The pressure for women to have children transcends cultural, ethnic, and racial lines. Terms like legacy, fruitfulness, family unit, matriarchy, and even the opposing connotations like barrenness and the dreaded patriarchy are easily understood in every culture. The translation and application may be different, but the message is clear: Women should have children to progress humanity. Even with discussions about overpopulation, poverty, and cultural conflicts, women are still expected to gratefully accept some man’s sperm into her body and produce at least one baby. Depending on your living situation, a child represents your life insurance policy, estate planning, and your retirement plan. As a Black woman, I have no doubt felt the pressure to have children. Whether it is because I should promote my culture and pass along traditions and history or because I should be afraid of dying alone, children are expected. Over the years, I have gone back and forth on the desire to have childre
Okay, so let me let you in on a little secret! Come close! No seriously, come in closer! Okay, are you ready? I have debt! I mean, I really, really have DEBT! I have student loans from my three degrees. I have a small credit card balance which is less than $500.00 I have expenses such as rent, cell phone, medical, and business expenses for both my mental health advocacy and childfree lifestyle brands. I was super happy when I paid off that car note on my 2012 Honda Accord. I am going to ride that baby until the wheels fall off! Hell, I will ride it on straight rims before considering another car note, lol. I am independent and childfree! No intimate partner, no sugar daddy, no doing something strange for a little bit of change, lol. Just me - handling my financial business in a responsible manner. Everything falls on ME! Yes, my parents have thrown me a few hundred dollars here and there over the years. My sister has certainly helped me out of a few binds. But when it is a