Life

We Have to Skip Family Gatherings Because We Chose to Be Child-Free

When I met my wife, I knew I had met my match. We shared the same principals, values and goals – one of which was our mutual decision not to have children.Initially, we kept this choice to ourselves as it was our personal decision. But everything changed once we got married.Suddenly, family and friends began asking when we’d be starting a family. Some relatives even gave us herbal ‘remedies’ that they believed would help us conceive.When I declined their potions and explained to them that we simply didn’t want children, their reaction was less than positive. You see, I come from a very traditional family. My parents have four children, and all my siblings are parents themselves, so my choice felt like a deviation from the norm.It would have been easier if we had chosen the conventional path, but the truth is that neither of us have ever felt a strong desire to be parents. Maybe our biological clock is broken or something, but we have never had that yearning.We love our life as it is and enjoy the freedom to pursue our passions without the responsibilities that come with raising a child. This lifestyle has been incredibly liberating. Whenever we have a tiring week at work, we can spontaneously go for a one-night staycation.It also means we have more money to spend doing things we enjoy. We have been called selfish for this. In fact, we still face a lot of criticism whenever we share our decision. And although this was a decision we made together, people are particularly critical towards my wife. They tell her that her biological clock is ticking and that she will regret this decision when she is older.This has affected my wife so much that I’ve suggested she skip large family gatherings. If my relatives ask me these questions, I would just answer them and not tell my wife about it so she wouldn’t get upset.But it’s sad that she has to miss family functions and celebrations because of this. I wish people would just respect our choice. We are not selfish or unhappy – we just don’t want children. ​This article is part of TSS Confessions, a weekly column where we delve into personal finance topics that are unscripted and genuine real accounts from people.​