Usually, when a person decides to be childfree, it’s after a lot of careful consideration. Folks choose this lifestyle because they don’t like the idea of being parents or don’t feel comfortable looking after children. Either way, it’s a conscious choice that should be respected.
Unfortunately, not everyone is that understanding, and in this particular story, a woman who got pregnant expected her childfree friends to go above and beyond for her new baby. They just knew they didn’t want to babysit!
More info: Mumsnet
People who choose not to have kids often find it hard to get along with their parenting friends because of the differences in their lifestyles
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster shared that she was in a group of 10 friends who had always been childfree, but that one woman found herself pregnant and had the baby
Image credits: Sarah Chai / Pexels (not the actual photo)
After the woman became a mom, she contacted her childfree friends very often to help with babysitting and other forms of childcare even though they didn’t want to
Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (not the actual photo)
In an update post, the author said that her group suggested the woman befriend more single moms instead of asking her childfree friends to babysit
Image credits: Helena Lopes / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Eventually, this situation became problematic for the group because members either felt guilty about not helping the woman, or resentful
Image credits: Shebaguinea
The poster also didn't know how to handle the situation with her friend and felt stuck
The childfree group of friends had always been clear about the fact that they didn’t want kids and didn’t want to be around them either. They had always got on fine with each other and hung out as often as possible. That was until one of their friends became pregnant and decided to have the baby.
The mom-friend then decided that it was okay to keep asking her childfree friends for help with babysitting and other forms of childcare. She assumed that since they had more free time, they’d easily be able to chip in and look after the baby. She didn’t stop to consider that they were uncomfortable and didn’t want to do that.
To understand how to deal with situations like this, Bored Panda reached out to Kara Perez, who is childfree by choice. She is the founder of Bravely Go, a sustainability-focused financial education company that brings actionable, intersectional, and accessible financial education to people who never learned the language of money. She is also the author of the book Money For Change.
We asked Kara if it’s okay for parent friends to expect their childfree friends to help with babysitting and other baby-related duties. She said, “It's ok for parents to ask [but] it's not ok to require things from people in any situation they didn't volunteer themselves to be in.
“It doesn't sound like this parent discussed with their childfree friends how she'd like them to be involved with her child before she gave birth, which is an easy way to get everyone on the same page and avoid resentment,” she added.
We also reached out to Merle Bombarderi for her thoughts on this situation. Merle is a coach and psychotherapist with an international coaching practice. She is the author of The Baby Decision and is currently working on her second book, Baby or Childfree? Although she enjoyed raising her two daughters, she has also been an advocate for childfree people since 1979.
Merle said that “childfree people are not morally obligated to provide friends who are parents with childcare. The childfree individuals in this post have been more than generous by providing meals, doing laundry and other tasks they are more comfortable with. However, they are not obliged to meet their friends' childcare needs.”
“The situation described in this post is disrespectful and shows the lack of empathy on the part of the parent in the friend group. Saying no to childcare is not turning your back on a friend; it's setting boundaries for what is comfortable for you as a childfree person,” she added.
Image credits: Darina Belonogova / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Even when the childfree group of friends told the woman that she should befriend other single moms, she disregarded their idea. It seems like she assumed her group would help her with parenting duties despite their disdain for the entire idea. She kept pushing their boundaries again and again.
Kara said, “I think it's important to remember that childfree people are just regular people! So they can help with cleaning, cooking, babysitting, really anything. The thing that parents and childfree people need to do is get clear on what each wants from the relationship and what each has to give to the relationship.
“A childfree person who works 8-6 and has an hour-long commute might not be the best person for a child's emergency contact but can be depended on to come over twice a month and help with laundry and cleaning. Ultimately, it comes down to communication and flexibility to keep a friendship going for all of us. Children only highlight the importance of these skills,” she explained.
Merle Bombarderi also mentioned that “childfree people can provide support without doing activities that they are not comfortable with. If your friend who is a parent doesn't understand this, they are not being a friend to you and your group. Hopefully parents can appreciate all the good things their childfree friends do offer and find ways of interacting that both enjoy,” she shared.
The OP mentioned that she felt guilty about not wanting to babysit for her friend. She tried to make up for it by helping out with cleaning and other tasks in order to lighten the woman’s load. It does seem like the mom-friend did not appreciate that either.
That’s why Kara explained that “child-rearing does take a village, but you have to nurture your village. People (parents or childfree people) who only take and don't support within a friend group will often find themselves being excluded.”
How do you think the friends should handle this situation with the demanding woman? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Folks sided with the poster and felt that her friend was being ridiculous
