Category Archives: Childfree

London (UK), 10 February 2022 10th February 2022 marks the official launch of the Kindred dating app, offering a fresh solution to those seeking kid-free relationships.

Designed to connect like-minded singles in the dating world who either dont want or cant have children, Kindred cleverly removes the challenges many are faced with using mainstream dating apps. Its two child-free founders, Eleanor Brook-Hatch and Philip Wassouf, developed the idea out of frustrations they faced when constantly matching with people who either wanted kids, or were unsure about it, leading to wasted time and awkward dating experiences.

Kindred Managing Director and co-founder, Philip Wassouf, comments Ele and I have used all the well-known dating apps over the years. We struggled to connect with other singles who wanted to date and settle down without the pressures of having kids and, after digging deeper, realised we werent the only ones, by a long shot! Even though there are almost 3 million single parent families (Office for National Statistics, 2021), many of whom dont want more kids, and almost half of British women now hit thirty and are kid-free (Office for National Statistics, 2020), were still underserved by mainstream dating apps.

Asignificant and growing portion of the dating market are singles, who Kindred calls spirits, broadly falling into three lifestyles:

Kindred Communications Director and co-founder, Eleanor Brook-Hatch, adds More people than ever are looking for a kid-free relationship, with over a third of those without kids now saying theyll never have them (YouGov, 2020). We created Kindred to remove the need for the kids conversation and to connect singles whether theyre childfree, childless or parents.

Comments like youll change your mind or you just havent met the right person yet are about as welcome as dick pics for those of us looking for kid-free relationships, yet thats all too often the response from people.

The free version of the Kindred app allows you to filter spirits by lifestyle, swipe their profiles, and chat with your matches everything you need to start dating. Kindred also combats the issues of fake profiles by using selfie verification, and ensures high quality profiles by having all images and text reviewed and approved by real people.

Kindred Communications Director and co-founder, Eleanor Brook-Hatch, says We all want to find a partner whos on the same page about the big stuff. Many apps claim to have great algorithms or search filters but you can rarely filter for people who dont want kids or have to pay to do so. Thats not the case on Kindred. Everyone on the app is looking to meet and date fellow singles for a kid-free relationship.

Kindred also offers a premium membership which unlocks various features including more detailed search functions, a curated list of compatible spirits and priority placement in search results.

Kindred is offering six months of premium membership for free to any singles who sign up for the waiting list before the app launches in their area.

After launching in London, Kindred will make its way to the US later in the year then to Europe and the rest of the world.

Notes to Editors

Media Contact

Eleanor Brook-Hatch|Tel: +44 7397 929557 | Email:ele@thekindredlife.com

Text about founders

Kindred Co-Founders Phil andEle met on a mainstream dating app during the pandemic. Over probably too many drinks during their first few dates, they discussed the challenges and frustrations of finding a partner and the lack of apps that truly cater for the underserved yet growing community of singles looking for a kid-free relationship. So they decided to do something about it.

Phil runs hisown engineering software business which he started over ten years ago, andElehas over twenty years' experience workingas an EAwithin the media and entertainment industry.Together, they have the business, software and personal experience needed to create a dating app for kid-free relationships.

About Kindred

Kindred is a new dating app for people who want a kid-free relationship.The app launches in London on 10th Feb 2022 with a waiting list for other locations around the world.It will be available on the Apple App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store for Android, creating a safe space for Kindred spirits to match, meet and date.www.thekindredlife.com

References

Office for National Statistics. (2020, December 4). Childbearing for women born in different years, England and Wales: 2019. Retrieved from Office for National Statistics Web site: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/conceptionandfertilityrates/bulletins/childbearingforwomenbornindifferentyearsenglandandwales/2019

Office for National Statistics. (2021, March 2). Families and households in the UK: 2020. Retrieved from Office for National Statistics Web Site: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/families/bulletins/familiesandhouseholds/2020

YouGov. (2020, January 9). Why do people choose to not have children? Retrieved from YouGov Web Site: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2020/01/09/why-are-britons-choosing-not-have-children

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Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of We Are Kindred, on Monday 31 January, 2022. For more information subscribe and follow https://pressat.co.uk/

Original post:

Don't want kids in your next relationship? You're not alone. Kindred is the new dating app that connects you with like-minded singles. - Pressat

WHEN it comes to baby names, theres a reason people decide to keep their favourite choices a secret.

