{"id":619908,"date":"2024-05-10T00:48:42","date_gmt":"2024-05-09T21:48:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-i-chose-not-to-have-kids\/"},"modified":"2024-05-10T00:48:42","modified_gmt":"2024-05-09T21:48:42","slug":"why-i-chose-not-to-have-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-i-chose-not-to-have-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why I Chose Not to Have Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2583796c036\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2583796c036\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-i-chose-not-to-have-kids\/#Get_the_Best_of_Macleans_straight_to_your_inbox\" >Get the Best of Maclean\u2019s straight to your inbox.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"wp-block \">\n<div class=\"ad-free-zone\">\n<div class=\" mx-auto max-w-full w-full -mt-20 laptop:mt-0 laptop:pt-20 max-w-[600px] laptop:max-w-[945px]\">\n<div class=\" max-w-full aspect-[945_\/_630] laptop:h-[630px]\"><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"1000\" height=\"700\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover\" style=\"color:transparent\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 945px\" srcset=\"\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN059.jpg&amp;w=640&amp;q=75 640w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN059.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;q=75 750w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN059.jpg&amp;w=828&amp;q=75 828w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN059.jpg&amp;w=1080&amp;q=75 1080w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN059.jpg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=75 1200w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN059.jpg&amp;w=1920&amp;q=75 1920w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN059.jpg&amp;w=2048&amp;q=75 2048w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN059.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/macleans.ca\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN059.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75\"\/><\/div>\n<p>Jenna Ross, at home in Knowlesville, New Brunswick, never wanted kids. Climate change clinched that decision. <span class=\"all-small-caps text-grey\"> <!-- -->photography by chris donovan<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"max-w-[640px] laptop:max-w-[600px] mx-auto px-20 laptop:px-0 py-20 laptop:py-20\">\n<div class=\"text-smm leading-smm laptop:leading-smxl font-sans laptop:text-base text-grey font-lightmedium\">Jenna Ross wasn\u2019t sure she wanted to become a parent. The climate crisis clinched her decision.\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"author\">Jenna Ross<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"max-w-[640px] mx-auto py-20 px-20\">\n<div class=\"mb-8 flex gap-6\">\n<div class=\"relative inline-block\"><button aria-label=\"Sharing Button\" class=\"rounded-xl border border-grey-light px-12 py-6 hover:bg-grey-lighter transition-colors\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\"><g clip-path=\"url(#ico-share_svg__a)\"><path stroke=\"#121212\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M2.419 15.525c1.286-1.37 4.661-4.275 9.458-4.275V15l6.25-6.25-6.25-6.25v3.75c-4.125 0-9.413 3.941-10 9.027a.313.313 0 0 0 .542.248\"\/><\/g><defs><clippath id=\"ico-share_svg__a\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M0 0h20v20H0z\"\/><\/clippath><\/defs><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"fixed laptop:absolute max-laptop:bottom-0 laptop:top-[calc(100%+20px)] left-0 right-0 laptop:right-auto w-full laptop:w-[190px] p-20 rounded-lg bg-white font-sans shadow-[0px_0px_10px_rgba(0,0,0,0.15)] invisible\">\n<ul class=\"list-none p-0\">\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Copy Link<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Email<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a><\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>X<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>LinkedIn<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Whats<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">App<\/a><\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Reddit<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"uppercase text-xs leading-normal font-sans text-grey font-lightmedium\">May 9, 2024<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap     undefined\"><strong>When I played with Barbies growing up,<\/strong> I always imagined they were businesswomen wearing power suits and living in a big city. I was eight years old, and this was the only model I\u2019d seen of a woman whose identity wasn\u2019t wrapped up in motherhood. By the time I was 12, I dreamed of <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a>ling, having adventures, owning pets. The common theme in these dreams was actually an absence: there were no kids. There was no epiphany moment. It happened slowly. Growing up, after babysitting other people\u2019s kids, I\u2019d come home and say, \u201cI don\u2019t want this.\u201d The immediate response from people around me was that I\u2019d change my mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">I went on to study sociology and environmental studies at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. I spent four years thinking constantly and deeply about the state of the Earth. In 2006, during my third year, I saw the effects of climate change firsthand when I did an exchange program at the University of Western Sydney in Australia. In one of my environmental <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> classes, we took a field trip to the Pejar Dam in Goulburn, a major water catchment area for Sydney. For the first time in its 25-year history, it was practically empty. It can hold 9,000 megalitres of water, but it was down to just three.