In this episode, Keltie Maguire discusses some of the key themes and insights that have come up in her private and group coaching sessions during Season 6 of The Kids or Childfree Podcast, as well as episodes from Season 6 that address these topics.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

👉 (1:57) Start with the clarity you DO have

▸ Lisa Sibbett on a "Childful" Life as an Auntie https://youtu.be/3jx_vDnN80U

▸ Lisa Patterson on Reinventing Parenting Gender Norms https://youtu.be/RIBohGjaQGc

▸ On Demand: Discover Your Desires https://keltiemaguire.thrivecart.com/discover-your-desires-on-demand/

👉 (9:37) Your value with or without children

▸ Laura Carroll on the Influence of Pronatalism on Your Kids or Childfree Choice https://youtu.be/hbcBNrDRCWA

▸ Zoë Noble on Cultivating Childfree Community https://youtu.be/LG66KPG2nzo

▸ On Demand: Other People https://keltiemaguire.thrivecart.com/other-people-on-demand/

👉 (18:58) Deciding from the place you are currently

▸ Carrie Hauskens on a Childfree Life After Loss https://youtu.be/ZAy40xWlFjw

▸ Lia Love Avellino, LCSW on Grieving Your Past Life in Motherhood https://youtu.be/VSyvll_I94c

▸ On Demand: Navigating Difficult Emotions https://keltiemaguire.thrivecart.com/navigating-difficult-emotions-on-demand/

👉 (29:41) Accept & embrace the unknown

▸ Ask Anne with Childfree 91-Year-Old Anne Wennhold https://youtu.be/EalIknfBD9U

▸ Katie Palazzo on Life as an Adventurer Turned Stay-At-Home Mom https://youtu.be/yZaVidB4WDQ

▸ On Demand: An Uncertain Future https://keltiemaguire.thrivecart.com/an-uncertain-future-on-demand/

_

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👉 Brought to you by Keltie Maguire, Clarity Coach ▸ http://keltiemaguire.com

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In this conversation, Keltie Maguire is joined by We Are Childfree founder, Zoë Noble, for a conversation that's a celebration of the childfree choice. Hear them discuss:

• The inspiration behind We Are Childfree and why Zoë personally chose the childfree path
• How friendships — and especially those with parents — can evolve over time
• How to cultivate childfree community
• The myths surrounding aging without children
• The importance of advocating for a more inclusive and understanding childfree community

As mentioned in the show: Find We Are Childfree online at wearechildfree.com. Join We Are Childfree'a private community here: wwearechildfree.com/join We Are Childfree is on social media at: Instagram at instagram.com/weare.childfree TikTok at tiktok.com/@wearechildfree YouTube at youtube.com/c/WeareChildfree Tune into the We Are Childfree podcast: wearechildfree.com/podcasts About Zoë: Zoe Noble is a photographer and the founder of We are Childfree, a global movement celebrating childfree lives. Through portraits, podcasts and workshops, she works to destigmatise non-parenthood and build inclusive communities where childfree people feel seen, supported and empowered to live authentically. _ Check out our brand-new Kids or Childfree On Demand collection. Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you're hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree

In this conversation, Keltie sits down with transracial adoptee, author, and advocate, Melissa Guida-Richards, for a conversation about adoption, and the considerations prospective adoptive parents need to make. They discuss:

• Melissa's personal experience as an adoptee, and why it's critical that we listen to and learn from adoptees.
• The key question prospective adoptive parents need to ask themselves before they adopt.
• The myth that adopting an infant offers that child — and its adoptive parents — a "fresh start."
• Why adoption agencies who encourage people to adopt outside of their adoption preferences, can be problematic.
• The different kinds of adoption, and the respective practical and ethical considerations that must be made.

As mentioned in the show: Find Melissa on Instagram at @adoptee_thoughts Her website is www.adopteethoughts.com Purchase Melissa's book and it's accompanying workbook, What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption: adopteethoughts.com/books For adoption resources, check out adoptionsupport.org (C.A.S.E) and adopteementorship.org. About Melissa: Melissa Guida-Richards is a transracial adoptee, author, and advocate whose work explores child welfare, adoption influencers ethics and reform. She is the author of What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption and she's had her writing and interviews featured on national platforms including NBC, Good Day LA and Tamron Hall. She is currently working on her next book with her agent, Kat Kerr, from Donald Maass Literary Agency. You can find her @adoptee_thoughts or AdopteeThoughts.com.

__ Check out our brand-new Kids or Childfree On Demand collection. Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you're hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree

In this episode, Keltie is joined by past guest, Anne Wennhold — a 91-year-old who is childfree by choice — for a special "Ask Anne" Q&A. Keltie and Anne discuss...