But unfortunately for one woman from the UK, she found out the hard way after her sister-in-law stole both of her unusual baby names.

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Taking to Reddit, the devastated woman explained how she has known her sister-in-law for 10 years - even before she hooked up with her brother - and the pair of them would often talk about everything including baby names.

I have only ever had two baby names that I've loved - let's call them Sarah and Joe, and I've had them picked since my early teens (I'm now 28) so SIL definitely knew them - everyone in my family did, it wasn't a secret in anyway, she wrote.

She recalled: Fast forward a few years, SIL drops our friendship, marries my brother and gets pregnant.

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"The name is a secret and no one is told until she arrives that she's called Sarah, a few years later another baby comes along - again another secret name and boom! This one's a Joe!

The woman went on to explain that the fake names Sarah and Joe are bad examples because the monikers she had chosen were obscure, old English names.

They were certainly not names you would coincidentally stumble across on a baby name Google search, she added.

After the sister-in-law's announcement was made, she told how she was left devastated and said that it was gut-wrenching the first time, and heartbreaking the second - particularly because her heart was set on both names and she had no back ups.

But to make matters even worse, she revealed that her sister-in-law denied any knowledge of knowing they were both her favourite baby names and didnt seem to care at all by the devastation shed caused.

The woman went on to question whether she was wrong to be resentful towards her sister-in-law because she knows its not fair to try and save a name - but admitted that what she's done just doesnt feel right.

And many took to the comments section to agree that the sister-in-law was in the wrong and appeared to have acted out of spite.

"I'm childfree and usually think that issues like this are silly, but honestly your SIL is a massive AH, especially since she did this to you twice AND she's lying about not knowing that you wanted those names for your children," wrote one.

I was devastated to say the least, it was gut wrenching the first time and heart breaking the second

A second penned: "Do I think she chose the namesbecausethey were names you picked? Probably. Is that a messed up way to choose your kids' names? Definitely.

"Is it okay for you to be resentful about it? I mean, feelings are feelings...you can't control your emotional reaction."

Meanwhile, a third commented: "Sure, you cant call dibs on names but intent matters. I think if you and a friend/relative both come up with the same name independently, thats fair game.

"If somebody goes out of their way to one-up you by deliberately targeting names they know you wanted to use, then theyre being an AH."

She denied any knowledge of the names and didn't seem to care at all

However, others admitted they felt "torn" with how to feel about the unfortunate scenario.

"I am usually of the mindset that no one can save a name and if you tell someone a name and they use it thats on you," one penned. "I also got the sense you sensed some bad vibes, and there was implication in your post that she intended to name them these names not only because she liked the names but to hurt you."

"But at the same time, its just a name and being gutted or holding a grudge for so long isnt helpful. I have no judgement for you, other than to find other names for your potential future children and trust no one with them and to let it go."

Another agreed: "You cant call dibs on a name. Nothing is stopping you from still naming your children those names if you are still attached to them."

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On the topic of baby names, one pregnant woman expressed her shock at some of the "awful" names women give their kids.

These are themost popular baby names for tots born in January.

And this mum has given her totthe world's longest name, with 1,019 letters.

View post:

My sister-in-law stole BOTH my unique baby names I was devastated but she wasnt bothered at all... - The US Sun

Research (and your diary) shows that becoming a parent decreases contact with friends. But outside the baby bubble, asks Gemma Askham, 38, where does that leave the childfree?

The Instagram posts jolted me like turbulence. One friend announced her engagement; another posted the top table at her wedding (I didnt even know she was engaged). Surprise and joy turned into something sadder. When had we drifted so far? Living in different cities hadnt helped. Nor Covid British and French studies both found that lockdowns shrunk friendship circles. But, in truth, our worlds lost orbit two years earlier: when my now-engaged friend FaceTimed me clutching a bump instead of a G&T, and the other handed me an envelope and beamed as I pulled out a scan.

As someone childfree, a pregnancy announcement means that person is moving to a place Ill never quite get. Despite all the memories, laughs and common ground before, some things change instantly. My I cant wait to see you! is met with I cant wait for you to meet them! a third person already in our gang of two. Once a child is here, frustrations build. At gatherings, when the story youre telling gets cut off by a dropped spoon, you learn that everything you just uttered will have been forgotten. The chasm is felt both ways. During a weekend away with families, my husband and I messed up when the food we were making wasnt ready until after their kids mealtime. A mother would know what time children eat, one mum scolded.

