In recent years, there has been a growing number of women who have been vocal about remaining child-free. The reasons behind their choice vary, but common ones are concerns about financial stability, the desire to focus on personal interests and careers, and broader things like overpopulation.
39-year-old Vancouver-based photographer and artist Jackie Dives is one of these advocates. In addition to her creative work, Jackie uses social media to break the ice and invite the public to talk about (not) having children.
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Photographer Jackie Dives has made a conscious decision not to have kids
Image credits: Jackie Dives Photo
To normalize the discussion about this choice, she runs a TikTok vlog series
Image credits: jackiedives
Here’s an example of ‘A Day in a Life of a Child-free Woman’
Image credits: jackiedives
Image credits: jackiedives
Image credits: jackiedives
Image credits: jackiedives
Image credits: jackiedives
Image credits: jackiedives
Image credits: jackiedives
Listen beautiful relax classics on our Youtube channel.
Image credits: jackiedives
Here’s the entire video
@jackiedives When my partner left our relationship after 5 years because he wanted to have a baby, I knew I didn’t want to be a parent, but I felt lost because I had no examples of what my life could look like. This is what a happy childfree life can look like. #childfreebychoice ♬ original sound – Jackie Dives
“You can live a childfree life that is not lonely”
@jackiedives You can live a childfree life that is not lonely. #childfreebychoice #artistsoftiktok #solotravel #solotravelwoman ♬ Sunshine – WIRA
Image credits: jackiedivesphoto
Recently, another TikToker, Maelen S., turned to the platform, asking: “If you are [in your] 40s and up and a woman or even a woman with a partner who has gone their entire life childless (on purpose), please tell me what your life is like now”
Image credits: jackiedives
And Jackie provided an honest answer, explaining why it’s important to talk about the subject
Image credits: jackiedives
“I often get in s**t on TikTok for saying, like, this is how a childfree person does XYZ or this is a day in the life of a childfree person. People are like, “Why do you need to put in there that you’re child-free? What difference does it make?” And the reason I do that is because I want women, like the person who I’m stitching, to see what a life without children can look like.”
“I’m 39, and I’m child-free. My experience of being childfree was that when my partner decided that he wanted to have children, we’d been together for five years, and he actually left our relationship. So I had to decide very sure that I was willing to let my partner go in exchange for living a child-free life.”
The woman revealed that she even ended a relationship because of her decision
Image credits: RODNAE Productions (not the actual photo)
“I really loved my partner a lot. And a lot of people were telling me that it was crazy to let him go and not just have a baby with him. I knew in my heart and in my gut that I didn’t want to be a parent. But after we separated, it was really hard for me to visualize what my life would look like.”
“I could see what my life would look like if he and I had stayed together, I would be with him, and we’d have a house and a baby and a family and like, great in-laws and a white picket fence, the whole thing. But because we are never shown examples in media or pop culture about what it looks like to be a woman who doesn’t have children, I had no idea what my life would look like if I didn’t go down the path that everyone expected me to go down.”
Jackie wishes there was more representation of child-free women
Image credits: freestocks (not the actual photo)
“It felt really lonely and strange. And I had to go seek out other women who had also made that choice. So that’s why I always say in my videos, this is what a day in the life of a childfree artist looks like, because I want women who don’t want to have kids to have an example of what your life can look like.”
@jackiedives #stitch with @Maelen S. women are shown one way to live their life because entertainment media never features childfree narratives. #childfree ♬ original sound – Jackie Dives
People on TikTok are really thankful for her content, since they agree there’s not enough positive light shed on this particular group
Many also share their own experiences
The post TikToker Tries To Normalize The Decision To Not Have Kids By Creating A “Day In The Life” Series As A Childfree Woman first appeared on Bored Panda.
Source: boredpanda.com