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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment

My children are childfree and that’s fine by me

Woman with cat on lap
‘Our role as '“grandparents” is limited to occasional cat-sitting… and we are very content with that.’ Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images

As a mother of two adult boys, both of whom, together with their partners, have opted to be childfree, I am often interrogated as to why my children have taken the decision not to have kids (“What is it about us dinks (that’s dual income, no kids) that so many people dislike?”).

My younger, now aged 38, knew from an early age that he did not want to bring children into the world and – only half-jokingly – requested a vasectomy for his 18th birthday! My husband and I have always respected his choice and our only “intervention” was to suggest that he should always explain his position to any serious partner.

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