The Kids or Childfree Podcast

By Keltie Maguire

Should I have kids?

If you're on the fence about whether or not to have kids, this is your podcast. Each week, host and Clarity Coach, Keltie Maguire, will interview a wide-ranging host of different... more

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FAQs about The Kids or Childfree Podcast:

How many episodes does The Kids or Childfree Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 120 episodes available.

Best of The Kids or Childfree Podcast

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: 99. Helena de Groot on Finding Peace Amid the Discomfort of Doubt
In this conversation, producer, sound designer, and creator of CBC Personally's Creation Myth podcast, Helena De Groot, shares her deeply personal journey of deciding to remain childfree. Hear Keltie & Helena discuss: The complex emotions and societal expectations surrounding the decision to have kids or remain childfree. Why the possibility of personal growth was one of the biggest factors pulling Helena toward the motherhood path. What she wishes she handled differently when discussing her desire to be childfree with her ex-husband. The conversation that finally helped solidify her childfree choice. How she grappled with the topic of meaning and her place in this world, without kids. (1:03) Meet Helena, her podcast, and her Kids or Childfree decision (28:30) Conversations with friends about the Kids or Childfree decision (37:32) Helena and her first husband's differing opinions about having kids (48:13) Convenience and connection, the danger of the term "childfree" (58:22) The advice that helped Helena find clarity (1:10:33) Meaning and purpose without kids Mentioned in this episode: Finding Helena online at www.helenadegroot.me Tune into the Creation Myth podcast on CBC Personally: https://app.magellan.ai/listen_links/zkujNM Her Instagram is @helenavelikaja Discover Helena's other work: Poetry Off the Shelf: Every two weeks, Helena interviews a poet about their life and work. In Touch the Moon, is an interview with a highly original man who wrote a book about William Blake. In Pen Pals, a poet friend and her spent a summer exchanging voice messages, about aging and the death of his parents. In Glow in the Dark, she talked to a poet with ALS, 20 days before she died, then interviewed her best friend and her husband. Audiobook about Mary Oliver, titled Wild and Precious. 🔗 Join our upcoming Kids or Childfree Group Program: https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-program About Helena: Helena de Groot is a producer and sound designer on many critically acclaimed, prize-winning podcasts and audiobooks, such as the New Yorker favorite Paris Review Podcast and New York Times selected Wild and Precious: An Ode to Mary Oliver, she also talks to writers and artists for the Poetry Foundation podcast Poetry Off the Shelf. Her latest show, Creation Myth, is an audio memoir and Tribeca Official Selection for CBC Personally where she asks the mother of all questions: do I want to have kids? __ MORE HELP FOR YOUR KIDS OR CHILDFREE DECISION Start Here: sign up for an upcoming WORKSHOP 🔗 https://kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Join a GROUP PROGRAM 🔗 Kids or Childfree Group Program ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-program 🔗Confidently Childfree Group Intensive ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/confidently-childfree-group-intensive Access an ON DEMAND class 🔗 Peruse the entire On Demand Collection ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/ondemand Join one of our monthly SUPPORT SERIES sessions 🔗 Kids or Childfree Support Series ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-support-series 🔗Confidently Childfree Support Series ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/confidently-childfree-support-series Work with me in 1-on-1 COACHING 🔗 https://kidsorchildfree.com/coaching FREE resources ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources
March 25, 20261h 26min
Number 2: 93. Keltie Maguire on Will Future Me Regret My Choice?
In this solo episode Keltie is tackling a frequent question she gets from fence-sitters: "I know what I want today — but wow do I know whether future me will regret my choice?" This episode gets into.. Why it's important to consider who we're making this decision for — our present or future self How to instill confidence that although you might change, there is a lot that will remain the same Why faith in our future self is essential to making a confident choice The importance of recognizing our inherent resilience in the face of future challenges and regrets How being intentional can help us cultivate trust that we're making the right decision (0:50) How do I trust that my future self will want the things that I think I want today? (2:15) A decision for my present self vs. future self (7:05) How to account for change (11:21) Cultivating self-trust MORE HELP FOR YOUR KIDS OR CHILDFREE DECISION Start Here: sign up for an upcoming WORKSHOP 🔗 https://kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Join a GROUP PROGRAM 🔗 Kids or Childfree Group Program ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-program 🔗Confidently Childfree Group Intensive ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/confidently-childfree-group-intensive Access an ON DEMAND class 