This woman does – Corine Maier. You may have heard about her latest book “No Kid: 40 Reasons For Not Having Children”. I heard her on a CBC radio interview last week, and I have to admit, I was completely abhorred. I thought, she must be joking. Regret having your children? I mean, yes, I have had days that were nightmares from beginning to end, when I was tired beyond belief and so frustrated I could have screamed at anyone with a pulse, but to actually admit publicly that you regret having children is something else entirely.
I thought, she must not have any of her own. But no, she has two. My question is, how will these children feel when they eventually read her book? Good thing both parents are psychiatrists – they will need a referral to a good therapist to work through those issues.
As I listened to her interview, it struck me just how detached she sounded. Her view of Motherhood was very pessimistic When asked if there was anything good about having children, she responded that “they sometimes are funny”. Gosh, don’t go overboard, lady. God forbid you let your kids know how special they are so that they can grow up to become adjusted members of society.
Admittedly, part of this is satirical for the purpose of consumers and to grab bookstand space. It has certainly taken France by storm – it’s a bestseller. However, I could tell by her interview that part of her (and a large part, she even admits) honestly regrets having had children. She is someone disillusioned by Motherhood. She also wants to impart this belief to childless women. Now, I ask you, when you were considering having babies, would a book persuading you NOT to have left any impression?
Yes, Motherhood is darn hard – the hardest job, we say, for good reason. But, the part that makes me saddest for her, is that she has obviously missed out on the Wonderment. How about those moments when our children bring utter joy and happiness to our lives? How about the growth we encounter as individuals? Yes, our children challenge us – they are supposed to – that’s their job. It’s our job to look at those challenges and to figure out more of ourselves. I’m sad for her that she doesn’t see this – or at least, acknowledge it.
If you want to read the whole article, it is here:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article784948.ece
When you are finished, go back to your wee ones and look at their faces. Really look and see. Regret anything?
