Families, Children, Divorce, Remarriage:

Parenting is a decision
The decision to not have children was the topic of my master’s thesis and a paper I presented at the Pacific Sociological Association annual meeting in 1999. In 1998 and 1999, I interviewed 30 women who said they had chosen to not have children. They had not adopted, had no stepchildren, and had no plans to be mothers in the future. At the time of my research, there were barely a handful of books written on the topic of choosing to be “childfree.” More recently, I see new books about a child-free life all the time.
For this reflection, read the highlights of my research findings at the Decision Course of Voluntarily Childfree Women.
I don’t want you to feel obligated to share any personal information that you aren’t comfortable sharing, so I give you the option here of describing your own life or that of someone you know. Reflect on the following questions and include any additional ideas that come to mind.
If you have children or plan to have children, has anyone ever asked you why? How did you feel about the question?
If you do not plan to have children, has anyone ever asked you why? How did you feel about the question?
Describe how any of the steps of my decision course ring true for you or someone you know.
Your reflection should be between 450-550 words. It should include at least two ideas described in the book or other assigned material AND each reference should have a proper citation attached to it. This week, make at least 1 clear connection to my research and 1 or more connections to the textbook.