#Childfree might be a growing Gen Z movement, with over 174 million TikTok views, but at 38 Im an outlier. They say the urge for offspring will come: when you meet the right person, own a house. Yet as I ticked off landmarks without a twinge, I realised that the desire to have children wasnt coming. When mums described the infinity of maternal love, or suggested we try to conceive and let nature decide as if my own choice couldnt be trusted I felt dysfunctional. A gay friend finally offered perspective. I cant explain why Im not attracted to women, other than that Im just not. I expect its the same for you not wanting children, he said, nailing it.

Simple and yet not, in practice. In my twenties, I remember the evening my housemate Julia told me she was moving in with her boyfriend. I was so happy for her and yet devastated. A decade older, Id be lying if I said I hadnt felt disappointment when yet another couple said they had some news particularly if I thought (or hoped) they would swerve children too.

Now in my late thirties, I ask if other women without children feel the same. Youre thrilled for them, but its also, Oh. Because thats it for the friendship as you loved it, confides one. Another feels displaced, particularly around Christmas. For years, you live, socialise and holiday together. Then, overnight, instead of you being their person, they have their own person, and everything falls out of sync routines, priorities, celebrations. Our group of uni friends would always hold a Christmas dinner together in early December. Now its a thing for the kids and we dont even get an invite.

Being childfree is uncharted social territory: even meeting new faces requires more than a free bar and a Secret Santa when youre older and breaking the mould. Last December, my husband Jordi and I moved to Paris. Wed previously lived in Sydney and Barcelona, and made friends easily. But this time I was 37 and Jordi was 40. Similar-aged expats were wrestling toddlers at the Disneyland Christmas Parade. During house party small talk, being a dog mum proved only so relatable to being a human mum: teething issues, yes, breastfeeding, less so. The motherhood questions came again. You dont feel anything? one asked, bemused, as she stared at the family portrait on her phone. It felt as if being childfree had sentenced us to being friend-free, too.

Loneliness made me inventive. I stopped for longer when I met other dog walkers, building a repertoire of faces, then names, then life stories. Instead of using Instagram to track old friends lives which really meant liking visual proof of our differences I pursued my love of interiors, building a network where we chatted design, irrespective of our ovaries. Offline, by surprise, I bonded with mums of teenagers who were also navigating a new life stage now time was their own again.

And when I did feel chemistry with a new mum, I demanded less accepting that a booked-weeks-in-advance dinner, with a booked-weeks-in-advance babysitter, could bring me joy even if we werent each others entire social worlds and hoped for more in time. Researchers in the Netherlands found that new parents friendships are weakest when a child turns three, but women regain contact with friends after their childs fifth birthday. Theres comfort in an academic study validating that drift is, indeed, A Thing and a temporary one.

Meanwhile, Ive made a discovery of my own: any new human in your life takes work, but they dont have to be baby-shaped to be fulfilling.

Go here to read the rest:

The Biggest Barrier To Friendships In Your Thirties? Not ...

Uh oh, it has happened. I have officially turned into that person. You know who I mean: the adult who seems oblivious to the fact that their screeching infant is not the most adorable thing to crawl the face of this Earth but an out-of-control noise machine. That person is the previously sensible and self-aware friend of yours who beams every time their perfect progeny farts or grunts, and acts like it is the cutest thing they have ever seen. What happened to you? I used to think, when I was childfree, and hung out with friends who had procreated. How do you not realise that your child is sort of annoying? What did parenthood do to your brain?

I do not have the scientific answers to this but I can say that parenthood has undoubtedly done a number on my own brain. I have 100% been baby-pilled. My eight month old will be screeching like a banshee and, instead of finding it irritating, I will look at her perfect little face and my heart will melt. I find myself googling things such as: if my baby screams a lot at an unusually high decibel level, does it mean that they are gifted? (The jury is out on that but my kid is obviously brilliant).

As well as being the smartest child ever, she is also exceptionally adorable. Everyone says so. The only time I have wondered if they might be politely lying is when I recently looked back at pictures of her as a newborn and realised that she was actually kind of funny-looking because, lets be honest, all newborns are funny-looking. They are hairy, wrinkly, little gremlins. I can see that now. Eight months ago, though, I was convinced she was nothing like other newborns; I was sure she was unusually perfect. Which, to be fair, she is. Hormones, eh? Theyre crafty so-and-sos.

