Female? Over 25? Then you’ll totally relate to this post.
It happens to every woman. One day you suddenly hit an age where every other person you meet feels they have the right to ask you about your plans to reproduce.
Regardless of your relationship status or whether or not you’re already sprogged up, they’ll question you about your plans for kids like it’s a totally acceptable conversation starter.
But it’s not, because a persons choice to reproduce is actually an incredibly sensitive and personal issue.
Exhausted with the constant questions, Michigan-based freelance writer Emily Bingham decided to make a stand, and penned a totally spot-on Facebook status to clear things up once and for all.
Hilariously, Emily posted her thoughts alongside an ultrasound picture, to grab peoples attention, and opened her post with the line: ‘Now that I got your attention with this RANDOM ULTRASOUND PHOTO I grabbed from a Google image search, this is just a friendly P.S.A. that people’s reproductive and procreative plans and decisions are none of your business.’
Boom.
She then went on the set out all the reasons why questions about people’s plans to have children/ more children might not be welcome, writing: ‘You don’t know who is struggling with infertility or grieving a miscarriage or dealing with health issues.
‘You don’t know who is having relationship problems or is under a lot of stress or the timing just isn’t right. You don’t know who is on the fence about having kids or having more kids. You don’t know who has decided it’s not for them right now, or not for them ever.’
The post has now been shared over 30,000 times, and has clearly hit a chord; the comments section below is awash with women thanking and congratulating Emily for her words.
And we’d like to join the chorus; Emily, on behalf of women of reproductive age everywhere, THANK YOU.
Emily Bingham’s full post
Hey everyone!!! Now that I got your attention with this RANDOM ULTRASOUND PHOTO I grabbed from a Google image search, this is just a friendly P.S.A. that people’s reproductive and procreative plans and decisions are none of your business. NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Before you ask the young married couple that has been together for seemingly forever when they are finally gonna start a family … before you ask the parents of an only-child toddler when a Little Brother or Little Sister will be in the works … before you ask a single 30-something if/when s/he plans on having children because, you know, clock’s ticking … just stop. Please stop. You don’t know who is struggling with infertility or grieving a miscarriage or dealing with health issues. You don’t know who is having relationship problems or is under a lot of stress or the timing just isn’t right. You don’t know who is on the fence about having kids or having more kids. You don’t know who has decided it’s not for them right now, or not for them ever. You don’t know how your seemingly innocent question might cause someone grief, pain, stress or frustration. Sure, for some people those questions may not cause any fraught feelings — but I can tell you, from my own experiences and hearing about many friends’ experiences — it more than likely does.
Bottom line: Whether you are a wanna-be grandparent or a well-intentioned friend or family member or a nosy neighbor, it’s absolutely none of your business. Ask someone what they’re excited about right now. Ask them what the best part of their day was. If a person wants to let you in on something as personal as their plans to have or not have children, they will tell you. If you’re curious, just sit back and wait and let them do so by their own choosing, if and when they are ready.
