Is the Term Childfree the Correct One?

by Lyn Newton | More from this Blogger

29 May 2008 03:29 PM

I suppose this is one that I just cannot yet let go. In a previous article, I described married couples who choose not to have children. It seems that the term used to describe these couples has some controversy. The controversy can be seen in the comments section of the article that I wrote. However it can also be seen in other areas and sites on the web. The discussion of which term should be used is not an isolated discussion to Families.com. Therefore I decided that it deserved more than a comment but instead a complete article (or two).

The two most popular terms used to define married couples who do not wish to have children are childfree and childless. There are arguments against using both terms.

Childfree

In many articles that I ran across the term childfree was written as child-free with a hyphen. I have chosen in most cases not to use the hyphen in the term. Below you will see an explanation of why it is best used without the hyphen.

Many feel that this term is the proper and politically correct way to express that a couple has chosen not to have children. However I did find some discussion against it. Understandably I can see where married couples with children may find the term offensive. However some of the arguments against the term were also made by couples who do not wish to have children and consider themselves childless.

The number one argument that was stated against the term is that it implies that there is something wrong with having children. We use the term free to talk about things that are undesirable or that we want to rid ourselves of. For example signs read smoke-free and drug-free and labels read sugar-free and fat-free. Commercials announce debt-free. Therefore using child-free (especially when some use the term hyphenated) implies that children are something we want to free ourselves of having.

Using the term child-free in these hyphenated terms can indicate that the couple is against children. While some are, there are teachers, childcare providers, and others who love other people's children and love working with children. They simply do not want to have their own children.

When are You Going to have Kids?

Another Reason I'm Married Without Children

Childless by Choice Project

Learn more about Lyn Newton

Lyn is a kindergarten teacher and mommy to a girl and a boy. In her spare time, she enjoys informative and creative writing.

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