• Why the 70s and 80s were the best years of Anne's life.
• Why Anne often finds it difficult relating to other people her age.
• How we can handle the difficulties and challenges that inevitably will arise in our lives.
• Anne's secret to maintaining friendships with parents.
• How Anne has navigated seeing her friends and loved ones die.
• Perspectives on who to leave your possessions and money to when you die as a childfree person.

As mentioned in the show:

Listen to Anne's first appearance on the podcast in Episode 62.

Here's the Conscious Eldering blog post that Anne wrote which we discussed. About Anne: Here's Anne in her words: "I live alone in northern New Jersey. I was widowed at an early age, have no children by choice. My chosen family is scattered about the USA and available by phone and Zoom. At 90 years old, I am focused on working with elders who are interested in continuing to grow as human and spiritual beings, and sharing with them all aspects of living to an older age including having children or not." __ Check out our brand-new Kids or Childfree On Demand collection. Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you're hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree

In this episode, Keltie is joined by friend, Lisa Patterson, who shares how her and her partner are navigating parenting roles in a way that goes against traditional norms. Hear Keltie and Lisa discuss...

• How Lisa made the decision to become a parent, despite it not having been a part of her life's "success criteria"
• How she and her partner have communicated about and negotiated their respective parenting roles
• The way others have responded to Lisa and Andy's role reversal of "primary" and "secondary" parent
• The perks of raising a child outside of the U.S.
• The tension between and trouble fitting the all-or-nothing categories of "mom" vs. "career woman".

  As mentioned in the show

  Find Lisa on Instagram at instagram.com/captlisann About Lisa Lisa Patterson is an outdoor enthusiast, tech nerd, vinophile and working mom. __ Join an upcoming Kids or Childfree workshop here: kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you're hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

In this solo episode, Keltie shares recent musings, insights, and reflections about her choice to stay childfree. She's sharing...

• How her and Chris's aging parents' needs are intersecting with their decision not to have kids.
• The changing seasons of friendships, and how things ebb and flow with and without kids in the picture.
• How she personally feels about legacy and the concept of "ancestral flow".
• What she's enjoying and appreciating most about her childfree life lately.

As mentioned in the show: Listen to the Death, Sex, and Money: To Have Kids or Not Have Kids podcast episode. __ Join our upcoming Kids or Childfree Support Series session or Confidently Childfree Support Series session. Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you're hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree

In this latest podcast episode, Keltie Maguire speaks with Helen Taylor — feminist, retired university professor, and writer — about her choice to live a childfree life and her new memoir, Childless by Choice: The Meaning and Legacy of a Childfree Life. Keltie and Helen discuss:

• Helen's personal journey of childfree living, including the influences that shaped her decision.
• The challenges of choosing the childfree path — and the freedoms it has afforded her.

• Helen's abortion experience in early adulthood, and whether she ever thinks about the child she could have had.

• How life without children can lead to deeper adult relationships and friendships.
• The societal stigmas surrounding childlessness, and the difficulties and blessings of being childfree at age 77
• The role that regret, meaning, and legacy play for Helen, as a woman without children.

As mentioned in the show Find Helen online at www.helen-taylor.co.uk She's on Bluesky at bsky.app/profile/helentaylor67.bsky.social Find Helen at the following upcoming events: helen-taylor.co.uk/events

About Helen Helen Taylor has published books on women's writing, American southern culture, and women fiction readers. Her latest much-acclaimed work is Why Women Read Fiction: The Stories of Our Lives. Her best-known works focus on popular writing and culture: Scarlett's Women: Gone With the Wind and its Female Fans, The Daphne du Maurier Companion, and Circling Dixie: Contemporary Southern Culture through a Transatlantic Lens. Her new book is Childless by Choice: The Meaning and Legacy of a Child-free Life.

She taught English and American literature at three universities – West of England, Warwick and Exeter, where she was Head of English and is now Emeritus Professor. She has published widely on the literature and culture of the American South, as well as British and American women's writing. For many years, she has been a Chair, Curator and participant in many literary festivals, including Bath, Cheltenham, Oxford, Fowey, Budleigh Salterton and Clifton, and she was the first Director of the Liverpool Literature Festival. She is currently writing a book on Daphne du Maurier for the series 'Writers and Their Works'. She lives in Bristol. __ Join an upcoming Kids or Childfree workshop here: kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you're hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

We're back for another episode of our Dear Former Fence-Sitter series with mom, therapist, and former fence-sitter, Amanda E. White, where we're answering questions that include...

• I feel like having a child will mean a more fulfilled life, but I can't seem to focus on anything but the downsides of parenthood. What should I do?
• If I don't like other people's kids, is it still possible I'd enjoy having my own?
• How do I know if the pull I feel to have a child comes from within — or is just external pressure?