Originally posted here:

My baby screeches like a banshee and my heart melts. What have I become? - The Guardian

Forget those other new years resolutions the one thing we need to do, says Polly Vernon, is stop grilling each other about kids

I got a puppy. She is a dark apricot labradoodle, 14 weeks old at the time of writing; shes called Rita (as in: Heyworth, Ora, Fairclough, Sue And Bob, Too, yes), and to call her the best decision I ever made would be to undersell her butThis article is not really about her. This article is about all the people I meet because of her, people who never spoke to me before (because: London) who now stop and chat like weve been bezzie mates for years, because they need to go through me before they can drop to their knees and have my puppy fling herself joyfully into their outstretched arms, thereby making their day instantly, infinitely better than it would have been, you are welcome.

Do I mind? Hell, no! Its like living in this weird bubble of melty grinny goodwill, in which, everyone total strangers, people who knew you by reputation and thought you a bit of a twat, people you fell out with in 2017 is unbelievably delighted to see you (if only by association). But I have noticed a lot of them if only ever the female ones ask variations on a particular question, over and over, a question I think raises a point of busted etiquette. After the Obligatories (OH MY GOD, HES SO CUTE! Oh, sorry, sorry: shes a girl! Awwwwww! How old? What breed? Whats her name? OH MY GOD, SHES SO CUTE!) comes a speciously related, distinctly unnecessary follow-up: I bet your kids adore her, dont they? (or similar).

Those of you whove read my stuff before will possibly know I dont have kids. You might also know this is a I was going to say choice, but my childfree existence is much more than that. Its a joyous rejection of everything society really deep down still expects of me (of every woman, at the end of the day), and its based on an instinctive, absolute knowledge that motherhood wouldnt suit me (this came to me when I was a child), backed up by a few decades of experience, intellectual reasoning, and the fact that, even though everyone told me a biological clock would erupt at some point it did not. Unsurprisingly, given I know myself better than anyone who ever said: Oooh, bet youll regret it! to me, to the current moment, I can say with absolute confidence: I have never regretted anything less.

Give or take Rita.

But, then how to react to all the puppy interrogators? If I simply say: Uh, I actually havent got kids, they might pity me (ugh). If I add: Never wanted them, awful business, cant imagine why anyone does terrible for the planet that sounds prickly to the point of being unconvincing, and as for the other stuff I teeter on the verge of saying (I totally could have had them? Stable relationship, financially viable; oh, and like, super-fertile? Had an abortion or three, as it happens), thats venturing into the realm of just being poisonous.

And its not as if they mean anything bad by it. They look at me, all caring and maternal to Mistress Fluffington Fluffy Bottom of Archway (my dog has many names, also a few songs), and that triggers a not unreasonable assumption; they have kids (it is, Ive noticed, only ever mothers who ask), so are casting about for another point of connection, and also: society has conditioned us to exactly ask this of every woman older than 30. Have you got kids, have you got kids, have you got kids, have you got kids? As I already said feminism and decades of progress be damned! A womans first duty is still assumed to be procreation; anyone who, like me, has denied it will tell you that, as for those who want to have kids, but cant

Ah yes. Them. The ones struggling with fertility issues, with miscarriage, with the IVF rounds that wont take; those women who do have biological clocks, who want children as surely and desperately as I do not, who are getting to the point where they know they just have to give up, admit defeat, and so grieve, silently and endlessly, for people never born, never even conceived Whats it like for them to exist in a world where others ask, often, casually, about the thing that causes such extraordinary pain, more pain than anything else? If I find that question the kid question a little awkward, a little complicated, if I have to take a breath, moderate my emotional response, make a concerted effort to keep my tone light, to not be a total bitch in response: what on earth is it like for them? What sadness and confusion, what sense of shame, of failure, overwhelms them in response to those words?

Casual, everyday references to assumed children seem like such a mild thing, such a friendly thing, such a nothing, really. I have no doubt theyre intended that way. But given theyre potentially imposing deep pain on another person, reopening a barely-sealed wound, leaving them winded, gasping, incapable of answering you, it might be worth leaving them out of our repertoire of light chat with passing strangers. Denormalise a question as personal and private as wondering how another womans reproductive organs/life choices are shaping up; give her puppy a cuddle, move along.