🔗 Peruse the entire On Demand Collection ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/ondemand Join one of our monthly SUPPORT SERIES sessions 🔗 Kids or Childfree Support Series ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-support-series 🔗Confidently Childfree Support Series ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/confidently-childfree-support-series Work with me in 1-on-1 COACHING 🔗 https://kidsorchildfree.com/coaching FREE resources ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources CONNECT ONLINE 💻 Website ▸ http://kidsorchildfree.com 📸 Instagram ▸ http://instagram.com/kidsorchildfree ⏰ Tiktok ▸ https://tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree 📽️ YouTube ▸ https://www.youtube.com/@KidsorChildfree 👉 Brought to you by Keltie Maguire, Clarity Coach ▸ http://keltiemaguire.com Love what you're hearing? 💕 Subscribe | Like | Comment | Share with a friend
February 04, 202627min
Number 3: 115. Maddy Lettuce on Opting Out of Life's Biggest Default Setting
In this episode, Keltie hosts childfree content creator, Maddy Lettuce, for a conversation about why its critical we question parenthood as the default life choice, and Maddy's personal childfree journey. You'll hear them discuss: The importance of questioning societal norms, and why self-discovery is a key part of this process. How personal life experiences shape decisions, and some of the key experiences that informed Maddy's childfree choice. How relationship dynamics play into the decision to have or not have kids, and some of the misconceptions about men's desires. (0:36) Meet Maddy & her Kids or Childfree story; (16:42) Parenthood as a default setting; (35:34) The impact from Maddy's upbringing; (48:04) Childfree dating & partnership; (1:07:27) Who has authority to discuss the Kids or Childfree decision About Maddy: Maddy Lettuce is a childfree content creator and writer based in New Hampshire. She creates content at @whozyourmaddy on TikTok, where her childfree content has accumulated 21 million views in the past year. She's currently working on a book called Opting Out: A Thinking Person's Guide to the Biggest Default Setting of Your Life, a prescriptive nonfiction book examining how parenthood became the default setting nobody questions, and what it would mean to actually treat it as a choice. Het content focuses on raising awareness that the decision to have children is exactly that, a decision, and giving people permission to examine it honestly before they make it. As mentioned in the episode: Find Maddy on Substack, TikTok, and Instagram at @whozyourmaddy. Sign up for our September 16th Kids or Childfree Group Program start. MORE HELP FOR YOUR KIDS OR CHILDFREE DECISION: Start Here: sign up for an upcoming WORKSHOP 🔗 https://kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Join a GROUP PROGRAM 🔗 Kids or Childfree Group Program ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-program 🔗Confidently Childfree Group Intensive ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/confidently-childfree-group-intensive Access an ON DEMAND class 🔗 Peruse the entire On Demand Collection ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/ondemand Join one of our monthly SUPPORT SERIES sessions 🔗 Kids or Childfree Support Series ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-support-series 🔗Confidently Childfree Support Series ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/confidently-childfree-support-series Work with me in 1-on-1 COACHING 🔗 https://kidsorchildfree.com/coaching FREE resources ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources CONNECT ONLINE 💻 Website ▸ http://kidsorchildfree.com 📸 Instagram ▸ http://instagram.com/kidsorchildfree ⏰ Tiktok ▸ https://tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree 📽️ YouTube ▸ https://www.youtube.com/@KidsorChildfree 👉 Brought to you by Keltie Maguire, Clarity Coach ▸ http://keltiemaguire.com Love what you're hearing? 💕 Subscribe | Like | Comment | Share with a friend
August 25, 20261h 13min
Number 4: 113. Ali & Charlie Higgins of DINK Social on Connecting Childfree Couples
In this episode, Ali and Charlie Higgins, founders of DINK Social, share their journey as a childfree couple and the inspiration behind the app designed to connect DINK couples. You'll hear about: How Ali and Charlie came to their childfree decision as a couple. The comments and pushback they get about their choice, especially online — and how this differs based on their gender. Their perspective on the concepts of legacy and impact. Why they were inspired to start creating community specifically for DINKS. Their best advice for cultivating connections with other childfree people. (0:25) Meet Ali & Charlie and their childfree decision; (13:57) "Mothering" & "fathering" as childfree people; gender differences; (22:29) Benefits of not having kids for your relationship; (26:39) About DINK Social; (48:22) Advice for making childfree friends About Ali & Charlie: Ali and Charlie met on Hinge in 2018 and were married in 2021. Since then, they've built a life centered around shared values, curiosity, and the freedom to choose their own path. Together, they've traveled to 24 countries, bonded over great food and drinks, and made movie date nights a regular tradition. Along the way, they've called Seattle and Charlotte home and are now based in Amsterdam — never