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">We walked along the bottom of the dam where water should have been. It was cracked and dry and grey. There was a small puddle in the middle. A water tower loomed over the dam, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.dk\/detail\/news-photo\/water-level-markings-are-seen-on-a-tower-inside-pejar-dam-news-photo\/94618105\">marked<\/a> with years of water-level lines. Residents in the area were using buckets of water to shower; hoses and sprinklers were banned. Conceptually and theoretically, I\u2019d understood the climate crisis. But until then I never thought about water conservation. I\u2019d also experienced my first wildfires in Australia. Walking around the university, I\u2019d pass through billows of smoke in the air. I kept expecting class to be cancelled\u2014it was strange walking through the smoky campus\u2014but things was business as usual. These were huge eye openers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">Without the climate crisis, there\u2019s a small chance I might have still had kids. With it, I know I won\u2019t. It\u2019s too daunting to bring a life into a world that\u2019s warming. It\u2019s not worth the risk. Whenever I make a decision, I draw up a mental pros and cons list. When it comes to having children, as I sift through different scenarios and necessary lifestyle changes I\u2019d have to make, I always dead-end at one thing: the climate crisis. It was one thing I could never justify.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">Nearly 15 years ago, when I was 24, I was working as a ski lift operator in Jasper. I was living the ski bum life\u2014hiking, camping, skiing\u2014when I met a guy and fell in love. Within the first month of dating, I told him, &#8220;I\u2019m pretty sure I definitely don\u2019t want kids, so if that\u2019s something you want, I\u2019m not your person.&#8221; We\u2019re still together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">My family and friends support my decision. But I\u2019ve heard it all before from others: <em>You\u2019ll change your mind.<\/em> <em>Who\u2019s going to look after you when you\u2019re old? How will you ever know real love?<\/em> It\u2019s surprising how many strangers feel they can weigh in on my life choices. At a wedding just a couple of years ago, a man I had just met couldn\u2019t get over the fact that I chose not to get married. And when I told him I didn\u2019t have kids, I basically blew his mind. He spent a lot of time trying to convince me, a person who he had just met, to become a parent.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide \"><img alt=\"Ross lives in an off-grid home in Knowlesville, New Brunswick, with her partner and two dogs\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 100vw\" srcset=\"\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN056.jpg&amp;w=640&amp;q=75 640w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN056.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;q=75 750w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN056.jpg&amp;w=828&amp;q=75 828w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN056.jpg&amp;w=1080&amp;q=75 1080w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN056.jpg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=75 1200w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN056.jpg&amp;w=1920&amp;q=75 1920w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN056.jpg&amp;w=2048&amp;q=75 2048w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN056.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/macleans.ca\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN056.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75\"\/><figcaption class=\"w-full text-left\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">Now, I\u2019m less offended when these conversations pop up. I\u2019m 38, and while I\u2019m increasingly the minority among my peers, I know I\u2019m not alone. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2023\/nov\/09\/more-people-not-having-children-due-to-climate-breakdown-fears-finds-research\">New<\/a> research has found that more people are now basing their decisions not to have children on fears of climate breakdown. A 2023 study found that people with stronger concerns about climate breakdown had a desire for fewer children, or none at all. It\u2019s such an individual thing. If it was somebody\u2019s deep longing to have children, of course I feel sad for them. But my life is rich and meaningful and fulfilled, and I get that without having children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">The population is eight billion people. I don\u2019t need to add another one. I don\u2019t want to throw kids into the gamble of an uncertain world. Displaced communities, years-long droughts, frequent wildfires\u2014it\u2019s hard to think about. And current projections say it\u2019s not getting better. In fact, the planet is currently on track for global average temperatures to rise by up to nearly 3 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, according to a 2023 United Nations <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smart-news\/earth-headed-for-nearly-three-degree-temperature-hike-well-above-paris-agreement-level-180983305\/#:~:text=The%20Earth%20is%20on%20track,upon%20in%20the%20Paris%20Agreement.\">report<\/a>. It\u2019s not surprising to me. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">I\u2019ve also\u00a0sought out communities online. In 2020, I joined a Facebook group for people who also made the conscious choice not to have kids. I subscribe to a weekly email <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>letter called We Are Childfree, a storytelling project that features stories from people who have chosen not to have children. I\u2019ve learned the social pressure to have children is even greater in other countries. I\u2019ve read stories from people in the Middle East or Latin America who describe their cultures as particularly resistant to childfree choices. Some of them are ostracized by their families and communities. It\u2019s heartbreaking, but it feels comforting to not feel so alone in the world with my choice. I like the notion of bringing more visibility to people who make the decision not to have kids. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligndefault \"><img alt=\"alt tag missing\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"w-full text-left\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">I\u2019m not a doomsday person who thinks the world is ending. Actually, I am optimistic that we can turn things around, and I made a lot of choices in my life banking on that hope.