Here is the original post:

Polly Vernon: 'We Need To Stop Grilling Women About Whether They Have Children Or Not' - Grazia

Beloved actor, comedian, animal advocate, and trailblazer Betty White passed away on 31 December 2021 aged 99.

Today, 17 January 2022, marks what would have been the treasured performer's 100th birthday.

Betty White was no stranger to breaking boundaries and setting records.

In 2013, the TV star earned the Guinness World Records title for longest TV career for an entertainer (female), spanning over 74 years of work in the industry.

Making her TV debut in 1939, just after graduating from high school, Betty went on to portray some cherished characters.

Working in TV, radio, stage and appearing in more than 15 movies, Betty is probably best known for her role as the loveable Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls (NBC, 19851992).

Betty worked primarily on stage and radio in the 1940s, and by the end of the decade had become a regular co-host of Hollywood on Television on KLAC TV. In 1954, she hosted her own daily talk show, The Betty White Show (NBC).

Lovingly referred to as the queen of the small screen, Betty Whites legacy spans much further than her acting career. Betty took a stand for the things and people she believed in.

When Betty was asked to remove Arthur Duncan from the cast of The Betty White Show in the 1950s because of his race, her response did not waver despite the threat of cancellation. She said "I'm sorry, but, you know, he stays".

Betty also pushed back on gender norms and societal pressures by being vocal about her decision to be childfree. "No, Ive never regretted it," she said in an interview with CBSin 2012.

"Im so compulsive about stuff, I know if I had ever gotten pregnant, of course, that would have been my whole focus. I didnt choose to have children because Im focused on my career."

In an interview with Guinness World Records in 2013, when asked if she had any career regrets, Betty calmly replied that she did not.

"I have no regrets at all. None. I consider myself to be the luckiest old broad on two feet."

Known for making the world a better place even after 99 years, for many it feels too soon to say goodbye to the woman who brought so much light and laughter to the world.

Betty left us with countless lessons and advice. When it came to aging, Betty wrote in her book, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Wont):

"It's not a surprise, we knew it was comingmake the most of it. So you may not be as fast on your feet, and the image in your mirror may be a little disappointing, but if you are still functioning and not in pain, gratitude should be the name of the game."

Cheers to you Betty, thank you for being a friend.

See the rest here:

Celebrating record-breaking legend Betty White on her 100th birthday - Guinness World Records

Six days into 2022 and weve already had one of the weirdest collisions of gaming culture and the wider world. Yesterday, during Pope Francis weekly general audience in which he said a few prayers, made a few addresses, and casually shamed voluntarily childfree people for preferring the company of their pets to tiny, screaming humans most of us cannot possibly afford, a troupe of jugglers / acrobats / general circus folk performed to a jazzy ska-esque rendition of Megalovania from Toby Foxs Undertale.

Everything about this performance inspires in me a manic chuckle as I try to make sense of the scene unfolding in front of my eyes. The performance starts with an acrobat twirling a foam cylinder with their feet. Then, for some reason, the jugglers start, and then someone wheels by on a unicycle making every element of this performance look like unorganized, mismatched chaos. Something thats oddly fitting when you think about the chaotic terror of the Sans fight. In the Sans battle, just like in this performance, nonsensical shit is coming at you from all sides while a little man in a funny outfit smiles at you serenely as Megalovania plays.

As incredulous as it may sound, this is actually not the first time theres been a Pope / Undertale crossover. In 2016, YouTube gamer MatPat famously gave the Pope a Steam code for Undertale as he thought the game represented the same themes of forgiveness and compassion that the Pope alluded to in a speech he made earlier in the year. Maybe Big Catholic Boss Guy finally got around to playing it and liked the song so much he requested it for his next general audience. Of course, that would mean the Pope would have taken the genocide option which, depending on your view of organized religion, may or may not match up.

Wow, that got dark.

The history of atrocities committed in the name of religion aside, everything about this performance rips. I especially like the wide shot of the stage that includes the Pope in his funny outfit, the performers in their funny outfits, and members of the Swiss Guard with their totally normal technicolor pantaloons and traditional halberd lending that extra dash of is this real or am I tripping balls right now? all while Fazzinis The Resurrection looms in the background looking ready to consume everyone whole.

It is the exact kind of surrealism I think Toby Fox would appreciate.

