Have You Decided Not to Be a Mother?

This year, new data from the federal government revealed that U.S. population growth is slowing as more women are delaying having children or deciding to forgo motherhood altogether. Amy Blackstone, professor in sociology at the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine and the author of Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence (Dutton, 2019), talks about her decision not to have kids and takes your calls on how you came to that choice too.

I never wanted to have kids because of racism period. It’s really telling that a white person dealing with issue wouldn’t even think to include Black folks and POC

— Jeanine T. Abraham (@J9dances) May 6, 2021

@BrianLehrer love this subject. After my whole adult life expecting to be a dad have now gladly embraced the opposite decision.

— Chris Talbott (@chr5istalbott) May 6, 2021

@BrianLehrer Thank you for this segment on choosing child-free living. I'm undecided on this issue, but one thing I worry about for my generation (senior millennials) is support for us when we're retired. As it is, the Social Security fund is running dry. Thank you!

— Elyse Lichtenthal (@elysehll) May 6, 2021

@BrianLehrer As someone who did not have children, this does not mean my life is “child free.” I mentor so many youth through my teaching and my friends and relish my role as an aunt. Also offer fiscal help when possible. I hope we can move beyond this divide.

— Ann Heppermann (@annheppermann) May 6, 2021