Thrive Solo The One Where I Talk To Retired Academic & Author, Helen Taylor
Oct 28, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Helen Taylor, a retired academic and author of 'Childless By Choice', shares her journey of opting for a childfree life. She reveals how societal expectations and her mother’s views influenced her decision. Helen dives into the complexities of regret, the challenges faced by childfree women, and how families can take many forms. With a focus on fulfillment, she emphasizes the importance of friendships and chosen families, encouraging a celebration of diverse life paths.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Mother's Warning Shaped Her Choice
- Helen's mother, who left school at 14 and worked hard, repeatedly told her "don't have children, get an education."
- That message and Helen's observation of maternal exhaustion shaped her lifelong choice to remain childfree.
Contraception Changed Life Choices
- The arrival of reliable contraception (the pill) transformed women's ability to choose sexual freedom without unwanted pregnancy.
- Helen credits contraceptive advances with enabling her generation to live freer lives.
Dangerous Attempts Before The Pill
- Helen recalls her student-era friends risking dangerous self-induced abortions before reliable contraception.
- Those memories underline why contraceptive access mattered profoundly to her generation.