Go here to see the original:

For some reason Megalovania played during an audience with the Pope - The Verge

A BRIDE has sparked a heated debate online after revealing she's banned anyone over 70 from attending her wedding.

The woman took to Reddit's Am I The A*****e forum to explain the situation, adding that she and her fiance both have big families, so are "trying to figure out how to make our guest list work with our budget".

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"Our grandparents are all in their 80s and his grandma has Alzheimers - she forgets who people are, doesn't know where she is a lot of the time, and sometimes she just randomly starts crying or yelling and it's really depressing," she wrote.

"Both my grandparents also have some health issues and demand a lot of care and attention," she continued.

"I really don't want any of this to ruin our big day. I don't want his grandma shouting or making noise during the ceremony or my grandpa needing help and being a big distraction, and I feel like people are going to be paying a lot of attention to them instead of the wedding and the wedding couple."

She added that she and her fiance had therefore decided "we don't want anyone over 70 at the wedding and are making a blanket rule so it's fair to everyone".

"I think they would be bored and more comfortable at home anyway, and it's an opportunity for their caregivers to come out and relax and have fun without worrying about caregiving responsibilities for the evening," she continued.

"My fiance is on board but the rest of my family is upset. Am I the a*****e?"

The majority of comments on the post saw people slam the poster for her rule, with one person writing: "Jesus Christ, you have got to be kidding. You are the worst. You are the a*****e."

"For real. You're the a*****e, original poster," someone else commented. "If my Cousin or sibling was getting married and tried to pull this crap I would 100 per cent skip their wedding and take my grandparents out for dinner or something.

"And Id implore my other family members to do the same."

Another added: "This isn't you caring about their feelings over the look of the thing, this is you caring about the look of the thing over anyone's feelings.

"I'm sure your grandparents will be heartbroken you don't want them there.

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"Being over 70 is not the same as being under 10 - you can't exclude people just because they aren't able to do the cha cha slide.

"You are going to offend and hurt a lot of people."

READ MORE REAL LIFE STORIES

And another person wrote: "I lost all my grandparents before I was an adult.

"Honestly, if they could have been at my wedding, it would be more impactful than the actual marriage itself."

"My grandmother is 88 and did tequila shots with me at my wedding. Age is just a number!" someone else added.

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Others were unsure whether or not the bride was in the wrong, with one writing: "Since the logic is very similar to childfree weddings, I'm having a hard time figuring out where the gap in the logic is.

"Like if couples can exclude guests based their age, because people under a certain age will cause disruption, then the same logic would apply to people OVER a certain age, right?"

Speaking of weddings, this person attended an awful one recently where only half of the guests got food.

This bride sparked outrage by trying to charge guests 1,000 to attend her big day.

And this bride's stepmum turned up to the wedding in white, but it was her shoes that had everyone talking.

Read more:

Ive banned anyone over 70 from my wedding, seeing them is so depressing & I dont want the attention tak... - The US Sun

Working in the healthcare system is demanding, whether theres a pandemic going on or not, especially around the holidays.

Surely everyone would like to be able to enjoy the holidays with their families, so it stands to reason coworkers would take turns covering holiday shifts, pointed out the Am I the A**hole? (AITA) subReddit.

Despite this logic,Redditor Caffeinated_Tragedy was pressured to give up her time with family because she was childfree.

When her coworkers with kids started giving her the cold shoulder, the Original Poster (OP) wondered if she was selfish to keep her time off.

She asked the sub:

AITA for not agreeing to work Christmas for coworkers with children?

The OP was excited to spend Christmas with her family.

Ive (23 [Female]) been employed at my work for about a year now. I got hired on right after I graduated. (I work in healthcare.)

Our holiday schedules switch each year, meaning employees are scheduled to work every other Christmas.

I worked last Christmas (the 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th), meaning this year Im scheduled to be off for Christmas.

I dont have children, but I am very close with my family and so I was looking forward to not having to worry about work and spend Christmas time completely focused on them.

Coworkers came forward, asking to trade shifts.

Our Christmas schedule has come out, and this has led to annoyed parents of small children because they have to work Christmas this year.

I was approached by a few coworkers about me working their Christmas shifts (Employees are able to do shift exchanges, meaning you can trade shifts) and they would work shifts of mine before Christmas.

Everyone knows that my boyfriend and I (25 [Male]) dont have children as of yet, so I tend to be one of the people that get asked the most for shift exchanges.

