âDo you have kids?â
Itâs a question my wife, Tina, and I have become accustomed to over the last decade. After two rounds of IVF and three miscarriages, we decided to stop trying. It was simply too much.
While the grief has affected us differently, it is a shared experience. And society does its best to remind us of that painâwhether through the unrelenting question, âDo you have kids?â or the assumption that marriage will automatically lead to parenthood. Because being a parent is seen as the default.
This often means that those struggling with childlessness, especially those not by choice, are ignored, and their feelings go unconsidered.
Itâs why having a pregnancy loss policy at work is crucial. Offering flexibility for medical appointments or mental health support, including fertility treatments, makes a world of difference. Businesses should also provide counselling and consider creating a peer network or affinity group for those who are childless not by choiceâa safe space for connection and shared experiences.
At a personal level, World Childless Week, which runs from until 22nd September, is a great opportunity to reach out to someone you know who is childless not by choice. Let them know you understand how challenging it can be and that youâre there for them. Offering empathy without trying to fix things can be incredibly healing.
#WorldChildlessWeek #Childlessness #Grief #Empathy #ChildlessNotByChoice
Itâs a question my wife, Tina, and I have become accustomed to over the last decade. After two rounds of IVF and three miscarriages, we decided to stop trying. It was simply too much.
While the grief has affected us differently, it is a shared experience. And society does its best to remind us of that painâwhether through the unrelenting question, âDo you have kids?â or the assumption that marriage will automatically lead to parenthood. Because being a parent is seen as the default.
This often means that those struggling with childlessness, especially those not by choice, are ignored, and their feelings go unconsidered.
Itâs why having a pregnancy loss policy at work is crucial. Offering flexibility for medical appointments or mental health support, including fertility treatments, makes a world of difference. Businesses should also provide counselling and consider creating a peer network or affinity group for those who are childless not by choiceâa safe space for connection and shared experiences.
At a personal level, World Childless Week, which runs from until 22nd September, is a great opportunity to reach out to someone you know who is childless not by choice. Let them know you understand how challenging it can be and that youâre there for them. Offering empathy without trying to fix things can be incredibly healing.
#WorldChildlessWeek #Childlessness #Grief #Empathy #ChildlessNotByChoice
