What’s your favourite thing about being child free?

[BlueberryVelvet]

For me it’s weekend mornings.

I love waking up early on Saturdays, having a coffee with my cat in the kitchen, journaling and doing my jigsaw.

Sunday mornings DH and I make a full Irish around 11am and then watch a movie or go for a long walk in the woods.

The peace and quiet.

Well my cat is snoring on my lap so it’s not so quiet

No stress, no pressure, no anticipation of a lifetime of worry.

Is “weekends” specific enough? That 99% of the time from 4:30 on Friday to 8:30 on Monday there is nothing I have to do, or can’t do.

Being in charge of my own time. I visit friends with small children a lot but then go home to my quiet tidy house 😁

I’m tired tonight so I ate my dinner and have tucked myself straight in to bed. DP is just finishing a movie before joining me. He and the cat are hogging the whole sofa currently.

Rest, I think. I like rest (and spontaneous days out, and lie ins, and only having to organise me!).

@Toomuchcawfee yes rest is something I love to do too. It’s so important especially if you’ve been unwell or stressed.

When not at work, being able to do whatever I want to do (financial implications aside😉)

Not having to maintain a relationship with my in-laws for the sake of children.

The freedom & independence of being childfree are incredibly precious to me, and was an important factor in my decision not to have children. Nobody depends on me, financially or otherwise, and that’s exactly how I like it. I work FT and I’m quite selfish in terms of how I spend my precious free time ; what time I go to bed, what time I get up, what & when I eat & drink, what I do at weekends, where & when I go on holiday etc etc. I don’t have pets for the same reason.

Worrying. I can worry and anticipate trouble for England, I have health anxiety and it's bad enough on my own behalf. I couldn't manage constant lifelong anxiety about children.

PLus all the other stuff upthread. Currently sitting here in my dressing gown on MN and not rushing around getting dc ready for school (or at my age dgc 😀)

Freedom,, lack of worry and stress for me too.

Complete freedom, independence, choice...
I can indulge in my sporting hobby all weekend, every weekend, especially in summer. Come home when I want. Go out when I want. Don't have to cook if I don't fancy it.

Not having the cost of childcare, feeding, housing, and clothing another person.

The absence of being touched. After work, I'm completely overwhelmed and if someone was jumping and climbing on me I'd lose my mind. I love just being able to settle back into my body without having to think of anyone else.

Similarly: peace and quiet. My NDN but one spends all her time screaming at her children (and they scream back). It just looks like such an unpleasant existence.

Finally, not having anyone dependent on me. I don't earn much and the stress of carrying everything myself is more than enough without having extra mouths to feed.

I agree with all of these.

Noise is another one for me. My house is peaceful and a tranquil place to recharge after social engagements.

Like another poster said upthread about being touched. I have Complex PTSD and sensory overwhelm is part of that. I need to be not talked to or touched to recharge if I’ve been social.

Completely this .

The possibility of solitude.

Having DC means you'll never be alone again - you'll always be connected to this world, to humanity.

The thought fills me with horror.

A nice, quiet, peaceful, orderly home that I can maintain relatively easily, and being able to sit down without having to constantly shift stuff to find a space, fall over toys strewn around the floor, doors left wide open, grubby fingermarks on everything, half-eaten food everywhere, TV's and devices blaring, the stench of dirty nappies, all of which were "features" of visiting family until I realised I couldn't deal with the chaos any longer and opted out.

I'm childless rather than childfree and still very much in the sadness stage regarding not having children but seeing as my friends are all in the baby/toddler stage I cannot lie, I feel very fortunate to not be dealing with the sleep deprivation and constant nursery illness hell cycle they are currently in. I genuinely don't know how anyone does it and holds down a job. It seems very hard going. I get 7 hours of undisturbed sleep in a big bed all to myself. And other than a minor cold, I've not spent the past 6 months in a constant cycle of noro, coughs, snot with hand,foot and mouth, impetigo and chicken pox thrown in for good measure. Then the inevitable having to take time off work, use up annual leave to care for the ill children rather than on holidays.

So sleeping, using annual leave for down time and relative health, in answer to the question!

Spontaneity, as well as the choice to do absolutely nothing.
Quiet (I dislike noise A LOT).
My house stays clean and tidy and is my sanctuary.
Sleeping as long as I want.
Not having to make plans for childcare etc before agreeing to a day or night out.
Adult only resorts.

For me, it's the way it brightens up shitty situations

I've had a lot of problems lately and felt really shit today and actually cried when I got home ☹️

But being childfree makes everything seem better! It's like a trump card.

Silence. I love silence.

Apart from the big black panting dog I have right in front of me.

This #TrumpCard

Sleep
Spontaneity
Holidays in term time
The ability to keep the house tidy with minimal effort
Not having to share my chocolate