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3rd April 2024
12:49pm BST
Telling people that you're not sure if you want to have children is a scary admission and it's not because there's anything wrong with it. The fear is people's reactions and society's expectations placed on women.
I'm not sure if I want to have children and telling people often goes one of two ways. My peers will often accept what I say and don't judge me for it, but older generations will nearly scold me for being honest about it. They'll tell me I'll eventually change my mind, but that's for me to decide, not them.
Olivia Bentley recently opened up about how she is unsure about whether or not she wants children and it was refreshing to see.
The Made In Chelsea star explained that not wanting children is something society should normalise.
Not having a brood of kids doesn't make you any less of a person or a failure.
She told Grazia:
"It's so interesting, when I tell people I maybe don't want to have kids they're always so shocked.
Olivia continued, "I think I actually had a conversation with Tristan before we broke up and I said, "You know what? I sometimes don't think I want babies."
Olivia isn't causing any harm or offense. She's standing by her gun and I admire her for it.
There have been many occasions where I've felt pressured into changing my mind about having children. I'll take back my honesty and instantly agree with those who say I will change my mind.
"You're right. I probably will want to have children someday, don't mind me.
"It's not something I feel pressured to do and I think feeling this way should be normalised. I just want to work, make a lot of money, and live on an island somewhere - without changing nappies."
Sounds pretty heavenly to me, right?
Olivia said a lot of her friends are starting their own families are experiencing pregnancy for the first time, but that doesn't make her feel pressured.
I love seeing my family and friends start these new chapters. I love hanging out with my baby cousins and playing pretend for a couple of hours. Just because someone doesn't want children of their own doesn't mean they hate children.
"All my friends are having babies at the moment, and I love seeing them with their kids but for me, I'm so far from that," Olivia stressed.
We need to normalise women who don't want children and stop shaming them for not following standards society set centuries ago.
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