Do people who are childfree and over 50 have regrets about their decision? We’re going to share how childfree people make the choice for themselves. How do they know if they made the right decision?
We’ll also share some well-known childless adults who decided to not have children. This post will also dive deeper into our story of not wanting to have children and why we think we are the best pet parents alive!
The Decision to Not Have Children
As a DINK couple, we do not have children by choice. We often get slack about that from people who don’t understand how and/or why one would want to live a life without kids. Despite what many think, one can live a very fulfilling life being child-free. We dedicated a podcast episode about the DINK (Double Income No Kids) life.
Even though Gerry and I (shannon) are in a different age group from one another, neither of us all of a sudden reached the point where we wanted biological children, nor regret adopting a human child.
A lot of people thought that the pandemic would bring about another baby boom. Rather, in the United States, birth rates fell by 4%. Childless women are speaking out more about their choices. Mainly, because women are the most judged on why they decide that being childless is the best thing for them.
There have been studies that found that many older adults do not regret their decision. Today’s real-life examples of older parents are abundant, so it’s not as if being an older parent is out of reach. There are plenty of advancements in reproductive health care that allow many to partake in fertility treatment to conceive. There is also the option to adopt.
It’s not like there are so many people who are childfree and over 50 regretting not having kids, hating their lives.
As we age, we feel there is more depth of wisdom of choosing to be a child-free couple. My decision to be a childless woman allows me to embrace where I can make a difference. Many child-free couples choose to be pet parents, volunteer, or spend their disposable income helping others. The adage that people who choose not to have children are selfish is just ignorant.
What Reasons Do People Give for Not Having Kids
Childless people can tell you quickly why not being a parent is a good thing for them. Answers include:
- They want their free time, to be able to take a spur-of-the-moment vacation, or not worry about how their leisure time is a long time to be away from their kids.
- Thoughts that they would not be a good parent, a lack of parental instinct.
- Financial reasons such as childcare, medical care, and even food/basic needs.
What Regrets People Have About Not Having Kids
When adults in their late 40s or over 50 were asked about having any regrets about being childfree, the answers include:
- Worried about who will help them when they are older child-free adults, living in their own home alone.
- No one to carry on the family lineage. This is not as much of a regret anymore, but it still is a reason some people regret their decision.
- Some child-free women have reported that they may have missed out on milestones in their lives that being a parent allows for.
In the book, Top Five Regrets of the Dying, by Bronnie Ware, older child-free adults who are in hospice are asked about their regrets. More life regret circles around having not done more by living in the moment.
For example, many said that they worked too much and regretted not spending time with their close friends. A lot of people also talked about how they wish they would have lived more freely and allowed themselves to be happy.
People Who Are Childfree and Over 50
The list of these celebrities or well-known people are childfree and over 50 (or deceased past the age of 50) and do not have children. They are in no particular order unless you count how they came to mind.
- Betty White (Rest in Peace)
- Jennifer Anniston
- Christopher Walken
- Oprah Winfrey
- Kim Cattrall
- Ricky Gervais
- Jon Hamm
- Winona Ryder
- Richard Lewis (Rest in Peace)
- Seth Rogen
- Stevie Nicks
- Dolly Parton
- Bob Barker (Rest in Peace)
- John Cusack
- Ralph Fiennes
- Chelsea Handler
- Julia Child (Rest in Peace)
- Jay Leno
- Helen Mirren
- Bonnie Raitt
- Jeff Goldblum
- Ina Garten
- Lily Tomlin
- Jared Leto
- Nick Offerman
- Louis Armstrong (Rest in Peace)
- John Corbett
- Bo Derek
- Ludwig Van Beethoven (Rest in Peace)
- Debbie Harry
- Coco Chanel (Rest in Peace)
- Gloria Gaynor
- Hugh Grant
- Ian McKellen
- Rachel Ray
- Bill Maher
- Georgia O’Keeffe (Rest in Peace)
- Bernadette Peters
- Patrick Swayze (Rest in Peace)
- Randy Travis
Live the Life You Want
Maybe you are someone who wants to be childfree or are childfree. Live your life without regret. We as a society must get out of the mindset that the only way to have a life well lived is with a house, a white picket fence, and plenty of children. Childfree individuals are not less than because they do not have kids. Older couples without kids are not sad.
Similarly, there is nothing wrong with desiring to be a parent. Lots of folks live beautiful, fulfilling lives that have little to do with their kids. Just because you are a parent does not mean that you are only defined by that one role.
We should all stop judging childfree couples and wondering if they have a healthy enough relationship since they do not have kids.
Being selfish, in our eyes, is having a child because that is what is expected of you, or to have someone to love you. Those are answers we have been told by some people with kids. We all end up with the life we have either curated for ourselves or the one we have due to the decisions we make, or things that happen to us.
Make the most of your life. Our wish is for you all to be on your deathbed at a very old age, having no part of the picture left undone. Leave nothing on the table when you are asked what your regrets are.
FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions
It looks like a lot of freedom and without hearing “Mommy, mommy, mommy, look at me!” Ok, but seriously, many retired individuals without kids have expendable income that they did not spend on their kids’ college tuition, and travel. They can often feel more secure with their financial status.
Don’t fall into the pressure that other people put on you. Live the life you want, and don’t feel like you have to make a decision quickly. You are the one who lives with your decisions, good or bad.
My nieces, my sister’s kids. Ok, that’s sort of a joke. The hope is that we have lived a life that is now more focused on staying healthy, and agile, and hopefully, we can take care of ourselves. We surely don’t want to have kids just so we have caretakers when we get old.
