We are Childfree – Details, episodes & analysis

Meet Jody Day, an icon, an inspiration, and a pioneer in creating community for non-parents 💝

From the episode:

- how Jody worked through her childless grief to feel as childfree as if she’d chosen it

- why everyone along the non-parent spectrum needs to unite to fight against the powers of pronatalism

- Alterkin, Jody’s innovative, in-person, intergenerational community of non-parents who vow to support each other as they age

We are Childfree is an independent podcast and we rely on community support to keep going. Please consider becoming a Dolly Patron, starting at €5 a month. You’ll get full episodes, exclusive portraits, access to the chat and free childfree stories straight to your inbox.

Help us get to 2000 members, to cover the costs of celebrating and supporting childfree lives for one more year! Find out how to become a Dolly Patron at wearechildfree.substack.com

🔗 Links

Find Jody at Gateway Elderwomen  Book: Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on The Decision Not To Have Kids - edited by Meghan Daum Book: The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World - Laura Carroll Book: No One Talks About This Stuff - edited by Kat Brown

We spill the childfree tea on the complicated feelings that come up when we find out our friends are pregnant. It’s something almost all of us will face at some point - so we surveyed the childfree community to get the truth about the topic!

Then, in a re-released Ask WAC chat, we rally round a couple whose friend groups are now full of parents, with little time for anything but their kids. This is such a tricky problem, so we tapped the We are Childfree community hive mind for some stellar support and amazing advice!

If you’d like more support making and keeping friends, you can join Zoë and a small group of childfree cheerleaders for a live workshop to feel seen, supported, and connected - especially when your friendships are shifting 🤗

Links

Childfree Cheer Camp Presents: Navigating Friendships 🤗

Survey: Navigating Friendships 🤗 Help us help you!

Podcast: Claiming Zero - Friendship Before and After Kids

This is a very special episode of the podcast! I interviewed Orna Donath, the author of Regretting Motherhood, for an exclusive We are Childfree member event, and our conversation was so full of inspiration and insight that I had to share a preview with you all.

Listen in to hear how…

🔥 Regret often comes from societal pressures, not from our own choices

🔥 Choosing not to have children can be a radical act

🔥 We’re not the first! We’re continuing the legacy of women who’ve chosen to live childfree for generations

This podcast was brought to you by the generous support of the We are Childfree member community. To hear the full interview and get invites to exclusive member events, join our community of childfree cheerleaders at wearechildfree.com/join

Thank you so much for your support 🙏

Links

🔮 Live Masterclass: Create Your Childfree Life Vision 🔮

Read Regretting Motherhood by Orna Donath

Meet Lydia, a 53-year-old childfree trailblazer who welcomed us into her wonderful home in Athens, Greece, and opened up about her two decade journey to fulfilment. Her story has so much to teach us, especially that it’s never too late to embrace who you are and create the life that’s right for you 💖

This podcast was brought to you by the generous support of the We are Childfree member community. To hear the full interview, and unlock a beautiful portrait of Lydia living her best life in Athens, join our community of childfree cheerleaders at wearechildfree.com/join

Thank you so much for your support 🙏

Links

🔮 Live Masterclass: Create Your Childfree Life Vision 🔮

Portrait: “If there is something I regret, it is the fact that for so many years, I just didn’t know who I was.” - Lydia, Greece

How do you decide whether to have kids or not? That's the question from a self-proclaimed fencesitter that we put to the We are Childfree community for this classic episode of Ask WAC! (Originally published as a bonus episode on August 28, 2023)

How can you even imagine life as a parent? How do you separate external pressures from your own inner feelings? Listen to find out!

If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email hello@wearechildfree.com with "Ask WAC" as the subject line.

Questions from We are Childfree members get priority! To jump the queue, get episodes a week early, and find your community of childfree cheerleaders, join us at www.wearechildfree.com/join/ 🙌

Links

"My choice to be childfree is important to me, because I have a very special relationship with my body.” - Léa, Berlin
Podcast: No regrets, with 78 year-old childfree trailblazer Marcia Drut-Davis
Without Children: The Long History of Not Being a Mother by Peggy O'Donnell Heffington

How do you decide whether to have kids or not? That's the question from a self-proclaimed fencesitter that we put to the We are Childfree community for this classic episode of Ask WAC! (Originally released as bonus episode on July 28, 2023)

How can you even imagine life as a parent? How do you separate external pressures from your own inner feelings? Listen to find out!

