"When are you guys going to have babies?" and "You're in your thirties, why no kids?" may be the battle cry of meddling moms and curious strangers around the world, but the answer to those questions is getting more, well, liberating. According to the
2010 U.S. Census Bureau, 47% of women between ages 15 and 44 don't have kids, which is a whopping 35% increase from 1976. While
the falling teen birth rate would definitely be a factor in the large drop, there is the rest of these ladies, some 36%, estimated by DeVries global, that simply don't want kids. And kick that perception of not being able to find a mate or secure resources in time--according to Time, almost half of women 40-44 are voluntarily childless. It appears a growing number of women are shunning societal pressure for babies, and either by circumstance or choice find themselves without children--and okay with that. Perhaps you've heard of Panks--
Professional Aunt, No Kids, who spend some of that extra income spoiling nieces and nephews (prepare to see more
I Love My Aunt shirts next to the I Love Grandma onesies). They are a sizable force,
1 in 5 women, with heavy spending and marketing potential. They are fueling one of the
latest travel marketing craze (Paris with Auntie Jo?!), and tend to spend more across the board, from groceries to personal care.
As not having children continues to be seen as a choice, not a sacrifice for women, and terms like Panks (
professional first, nice!) instead of
cat-lady are being used, great strides are being made from changing the perception of the childless woman from unwed spinster or tragically childless who "missed the boat." And with even the
Pope urging couples to raise babies instead of pets, it's an issue that will continue to be discussed, thankfully with less uses of the word "spinster," and more use of the word "choice."
CNN, June 2014
