishes it further from the more usual term "childless", which is traditionally used to express the idea of having no children, whether by choice or by circumstance. The term child-free has been cited in Australian literature to refer to parents who are without children at the current time. This may be due to them living elsewhere on a permanent basis or a short-term solution such as childcare.
Supporters of this lifestyle, such as Corinne Maier, French author of No Kids: 40 Reasons For Not Having Children, cite various reasons for their view.
Simply not wanting to have children Supporters of this lifestyle argue that they should not have to justify why they do not want children.
Availability of effective contraception or sterilization makes the choice to remain voluntarily childless easier
Uncertain or ambivalent feelings about having children
Testimonies of parents who regret having children
Claims that parenthood is a great source of joy and happiness might be due to memory distortion and attachment, though parents are more likely to have a purpose in life
Even parents who love their kids may admit they would like to spend time in childfree zones.
Official source
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