\u00a0Over the years, I\u2019ve worked odd jobs: a tramway guide in the Rockies, an organic farmer, a dishwasher at an Italian restaurant. Whatever money I stashed away I used to travel the world. Being able to get up and go with my backpack energized me. I did work exchange programs on farms in Europe and Australia. There, I learned from elders about living sustainably, and I realized how much I love working with my hands and growing plants out of the earth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">These days, I\u2019m a potter in Florenceville-Bristol, N.B., about a 90-minute drive northwest of Fredericton. My partner and live in an off-grid home fitted with renewable solar panels and a compost toilet. I grow as much of my own food as I can and live lightly on the land. When I travel, I take a train rather than fly whenever possible. I\u2019m no means an eco-saint, but I try to be conscious about my choices. I live on nearly 100 acres, and I put a lot of energy into propagating native trees. Part of my climate action is forestry restoration, slowly bringing back the traditional Acadian forest one tree at a time. I doubt that I\u2019d personally be able to maintain this lifestyle if I had children.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">Last year, I went to Italy for three months. I went all along the coast, from Sicily to Rome, and hiking in the Italian Alps. I wanted to learn from other potters and visited Vietri sul Mare in the province of Salerno, a city known for its ceramics. I worked on small homesteads and tried to learn Italian. I\u2019m not sure these experiences would have been possible with children. It can be hard for some people to understand, but I\u2019m just not interested in having a child. It doesn\u2019t appeal to me. It would be a giant drain on my time and energy. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide \"><img alt=\"Ross is a potter in Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick, about a 90-minute drive northwest of Fredericton, and also works in her own home pottery studio\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 100vw\" srcset=\"\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN058.jpg&amp;w=640&amp;q=75 640w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN058.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;q=75 750w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN058.jpg&amp;w=828&amp;q=75 828w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN058.jpg&amp;w=1080&amp;q=75 1080w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN058.jpg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=75 1200w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN058.jpg&amp;w=1920&amp;q=75 1920w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN058.jpg&amp;w=2048&amp;q=75 2048w, \/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN058.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/macleans.ca\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FCHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN058.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75\"\/><figcaption class=\"w-full text-left\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"    endstyle undefined\">Everyone always told me I would change my mind. That was in the back of my head as I travelled the world seeking new adventures and planted roots in my homestead. But it didn\u2019t turn out to be the case. When people ask me if I have kids\u2014which happens all the time\u2014I used to just say no. Now, I make a point to say,<em> &#8220;No, I\u2019ve chosen not to.<\/em>&#8221; That\u2019s my way of trying to normalize the fact that women can make this choice. Growing up, I never had older women in my life make that option clear to me. Having kids was the default setting. I like that young people who are on the fence can see more visibility and options. It\u2019s okay not to have kids. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><em>\u2014As told to Emily Latimer<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block \">\n<div class=\"ad-free-zone laptop:px-0\">\n<div class=\"max-w-screen-desktop mx-auto px-20 tablet:px-40\">\n<div class=\"wp-newsletter-signup max-w-screen-desktop mx-auto w-full py-20 my-20 tablet:my-40 tablet:py-80 &#10;          border-t-3 tablet:border-t-[6px] border-dark bg-white\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col tablet:flex-row max-w-[800px] w-full mx-auto tablet:items-center\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col tablet:w-7\/12 space-y-10 text-center tablet:text-left px-20\">\n<h2 class=\"text-red\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_the_Best_of_Macleans_straight_to_your_inbox\"><\/span>Get the Best of <em>Maclean\u2019s<\/em> straight to your inbox.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"newsletter-subtitle font-sans text-sm leading-xm tablet:leading-smm font-lightmedium text-grey\">Sign up for news, commentary, analysis and promotions. Join 80,000+ Canadian readers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/macleans.ca\/society\/why-i-chose-not-to-have-kids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jenna Ross, at home in Knowlesville, New Brunswick, never wanted kids. Climate change clinched that decision. photography by chris donovan Jenna Ross wasn\u2019t sure she wanted to become a parent. The climate crisis clinched her decision. Jenna Ross Copy Link Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit May 9, 2024 When I played with Barbies growing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":619909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cms.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/CHILDFREE-BY-CHOICE_JENNA-ROSS_BY-CHRIS-DONOVAN059.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-619908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=619908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619908\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/619909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=619908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=619908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=619908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}