I’ve never wanted children because almost everything about parenthood sounds awful, and most of the childfree people I know feel the same way. I literally know two that are childfree because of climate change, and zero because they can’t afford kids. I resent the media reporting this as if it’s all because of finances or climate change. The context is that it’s okay to be childfree if you have a selfless reason, but you’re a bad person or there’s something wrong with you if you just don’t want or like kids.

Much like there’s a firm line between childlessness by circumstance and childfree-ness by choice, I genuinely don’t think someone should be considered childfree if they can’t afford kids, but wanted them and otherwise would have had them. For most of us, no amount of money could make us change our minds, and it needs to be socially acceptable to admit that without a reason that other people deem selfess enough.