As mentioned in the show: Listen to my original conversation with Amanda, where she shares her personal Kids or Childfree journey, here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ir3CeSSRRLLh2PbVwQn1h Find Amanda on Instagram: instagram.com/therapyforwomen Read Amanda's Fence Sitter Substack: amandaewhite.substack.com Listen to Amanda's Nuance Needed Podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/73G84FVO6k5lIAaRWhzlUi?si=39f1a6ffbd444408 Learning about Amanda's therapy practice, Therapy for Women Center: www.therapyforwomencenter.com About Amanda: Amanda E. White is a licensed therapist and the creator of the popular Instagram account @therapyforwomen. She writes a substack called Fence Sitter. She is the author of the book "Not Drinking Tonight" and its corresponding workbook. She is the founder of the group therapy practice, Therapy for Women Center, based in Philadelphia serving clients across the country. She has been featured in notable publications such as Forbes, Washington Post, Shape, Women's Health Magazine, and more. To learn more visit amandaewhite.com __ Join an upcoming Kids or Childfree workshop here: kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you're hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree

In this conversation, we hear from writer and researcher, Laura Carroll, about how societal and cultural narratives — including pronatalist beliefs — influence and shape our Kids or Childfree desires and the choices we ultimately make. Keltie and Laura...

• Delve into the complexities of choosing a childfree life, and the idea of "shifting sureness".
• Discuss Laura's extensive research on childfree individuals and her works, "25 over 10" and "The Baby Matrix".
• Explore the importance of questioning societal norms and the impact of personal experiences on life decisions.
• Unpack some of the deep-rooted beliefs that influence individuals' decisions to have children.
• Explore the notion that childfree individuals are responsible for societal issues resulting from population decline.

As mentioned in the show Find Laura online at https://lauracarroll.com Read Laura's books: The Baby Matrix: lauracarroll.com/book-review/the-baby-matrix/ 25 Over 10: A Childfree Longitudinal Study: lauracarroll.com/book-review/25-over-10/ Families of Two: lauracarroll.com/book-review/ebook-families-of-two-interviews-with-happily-married-couples-without-children-by-choice/ Find Laura on social media: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lauracarroll88.bsky.social LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrollcommunicationsconsulting/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauralcarroll88/ FB The Baby Matrix Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheBabyMatrix/ FB Families of Two: Childfree & Beyond Page: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeandBeyond/ X: https://x.com/LauraCarroll88 Check out Dr. Jay Zigmont's new business, Childfree Trust: childfreetrust.com You can also find him in Episode 24 of the podcast

About Laura Laura Carroll is an internationally recognized expert on the childfree choice and pronatalism. She has studied the childfree choice and those who make it for over 25 years, and pronatalism for 15 years. Laura has authored six books and contributed to textbooks. Since 2000, she has been featured on network television, been a guest on many podcasts and radio talk shows, as well as US and Canadian public radio. She and her work have appeared in many print and digital media publications, including Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, New York Magazine, Women's Health South Africa and UK. __ Join us for an upcoming Kids or Childfree workshop: kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you're hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree

In this conversation, Keltie Maguire and therapist Lia Avellino explore the intricate relationship between motherhood, identity, and grief. You'll hear them discuss:

• The evolving nature of desire, the cultural narratives surrounding parenthood, and the importance of self-discovery in navigating these experiences.
• The coexistence of joy and grief in motherhood, and the need to honor both old and new identities.
• The emotional weight of grief in decision-making, and how to navigate pre-emptive grief as you make your Kids or Childfree choice.
• How the body can provide insights into your Kids or Childfree choice.
• Why good enough, rather than "all in", can be enough.
• How envisioning different life paths can help clarify our desires.

As mentioned in the showFind Lia online at www.lialoveavellino.com. Lia's Instagram is instagram.com/lialoveavellino Tune into Lia's podcast, Unprocessed: https://open.spotify.com/show/66NB1tuqwTWJo72ZDW8MaO About Lia Lia is a licensed feminist clinical social worker who specializes in caring for individuals looking to break out of molds that don't serve them, particularly women and mothers. In her roles as CEO of group support organization, Spoke Circles, Advisor to Head & Heart at THE WELL, and relationship and motherhood columnist for mindbodygreen, Lia supports people in connecting to the wisdom inside themselves, their histories and their communities, in order to find their way. She graduated with distinction from Columbia University and has received awards for innovative research and excellence in the provision of therapeutic care to underserved populations, while managing a national component of President Obama's initiative to reduce teen pregnancy across the nation. Her writing and commentary has been featured in GLAMOUR magazine, The American Journal of Sexuality Education, Best Life, ABC's The Tamron Hall Show, Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, CNBCs MakeIt, Motherly, Oprah Daily and more. Lia lives with her husband and 3 children in Brooklyn, NY. __ Get details on how we can work together 1-on-1 here: kidsorchildfree.com/coaching Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you're hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree