Kazuri
LIF Adolescent
Member since 8/11 703 total posts
Name:
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The Many Ways to Have Kids in a Childfree Life (Wait... Are we allowed around kids? )
And yeah, I was being a little bit snarky in the title. 
The Many Ways to Have Kids in a Childfree Life
Author: Laura Carroll
Published: December 16, 2010 at 7:17 am
In her piece, “The Child We Never Had,” Wendy Call of Yes! Magazine brings to light an age old tradition that more childfree than you might think have as part of their lives: the role of co-parent. Also called cooperative child rearing, many childfree want to play an active role in children’s lives, and do so by engaging in part-time care of their siblings’ or friends’ kids. It gives parents a break, is a huge help with childcare, and gives the childfree the “kid hit” they enjoy.
Cooperative parenting can benefit the children as well. According to Erica Jong in a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece, some anthropologists believe that having multiple caregivers enhances the cognitive skills of babies and young children.
Now not all childfree who want to play a role in children’s lives adopt a co-parenting role. Others make kids a major focus of their lives by choosing occupations that revolve around children and young people, from teachers to special educators, child care professionals, pediatricians, and social workers who work with kids, just to name a few.
Other childfree may not be co-parents or have jobs that center around kids, but take an active interest in the lives of their loved ones' kids. They get to play the role of aunt or uncle, whether by blood or not.
Still other childfree choose to involve children in their lives through volunteer work. They volunteer their time and skills for nonprofit organizations or in their communities to help kids in a myriad of ways.
And truth be told, then there are the childfree who do none of these things, and don’t want to play a role in children’s lives. But these childfree don't make up the majority. What most childfree have in common is that we like kids, and find ways that suit us best to contribute to kids’ lives. We are just saying no to the role of parent being the central focus of our lives.
Instead of judging the childfree for not becoming parents themselves, let’s do more appreciating for what they do do for the lives of children. We are examples of the many ways to be part of the village that it takes to raise a child.
Read more: http://technorati.com/women/article/the-many-ways-to-have-kids/#ixzz1ZxMP6Mmd
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HoneyBadger
YourWorstNightmare.
Member since 10/06 15979 total posts
Name:
BahBahBlackJeep
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Re: The Many Ways to Have Kids in a Childfree Life (Wait... Are we allowed around kids? )
Posted by Kazuri
And truth be told, then there are the childfree who do none of these things, and don’t want to play a role in children’s lives. But these childfree don't make up the majority. What most childfree have in common is that we like kids, and find ways that suit us best to contribute to kids’ lives. We are just saying no to the role of parent being the central focus of our lives.
I think the notion that most CF'ers hate kids is a huge misnomer. I wish more parents realized that just because we don't have our own children doesn't mean we dislike them. I think there's a really big difference between the two.
Posted by Kazuri
Instead of judging the childfree for not becoming parents themselves, let’s do more appreciating for what they do do for the lives of children. We are examples of the many ways to be part of the village that it takes to raise a child.
Preach on!! 
Again, great article! Thank you for posting!
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