#147: Who’s allowed to want kids?

"Parent or childfree" used to be my framework for understanding a dividing difference of adult life. But aging and, yes, friendship, have taught me that there are so many experiences that binary doesn't capture: To want kids but not be able to have them, for physical or financial or logistical reasons. To not want kids but accidentally get pregnant... See more

In some corners of the Internet there’s a fascination with traditionalism, and criticism of the ways the openness and optionality of modernity have left people feeling lost. I’ve always felt like, look, I could never be a traditionalist, because I don’t want to give birth to five kids without anesthesia and spend half of my day cleaning up around t... See more

Reader Essay: MY Jenny

written byMelanie Crist

November 18, 2022

I’ve never wanted kids of my own. Which is precisely why I found myself exiting a Pasadena fertility clinic with a grab bag containing an informational booklet, an application for financing, and a pen that contained small plastic sperm swimming around in its cap.  

I’ll explain.

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