We are Childfree

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wearechildfree.substack.com “Feel the fear and do it anyway” could be the motto of 67-year-old aussie legend Karen. She’s skydived despite her fear of heights, dived with sharks even though she didn't quite trusting the cowboys running the operation, and tried stand-up comedy - because of her terror of public speaking 💪 For Karen, bein...

The alt right media is asking, "Why do the 'child-free' want EVERYBODY to devalue motherhood?", and warning women that "The Childfree Dream Is A Scam"... But who's selling who, and what are they peddling? In this ep, we meet the two genders of modern conservative media, Blaze and Evie, and dive deep into their grift: tricking you into giving up on feminism and becoming a trad-wife-in-training. The...

Rae is a legend! From birth, she’s always been very sure of who she is and what she wants, feeling a powerful sense of inner strength - an absolutely no maternal instinct 🙅‍♀️ Now 72, she was the baby of her family, but always treated like an adult, especially by her pharmacist father, who supplied her with the contraceptive pill among his other support. Rae seized the opportunity to create a lif...

Another week, another birth rate panic! We recorded this ep before Dr Oz starting shrieking out about “under-babied” Americans, when the UK was freaking out about the death rate possibly exceeding the birth rate… But guess what bro, the birth rate’s been falling for 50 years! It might be time to accept that and adapt - unless what you’re really worried about is being “replaced” by people who don’t...

Get curious with Judi, 68, who’s truly made the most of her freedom. Born an only child in a time and place when that was rare, she grew up in Los Angeles and spent summers with her countless cousins in Tennessee, having her eyes opened to different lifestyles and different choices from a young age. Determined to make the most of opportunities her grandmothers never had, Judi started her own busin...

We’re always warned we’ll end up unhappy if we don’t have children, but a recent study’s shown that parents are no happier than non-parents - and that’s SCIENCE! Cue the pronatalist backlash from self-proclaimed experts, including a bunch of dumb dads, claiming that what we’re really missing out on is meaning. But what’s the purpose of “Purpose” if it doesn’t make you, or anyone else, happy? Liste...

Meet Esther, 67, based in New Zealand. She's dedicated her life to teaching kids how to be curious and independent, and thinks of her students as her "lights in the world", her living legacy. Esther's come a long way from being adopted in Germany, and raised by neglectful parents who sought - unsuccessfully - to control her. She's travelled the world, campaigned for Greenpeace, championed underpri...

A third of Gen Z men believe that a wife should always obey her husband. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! James takes us on a deep dive into young men’s attitudes about women, themselves and - most worryingly - gender equality. A survey that dropped on International Women’s Day shows how badly patriarchy drives men to hurt themselves, other men, and especially women. Listen in to hear Zoë g...

Spoiler alert for Love Is Blind Season 10! And yes, we know he’s called Mike - but sometimes it’s hard to tell these guys apart 😅 Zoë dives deep into the toxic reality TV trope of “You’d be a great mom!” and reveals to James - and all of y’all - just how deep the pronatalist rabbit hole goes. You’re welcome? Seriously, we loved dissecting one of our guilty pleasures - if you enjoyed this too, let...

The podcast is back! Zoë and James check in from the Canary Islands, taking a break from our Childfree Elders Project to share some inspiration and hope from older icons 🙌 If you've ever wondered, "Will I regret not having children?", then this ep is for you! Watch the video of this episode here . Check out our Childfree Elders Project - share your story and help spread the word! Learn how to loo...

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 t...

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 i...

Maria Coffey has lived A LIFE. She started travelling in her teens, desparate to escape safe, settled life in the UK and see the world. From Morocco to Malawi to the remote Solomon Islands, Maria’s adventures have taken her to places and people she never would have experienced had she had children. Now 73, Maria looks back on a life full of love and loss, of risks and rewards - but no regrets! Fol...

A listener asks: what do you say when a child asks, do you have kids? This one goes out to all the cool aunts, childcare professionals, and our wonderful childfree community who offered such great advice! 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 qu...

OK this one’s a doozy! Even if you’re sure you want kids, society’s going to try and pressure you to doubt yourself and change your mind. And when that happens, how do you separate those external influences from your true heart’s desire. We offer some guidance, with the help of our wonderful childfree community! If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email hello@wearechildfree...

We rally round a childfree couple whose friend groups are now full of parents, with little time for anything but their kids. This is such a tricky problem that we’ve all either faced or one day will, so we tapped the We are Childfree community hive mind for some stellar support and amazing advice! If you have a problem you'd like the community's help with, email hello@wearechildfree.com with "Ask...

“Now I wish I'd never brought it up but mostly I'm sad and feel quite alone.” We help out a childfree woman whose partner is pushing back against her decision to get permanent birth control surgery. There’s tons of great advice from the childfree community here, about negotiating this tricky subject with your partner, what to do if they seem to be sitting on the fence, and owning what is ultimatel...

Ever wondered how van life or any kind of long term travel really works? Like, practically speaking? In this episode we answer a great question from a day one supporter about how to downsize for a life of adventure. Listen in to hear... 💪 Our brutal Marie-Kondo-on-steroids approach to shedding stuff 🗺️ The logistics of long term travel without a home base 🔮 How Essentialism (not Minimalism) help...

Welcome to a very special episode, part 2 of our AWA - Ask WAC Anything 🙌 We welcome your questions about how to live your best childfree life and this vital project. Listen in to hear... 💝 How to navigate friendships and dating when you're childfree 😱 What to do if you fear aging alone 🦸‍♀️ The We are Childfree origin story 🧌 The worst trolls and how they'll never stop us! If you're worried...

Welcome to a very special episode, part 1 of our AWA - Ask WAC Anything 🙌 We welcome your questions about us, our relationship, our childfree choices! Listen in to hear... 🍻 How Zoë and James met 🤪 How we've handled being "different" 💸 Who we're leaving our money to in our wills 🚐 And what it's REALLY like living in a van! If you're worried about facing unwelcome questions this festive season...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...