Is anyone childfree but not interested in being a 'career woman'

[redeyedcat]

I am early 30s and I have an ok job, it is not too stressful (and I've had very stressful jobs in the past). I would like to progress, but not to the point of senior manager/director level with heaps of responsibility. My nerves couldn't handle it!

And yet, I feel many view us women without children as married to our career, and that's the reason for our childfree status. And a lot of the CF women I know do have very successful careers. As the years go on and I get older, I feel I will be judged more so.

I'm not saying people with children can't be successful in careers, I just think maybe society thinks there is no excuse for CF women to not be?

Ditto

No not at all. I think the most intelligent people opt for part time or low stress jobs. Better quality of life.
I always think it’s odd that all these AAA* students want to study medicine- you’d think they would realise it’s a shitty job.

I hated a ‘career’ and did it in various forms for 15 years, as I had to pay rent.
Never felt I was very good at it.

Now I’m married to a DH who mainly supports us.

No kids, early - late 40’s, so none likely (fingers crossed it stays that way!!)

I do a very no-pressure, self-employed, part time job for spending money and spend time on my friends and hobbies.
Blissfully happy!!

I know woman who are both single and married. Both groups can be career woman not just the single childless woman. Not every single woman wants to work long hours, deal with managing staff and office politics.
One of my friends is single and in her early 50s. A few years ago she took a job to gain experience in a different area. Due to a few things that happened recently she has decided that next year she will look for a PT role. She wants time to do other things besides work.

My friend worked hard in several different jobs and now wants to make life easier by having more free time.
My friend said that as you get older you don't feel the same about doing long hours and working in a place were your the dependable one.

I wanted kids originally but couldn’t conceive, now pretty glad I never did. I was never that interested in climbing the ladder though. I was lucky enough to be able to retire on a voluntary early exit scheme at 58 and I couldn’t wait to do so. Have a lovely life now all of my very own! I agree that there’s a view that if you don’t have children you should be doing something amazing instead, like being a CEO or running your own business or climbing Kilimanjaro for charity.

If I didn't have to pay the mortgage I wouldn't work. I could fill my days with lovely things.

I don't have my own children for health reasons which also limit career progression.Recognising the diversity of situations is something many people fail to do!

Me and my five best female friends! I don't pretend to love kids either (in fact I find them a bit boring). We are not career women.

Definitely me. I have resisted climbing the corporate ladder for many years (it just looked like a lot more stress for a bit more money), plus I don't care about bullshit meetings so try and avoid stuff like that as much as possible.

I like my job currently, the people are nice, it's not stressful, but it's not my dream job - I have no idea what my dream job is. I'm nearly 40 and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

I don't even work full time, having cut my hours a few years ago when I was helping care for my father who has dementia. He had to go into a nursing home a few months ago, but I decided against going back to full time hours because I couldn't be arsed and I don't need to right now. I also might retrain in a few years if I can decide on what to do and finances allow.

As it is I love having some extra time off to do other things, it's particularly useful to have a day off during the week if I need to try and get an appointment for something.

Other than that I'm currently learning to drive so do lessons and driving practice every week, and have pilates classes, meet friends for a walk and a coffee, visit my dad, run errands and generally spend my free time doing what I like.

Me.
I like peace and just really want to stick to not a high stress jobs, make enough to be afford holidays and nice standard of living and have peace.
Content is my heaven.

I never had a job that could lead to a career. There was no job progression in any of them, and every public service department I was in got closed down by bloody Jeff Kennett. I'm 60 and my mother's carer and have no idea if I'll ever work again. If she lives long enough, and doesn't have to go into a nursing home, that I can go straight from the carer pension to the age pension, then I won't. I don't like my chances of getting a job in my sixties after years out of the workforce, and certainly wouldn't be looking for a career.

Me! I was never the slightest bit ambitious, all I wanted from a job was money to pay the bills with some left over for me to spend. Working was only a small part of my life, and in fact I retired a year before I was due to claim national superannuation. It's blissful having time to do whatever I want - even if that means doing nothing at all at times. I rent a flat, live with my cat, and have no ties.

It’s always been assumed of me that because I didn’t have kids, I was a career woman. I mean I’ve had a career of sorts but this was partly due to my 50/50 stance on having children, definitely not wanting to be a single mother and the partners I did have (2 I was engaged to) I couldn’t see being good parents, or I’d have to do most of the parenting.

I don’t earn less and have more free time, well I suppose I do have more free time but I’ve never put a career first.