ruling out wherever the next chapter might take them. They're proud DINKWADs to two dogs, Roscoe and Remy, who are truly their entire world. Alongside full-time corporate jobs, they are co-founders of DINK Social, the social app built specifically for childfree couples. Charlie focuses on business development and building the app itself, while Ali leads community development and social media, growing and connecting the childfree community around the globe. As mentioned in the episode: Find DINK Social on Instagram and TikTok at @dinksocial Their website is dinksocial.com Join the next round of Confidently Childfree Group Intensive that starts on August 18th. MORE HELP FOR YOUR KIDS OR CHILDFREE DECISION: Start Here: sign up for an upcoming WORKSHOP 🔗 https://kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Join a GROUP PROGRAM 🔗 Kids or Childfree Group Program ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-program 🔗Confidently Childfree Group Intensive ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/confidently-childfree-group-intensive Access an ON DEMAND class 🔗 Peruse the entire On Demand Collection ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/ondemand Join one of our monthly SUPPORT SERIES sessions 🔗 Kids or Childfree Support Series ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-support-series 🔗Confidently Childfree Support Series ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/confidently-childfree-support-series Work with me in 1-on-1 COACHING 🔗 https://kidsorchildfree.com/coaching FREE resources ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources CONNECT ONLINE 💻 Website ▸ http://kidsorchildfree.com 📸 Instagram ▸ http://instagram.com/kidsorchildfree ⏰ Tiktok ▸ https://tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree 📽️ YouTube ▸ https://www.youtube.com/@KidsorChildfree 👉 Brought to you by Keltie Maguire, Clarity Coach ▸ http://keltiemaguire.com Love what you're hearing? 💕 Subscribe | Like | Comment | Share with a friend
August 11, 20261h 3min
Number 5: 112. Tess Pereira on Changing Her Mind About Motherhood
In this episode, Keltie speaks with mom-to-be Tess Pereira, about how she went from wanting to stay childfree — to deciding to have kids. You'll hear about: Why Tess never planned on having kids — and her biggest fears about motherhood. What the conversations looked and sounded like between her and her husband, who wanted to become a father. Why it was important to Tess that she doubled down on the pragmatic parts of her decision — and why self-trust has been a huge part of the equation. How Tess's confidence tipped to 51% in favor of having kids — and how she feels about her choice today. The potential dangers of romanticizing motherhood — and the things that matter way more than your baby's nursery color. (0:29) Meet Tess & her Kids or Childfree choice; (15:30) Shifting views on motherhood/parenthood; (34:15) Overcoming fears about having a kid; (45:14) Becoming pregnant at 35 (50:06) Pragmatism vs. romanticizing motherhood About Tess: Tess identified strongly with the childfree perspective for most of her life and deeply questioned whether motherhood aligned with the life she wanted. Over time, she became open to the idea of becoming a parent and now finds herself pregnant. She brings a nuanced and honest perspective on the emotional complexity, fears, relationship dynamics, identity shifts, and personal growth that shaped her journey. Tess joins the podcast to share her experience navigating the kids versus childfree question from both sides, including what changed, what didn't, and what it feels like to move through such a major life transition without simple answers. When not preparing for the arrival of her baby, Tess works as a product manager and strives to be a better home cook. As mentioned in the episode: Want to be one of my 50 Decision Conversations? DM me on Instagram at @kidsorchildfree or email me at [email protected]. You can connect with Tess by email at [email protected] or on Instagram at @tess.pereira. MORE HELP FOR YOUR KIDS OR CHILDFREE DECISION: Start Here: sign up for an upcoming WORKSHOP 🔗 https://kidsorchildfree.com/workshop Join a GROUP PROGRAM 🔗 Kids or Childfree Group Program ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-program 🔗Confidently Childfree Group Intensive ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/confidently-childfree-group-intensive Access an ON DEMAND class 🔗 Peruse the entire On Demand Collection ▸ https://www.kidsorchildfree.com/ondemand Join one of our monthly SUPPORT SERIES sessions 🔗 Kids or Childfree Support Series ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/kids-or-childfree-support-series 🔗Confidently Childfree Support Series ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/confidently-childfree-support-series Work with me in 1-on-1 COACHING 🔗 https://kidsorchildfree.com/coaching FREE resources ▸ https://kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources CONNECT ONLINE 💻 Website ▸ http://kidsorchildfree.com 📸 Instagram ▸ http://instagram.com/kidsorchildfree ⏰ Tiktok ▸ https://tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree 📽️ YouTube ▸ https://www.youtube.com/@KidsorChildfree 👉 Brought to you by Keltie Maguire, Clarity Coach ▸ http://keltiemaguire.com Love what you're hearing? 💕 Subscribe | Like | Comment | Share with a friend
August 05, 20261h 4min