What’s your biggest achievement?

[LouLo72]

I hear a lot from mums that their children are their “greatest achievement”, which sometimes leads me to feel that unless you have children you’ve not really achieved as much as a parent has.

I am child free by choice but I’m often left wondering if I will achieve anything like becoming a mum and it makes me feel inferior.

What are some achievements you’ve had with or without children?

My young adult dd is fabulous, I've loved being a mum and I've found it immensely rewarding, but I don't see her as an "achievement" - she is a person in her own right, and not simply my creation.

I guess my main achievements are work related - don't want to say too much here, but I've enjoyed a successful career which has made a positive difference to lots of people.

I have some personal achievements too - goals/targets that I've set for myself that I've managed to fulfil. Again, it's quite personal so I don't want to go into too much detail.

I think achievements might be career related, academic/learning, sporting, charity/fundraising, community, hobby, personal etc.

Maybe think about what you want your legacy to be? Do you want to help other people? Do something creative like art/writing/music etc? Discover or invent something important?

Or is it less about legacy and more about personal goals/ having something to work towards etc?

My masters degree
Saved up for a dream holiday and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life
Joining a sports team in my 30s when I’d never played a team sport before. I am proud of the confidence I developed to try it out. That was a huge achievement for me

I don’t have kids and I don’t think I’ll achieve what parenting is without them, but I can fulfil other emotional roles for children in my life and I guess that could also be considered an achievement

Finding man who wanted to marry me, care for me and not expect children.

Making it this far in life (mid 40s) when I’ve wanted to give up plenty of times due to depression. Otherwise, being independent and travelling the world. Hopefully being able to buy a property mortgage free soon.

Loving someone unconditionally, the way I love my child, does feel like an achievement, especially coming from a dysfunctional family like mine. Being able to model that for my child has probably been my biggest moment.

I think that’s what our children teach us, but people often struggle to put it into words when they try to explain why their children are their biggest achievements.

I feel my greatest achievement is building a good happy life despite not being able to have children (fertility issues).

I overcame a drug addiction, 15 years clean & sober.

That is amazing, well done.

Why would you allow someone to make you feel inferior? Having children is something most people do; it’s what happens when you have unprotected sex. That’s not an achievement.

My greatest achievement has been not having children. I’ve bowed to societal pressure on a lot of things over the last twenty years, skinny jeans, kitchen island, decking, but I didn’t give in and have children.

Sending you some love 🩷

You’re not ok