12. Why did you form a social club for childfree people?

Most of my friends started getting married and having children, and I discovered that I was losing them to their wives, husbands and especially their children. They were working day and night just to make ends meet, and their family life was quite hectic, as well. They simply no longer had room in their lives for me. They were making new friends through their children's activities, while I saw my pool of friends drying up. I felt that I needed some new childfree friends who could chat on the phone for half an hour without thirty interruptions, could talk about things other than kids, could be spontaneous, had the money, time and energy to do the things we enjoy doing, and whose lives didn't revolve around children. I quite like children, but I don't feel that I have to have my own to make my life complete; in fact, if I had kids, my life would be too full. I chose a career that revolves around kids (teaching), I love being with my young niece and nephews, and I borrow friends' kids from time to time -- whenever I need a "kid fix."

I contacted the sociology departments of all the local universities, scoured the main branch of the public library, and called Information Vancouver, looking for a social club for childfree couples and singles (please remember that this was in 1983, before the advent of the Internet), but there was no such club. There were clubs for single mothers, for single fathers, for parents with terrible toddlers, and for parents with troubled teenagers, but none for folks who don't have children. I determined that I could either wait for someone to start such a club (and hope that I heard about it), or I could start one myself. I decided that I just couldn't justify waiting for someone else to take the initiative -- I had the need, and I had to act to satisfy that need.

 

I felt that I had to come up with a name for the club for people with no kids, and "NO KIDDING! was the first name that came to mind. What else could I call the club for people who are not parents? My second idea was "APPARENTLY NOT," but since "NO KIDDING!" is so much more common in everyday conversation, I decided to use it. I also dreamed up a few acronyms, but they all seemed contrived, at best. Every time I hear someone say "No kidding!" in response to something surprising (as in "She's got five kids and she's only twenty-three." "No kidding!"), or to confirm what someone has said ("It's really hot today!" "Yeah, no kidding!"), I feel like thanking them for the free publicity. 

Contact your local chapter: http://members.shaw.ca/nokiddingchapterone/06.htm

Contact Chapter One: info@nokidding.net

Contact our media spokespeople: spokespeople@nokidding.net

(25 AUG 06)