Personal Autonomy Archives

Can Women Be Happy Without Ever Having Children? A Childfree Woman’s Perspective

“Can I be happy without ever having children?” is a valid question that a lot of women who are unsure about motherhood can ruminate on. On the one hand, you don’t necessarily feel excited about the idea of having kids. But there’s still this jarring narrative of all the fearful stories you’ve been hearing your entire life. Opinions such as: “Kids are the biggest blessing. You’ll never know unconditional love until you have kids. Having kids is a natural part of every woman’s life.” Opinions that, if you make decisions based on them, can lead you to a life...

What Being Childfree by Choice as a Woman Is Actually About

Childfree by Choice•Personal Autonomy

What is being childfree by choice as a woman actually about? Is it about rebellion against society? Is it a feminist movement? Maybe something for mothers and childfree women to fight and argue about? A trend? What are all these women talking about — not wanting to have kids? Well, I am one of those women. If we’re meeting for the first time, hi. I’m Ivana. I’ve always known I never wanted to have kids. It’s a decision I never second-guessed, felt guilty or weird about, or wanted to change. However, the world had different plans. I’ve been told...

Why I Don’t Regret Being Childfree by Choice: 8 Everyday Moments That Remind Me I Made the Right Decision

Childfree by Choice•Personal Autonomy

Motherhood was never a dream or a desire of mine. Never in my life, not even for a second, have I entertained the idea that it might be for me. I don’t regret being childfree. It’s a choice I consciously made. And today, I’m sharing everyday moments that remind me why, for me, not having kids was always the right decision. Contrary to outdated beliefs, I’m not collecting regrets. I’m collecting moments of pure joy, knowing I chose a path that feels like my own. I’ve had people say to me, “Ivana, you’ll regret not having kids. Kids are...

What to Do When Your Partner Wants to Have Kids But You Don’t

Childfree by Choice•Personal Autonomy

Leave. When your partner wants to have kids but you don’t, what you do is — ya leave. You get your things and go. Now, allow my Scorpio Mercury to make a case for this. Oh, and just so you know who the heck is even sharing this advice: hi, welcome, I’m Ivana. I never want to have kids, and I’m enjoying my childfree life very much so. Now let’s unpack today’s topic. The options are: “Either I’ll hate you, or you’ll hate me.” I’ll assume you’re in a heterosexual relationship where you’re female and your partner is male....

How to Be Authentic In a World That Wants Everyone to Be the Same

Personal Autonomy•PERSONAL GROWTH

I’m not a fan of spoonfeeding people information, so let’s switch roles for a moment. Before I start sharing my thoughts on how to be authentic, explore what makes sense for you. Think for yourself. How would you define authenticity? What does being authentic mean to you? If you want to return to your authenticity, it will be much easier once you’ve clearly defined it. Otherwise, you might end up following someone else’s ideas and definitions. For me, authenticity is a decision not to abandon myself. It’s a decision to speak my truth, no matter who I’m with. To...

Why I Never Want to Get Married (And Why That’s Empowering)

Personal Autonomy

This blog post is not for women who want to get married and are sure of their decision. If you genuinely have a desire to get married and be someone’s wife, I have nothing to add. You choose what feels best for you. And today, I’m sharing what feels best for me. I share why I never want to get married. I’ve always been the type who didn’t want to get married, so I feel confident and uncompromisable in my decision. I have a bucket full of arguments against marriage for each one of someone’s reasons why. That’s why...

Why I Don’t Want To Have Kids: Being Childfree By Choice

Childfree by Choice•Personal Autonomy

In today’s post, I’m sharing with you why I don’t want to have kids (ever). I’ll share the conversations I had around being childfree by choice, society’s expectations of women, congratulating women on their pregnancies (and why I never do that), and much much more. Let’s dive in! How do people react when I tell them I don’t want to have kids? Since I was a kid, I always knew I never wanted to have kids. The same way 10-year-old girls dream of getting married, having a perfect wedding, and having kids with their future husband, I was dreaming...