ABOUT THE BOOK
Dane Reid is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-born voice actor and author based in Atlanta. His voiceover work spans two decades, and his previous book, Dana the Procrastinator, was published in 2008. In his latest book, Forget Having Kids, I’m Having Fun, Dane collects anecdotes from his life and experiences from close friends. The result is a paint a thought-provoking, wildly hilarious, relatable, and emotional portrait of a child-free lifestyle. His life as the child of immigrants, his work as an after-school teacher, his passion for travel, and the complex responsibilities of raising a child are all critically examined in a child-free context.
Dane’s book offers a first-of-its-kind male perspective on being child-free. His voice is part of a growing cultural phenomenon that is reshaping what the traditional family looks like. The stories evoke his unique perspective on an ever-expanding movement of young, working adults who choose to be child-free. The movement centers on many of the drawbacks of having children, such as the financial burden, the time commitment, or the loss of career opportunities.
When Dane isn’t traveling the globe or writing books, you can hear his recognizable baritone on the radio, social media, podcasts, and TV. Visit DaneReidMedia.com to learn more about his voiceover work.
About Dr. Mara Karpel
Dr. Mara Karpel is a psychologist, author of The Passionate Life: Creating Vitality & Joy At Any Age, host of Blog Talk Radio show, Dr. Mara Karpel & Your Golden Years, and contributing writer to several publications, including Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and Sivana East. www.DrMaraKarpel.com
It’s a movement. It’s a choice. It’s a lifestyle. And now, it’s a hastag. #Childfreebychoice is increasingly common among the genders as people declare that they’re lives are better without children. It’s often seen as a defiant declaration but for people who have made this choice, it comes with great consideration.
Childfree by choice isn’t always well received in many communities. Many cultures frown upon people who don’t sire children even when it’s not an intentional decision. The continuity of generations has been perceived to be a necessity and even mandatory in most societies, making it normal to desire having kids even when the consequences
are great.
It is evident we no longer live under the same environmental and economic conditions as those in the 19th and 20th centuries.
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Child Free Movement
Society has retained most of its beliefs and attitudes despite the change in modern life. The fact that most of us have normalized the desire to sire children has made it hard to understand why some people choose not to. As a result, those who have joined the child-free by choice movement have been subject to lots of judgment and criticism.
People who are child-free by choice take lots of things into consideration. We are pensive people who are thoughtful of economic factors, self-care, the environment, human suffering and the dangers of this world. We are people who not only know the world, but know ourselves well enough not to do as others have and expect the same results. We are swayed by curiosity and driven to
explore our passions and forge forward toward adventure and discovery. We are minimalists and adventurists who understand that more moving parts mean more complications.
We are childfree by choice not because we would make terrible parents, but because we would make excellent parents who understand that parenthood is a full time job that requires 100% of our attention. We know that educating children, protecting them, advising them and guiding them takes no days off. Children expect the world, but we are children at heart ourselves and we
want the world too.
Different strokes for different folks. We all have to know ourselves before making any decisions big or small. There is a point in life when we decide on a house vs an apartment, to find a job or to launch a business. Ice Cream or Fruit? While the majority may choose ice cream, we as childfree by choice individuals may choose fruit. Oh who am I kidding, we choose ice cream too. But we also choose to eat it alone. We are childfree and whenever you feel the need to questions our life choices, just leave us alone with our fruit flavored ice cream.