If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email hello@wearechildfree.com with "Ask WAC" as the subject line.

Questions from We are Childfree members get priority! To jump the queue, get episodes a week early, and find your community of childfree cheerleaders, join us at www.wearechildfree.com/join/ 🙌

Links
"My choice to be childfree is important to me, because I have a very special relationship with my body.” - Léa, Berlin
Podcast: No regrets, with 78 year-old childfree trailblazer Marcia Drut-Davis
Without Children: The Long History of Not Being a Mother by Peggy O'Donnell Heffington

Do childfree people ever regret their decision? That's the burning question we put to the We are Childfree community for this classic episode of Ask WAC! (Originally released as a bonus episode on June 14, 2023)

How many childfree people experience regret? Where does that regret come from? What does it feel like? Listen to find out!

If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email hello@wearechildfree.com with "Ask WAC" as the subject line.

Questions from We are Childfree members get priority! To jump the queue, get episodes a week early, and find your community of childfree cheerleaders, join us at www.wearechildfree.com/join/ 🙌

Links
MSU study confirms: 1 in 5 adults don’t want children — and they don’t regret it later
Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence by Dr Amy Blackstone
Podcast: No regrets, with 78 year-old childfree trailblazer Marcia Drut-Davis
Regrets, hot and cold on The History of Emotions Blog

“How do you pave the way for your childfree future?”

We help out a childfree woman who’s facing down 40 and wondering what it means for her future that she didn’t have kids? There’s tons of great advice from the childfree community here, about finding role models who inspire you, defining your own purpose and living life on your own terms!

If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email hello@wearechildfree.com with "Ask WAC" as the subject line.

Questions from We are Childfree members get priority! To jump the queue, get episodes a week early, and find your community of childfree cheerleaders, join us at www.wearechildfree.com/join/ 🙌

Links

🔮 Live Masterclass: Create Your Childfree Life Vision 🔮

Mrizi I Zanave Agroturizem

People: Miley Cyrus Reveals Why She's Not Sure She Wants to Have Kids

Miley Cyrus & Dolly Parton - Wrecking Ball & I Will Always Love You [Miley’s New Year’s]

Podcast: Life just gets better and better, with Cindy Gallop

Podcast: Taking the road less-travelled, with 65-year-old clinical psychologist Shelley

“We both wanted kids but I’ve changed my mind - how do we talk about this?”

The childfree community shares their advice and experiences with someone who’s found herself on the other side of the “kids fence” as her husband. Find out what men think about fatherhood, how to help your partner understand your side of things, and how to work to create a life that’s right for the both of you 🫶

If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email hello@wearechildfree.com with "Ask WAC" as the subject line.

Questions from We are Childfree members get priority! To jump the queue, get episodes a week early, and find your community of childfree cheerleaders, join us at www.wearechildfree.com/join/ 🙌

Links

Share your Story with We are Childfree!

Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die

The Baby Decision: How to Make The Most Important Choice of Your Life by Merle Bombardieri

“How do you steer the conversation away from kids?”

Listen in as the childfree community rallies around someone whose friends have kids going off to college, and can’t talk about anything else! Find out how to support the mothers in your life and foster reciprocal relationships, even if it sometimes means boring them to tears about your dog 🐾

If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email hello@wearechildfree.com with "Ask WAC" as the subject line.

Questions from We are Childfree members get priority! To jump the queue, get episodes a week early, and find your community of childfree cheerleaders, join us at www.wearechildfree.com/join/ 🙌

Links

Share your Story with We are Childfree!

Reggie Watts on Instagram: “Table for 1 please”

Reggie Watts on Twitter: “If I never have or adopt children…”

*Demographic Research:* The timing of parenthood and its effect on social contact and support