Childfree by choice at 77: Helen Taylor reflects on a life without children

In recent years, more and more women have been speaking openly about their decision to not have children. There are numerous books on the subject, dedicated social media spaces for childfree women and an ever increasing media interest in sharing the stories of those who refuse to go down this well-trodden path. However, some of the lesser told childfree stories are those of older women, who went against the grain at a time when motherhood was not only expected of women, but regarded as central to their lives. 

In this episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by one such woman, 77 year-old writer and academic Helen Taylor, who from a very young age decided not to have children. In her new book Childless by Choice: The Meaning and Legacy of a Child-free Life, Helen shares her reasons for choosing to remain childfree and she unpacks the complex feelings that have accompanied her choice. In this wide-ranging conversation, she tells Róisín Ingle where she draws meaning in life, how she dealt with moments of regret and what she wants women to know about the later stages of a child-free life.

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