While the vast majority of the grieving women I’ve spoken to over the years have gone on to grow their families and have more children, for some of us, the life that we rebuilt after the loss of our baby hasn’t included being a parent.
Some of us found out that we couldn’t have more children or the risks were just too big. Some of us got tired of the emotional and financial cost of fertility treatments. Some of us found that our life had simply taken us somewhere unexpected, somewhere where we were surprised to find that we felt okay, satisfied and whole just as we were and we decided to let things be.
As a bereaved mother and woman who is not parenting, I’ve become fascinated by how much our parental identities – or lack thereof- seem to shape our social interactions, our conversations and our relationships with other women. The answer to the question of whether or not we are parenting seems to have a profound and direct impact on how we connect, bond and build our social circles. For example, have you ever noticed that when you are meeting another woman for the first time, the question we seem to be asked most often is “do you have kids?”
You can watch the podcast here or check it out on itunes or spotify.
As a childless person, it can sometimes feel isolating, excluding and challenging to find our place when we are not parenting in a world that seems to think we should be.
So I’m really excited to share this episode of the Is it Me or is it Them? The Podcast, with you, because in this episode, I get to introduce you to the incredible Katy Seppi and the circles of community and support that she has created for childless women and non-binary people.
Katy is the founder of the Childless Collective and the Childless Collective Summit, and in this conversation, she and I get into a really deep and powerful discussion about some of own experiences navigating the world as childless women and some of the things that have made that easier along the way.
You can watch the video here or check it out on itunes or spotify.
If this is hitting home for you, I’d also love to invite you to join both Katy & I at The Childless Collective Summit, December 2-5, 2023.
The summit focuses on the themes that weave through our shared experience of being childless – the challenges we face, the stories we share, and the questions we have about next steps.
I’ll be there Dec. 2 speaking about How to Claim your Time, Worth & Sovereignty in World that Thinks You’re Always Available.
You’ll also hear from 35 childless and childfree speakers, including:
- Jody Day, founder of Gateway Women & Lighthouse Women.
- Ruby Warrington, author of Women without Kids
- Tanya Hubbard, counsellor & coach
These presentations are free to access for 24 hours each day, as long as you’re registered.
Click here to learn more and RSVP.
If you’d like more time with the presentations, you can also grab a Pace Yourself Pass. The pass gives you a full year of unlimited access to the videos and transcripts of all the sessions, plus a private podcast feed of the audio if you prefer to listen on the go. You’ll also get access to the Rock Your Response workshop by Katy Seppi of the Childless Collective, to help you prepare your response to intrusive questions and unsolicited advice.
I can’t wait to see you there.
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