Childfree: Do They Regret Their Choices When They're Old?
The issue of regret is no stranger to those who don’t have kids by choice. One area of potential regret has to do with old age. Parents tell the childfree: You’ll regret not having kids to be there for you when you’re old.
Parents may idealistically think their kids will be there for them when they get old, but the childfree know that just because you have kids does not mean they will be there for you when you are old.
Look around: hardly any elderly parent lives with their children these days. Better to end up in a home without pain of knowing your kids don't want to look after you. Heck, they may not even like you. It’s just not something to count on. And certainly not the reason to decide to take on the huge responsibility of parenthood.
But are the childfree more likely to not to have anyone there for them when they are old? Studies indicate that it’s not the case. Those without children tend to seek out form stronger social networks than aged parents (whose support network is likely their family, for better or worse). These kinds of relations contribute to feelings of well-being in their senior years.
What else contributes to well-being when you’re old? The common thought is having one’s kids around, but research tends to indicate otherwise. Kids don’t help create well-being as much as having one’s spouse or partner around, and lack of financial distress. In a word, feeling good in later years has more to do with if your partner is around and if you have enough money.
And research also indicates that old people without kids have more money. They suffer when their partner passes just like parents, but will likely have someone there for them, just not loved ones by blood.
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