I declined the coworkers that asked if I would work their Christmas this year, and I could tell there was annoyance about this.

The thing is if I agreed to work this Christmas I would almost definitely be working three Christmases in a row because I doubt I would be able to find anyone to switch with me next year if I tried as obviously Christmas is a time where no one willingly wants to work.

The OP felt conflicted.

I may not have kids but my family is very close, and my grandparents have medical problems so I try to enjoy every moment with them I can.

I was also looking forward to not feeling exhausted during family time.

Seeing the annoyance of coworkers when I declined made me feel both bad and frustrated.

I understand that everyone obviously wants to be with their kids during Christmas, but I want to be with my family too.

So Im wondering AITA for saying no to working Christmas if I dont have kids?

Fellow Redditors weighed in:

Some said the OP already worked her holiday hours.

NTA. You worked it last year and your vacation plans are just as important as those with kids.

You did your part and now its someone elses turn. Hi_Im_Dadbot

The only thing I dont think is fair about how this place is handling this is that its tradable at all, which leads to exactly the problems OP is dealing with, with entitled a**hole child-having employees trying to pressure childless employees out of taking certain holidays with but think of my kids! and similar sentiments. calliatom

I have three grown children, but when they were little (barring accidents or emergencies) I would NEVER try to pull something like this off!

It is so very selfish, especially when those coworkers HAD Christmas off last year! Change jobs if you dont want the possibility of working holidays, but again, NOT OPs problem!!! JipC1963

Those co-workers should also be aware that this is life in healthcare. Holidays are shifted to an alternate day, or celebrated alternate years.

Ive done this for nearly 30 years, its not that hard, Im just glad to get a day off now and then.

And OPs parents want to see their kid on the holiday this year. Zhoenish

Others said the OP wasnt obligated to take every turn just because she was childfree.

You said, Everyone takes turns working.That is the important part. If it is shared around then no problems. But a lot of companies like OPs seem to expect those without kids to ALWAYS deal with it, and those with kids to NEVER deal with it. WelschBluebird1

The company policy is that Christmas time off rotates yearly. The company is dealing with it fairly, by going halves on the Christmas holidays. Coworkers should switch jobs or companies if they cant deal, and not be mad at the OP.

Also, everyone who thinks their time more important because they have children is an AH. Cr4ckshooter

Where I work, the rule is you work Christmas one year and the following year you work New Year. Its understood by all that we all have plans and we all have families/pets/plants that we want to spend Christmas with so we all have to take our turn.

Its so selfish to demand Christmas off every year just because you have kids. Get a different job if youre not willing to do your fair share. Dashcamkitty

OP, you are NOT the a**hole. Why is it that you are less of a person just because you dont have kids?

It annoys the h88l out of me that people expect others to just roll over because they dont have kids. Your life matters just as much, and h**l, youre someones kid too! How would they feel if their kids co-workers asked them to stay so they could be with their kids. The SouternRose

Though the OP thought she might be selfish by declining to cover for parenting coworkers Christmases, the subReddit didnt think so. The OP had already taken her turn the previous year, and even if she helped one of her coworkers, wouldnt the others be bitter that she didnt help them instead?

This hardly seems like a winning situation, compared to what all the coworkers could have done if theyd simply planned ahead once the schedule had been released.

View original post here:

Childfree Woman Won't Cover Christmas Shifts For Coworkers ...

"1. We both felt the world was moving in a direction that can't be sustained. Research on global climate change wasn't part of the picture, but ecologically unsound practices were.

2. We're both from families where there are plenty of children and grandchildren. So, our genes will be represented, without more taken from the available resources.

3. We both endured teasing about our physical appearances and didn't want our children to suffer the same.

4. We'd both been exposed to more-than-average levels of radiation and didn't want to risk it.

5. Personally, I was concerned about being a good parent. (My husband, on the other hand, would have been amazing.)

6. By the time we were in a position to support having children, I felt I was too old. I'm the child of a 40-year-old mother who had five children before me and one after and although I would never have told her this, I really felt that some of us didn't get the time and energy that her eldest got. I didn't want to do that to another being.

Instead of having kids, we participated in helping those already here, in a number of ways. In the end, we wish circumstances had been different, but do not regret our decision."

u/SheSellsSeashellsBts

More here:

People Who Are Childfree And Over 50 Are Sharing How They Now Feel About Their Decision To Not Have Kids - BuzzFeed