Taxing the Childless in Russia

Russia Profile - Childfree at a Price:

"A recent poll conducted by the independent Levada Center found that 73 percent of Russians do not plan to have children in the next two to three years, and 11 percent said that they do not want children at all. At the same time, 20 percent of respondents support the idea of imposing a tax on childlessness. But experts are skeptical of the idea – extra taxes or other financial restrictions won’t change people’s reproductive behavior, they say."

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Call for child-free flights

Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express

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The Childfree And The "They Must Hate Kids" Myth - Technorati Lifestyle

The Childfree And The "They Must Hate Kids" Myth

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The Child-Free and the Immaturity Myth - Technorati Lifestyle

The Child-Free and the Immaturity Myth

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The green message in ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ | Grist

The green message in ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ | Grist

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Madison Magazine

issue: childless by choice

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Can the "childless by choice" ever be as happy as parents?

Parenting: Curious Dad:

"So what do you think? Should we take child-free folks at their word when they say they're content with their decision not to procreate?

Or do some of you still suspect that -- despite their protestations -- the childless just don't know what they're missing?"

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Parents And Childless Both Have A Role To Play | Lifehacker Australia

Lifehacker Australia


On the article I posted yesterday re Giliard:

"The whole opinion piece is well worth a read, though there’s a part of me that remains frustrated that the point has to be made at all. Having kids is a personal choice, not a permanent disqualification from social participation."

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Why Children, and Society in General, Need the Childfree

Childlessness, a parent's best friend

"Frankly, it's pointless to resent, disapprove of or criticize these choices or different circumstances of others. The childfree and those with children are interdependent. We need each other.

The childfree are often the people available to cover the overtime or work project that a sick child or a school concert prevents a parent being able to attend to. The parent might be the one who teaches their work colleagues about multi-tasking and good time management. The parents are the one's producing and bringing up the future taxpayers of Australia who will eventually be helping to pay for all of our retirement. The parents are supporting educational opportunities which will see new generations of thinkers, carers, artists, doctors, teachers, scientists and researchers cure cancer or write new symphonies. The childfree are consuming less while families suck up energy driving kids to and from school and sport and weekend activities. The childfree might be more financially independent, contribute more discretionary spending to the retail economy, thus supporting the employment of the sons and daughters of us parents.

The childfree might have the time and energy to lead a political party or a movement for world peace because they know that they have the support and encouragement of their siblings and friends with children, and because those parents and children inspire them to create a better world."

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Elena Kagan’s childfree status: The mean take and the green take

Grist

"I get that parenthood can inspire new perspectives and skills, but so can a childfree life. Either choice brings trade-offs. Either can be 'jammed with joys and fears, unpredictability and intimacy.' Either can bring 'real-world wisdom.' I'm not sure why 'feminists' are parroting Sarah Palin's Mama Grizzly pablum, but the feminism I want to be part of embraces and sticks up for all women, including the nearly 20 percent of us who don't have children, whether by choice or circumstance. How heavily populated will the world have to be before we get over the notion that childless people should be viewed with either pity or suspicion?

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Polly Vernon on why she never, ever wants a baby

Be sure to check out this month's Marie Claire for a great article by a journalist who gets second-guessed for her certainty she never wants kids. One line really stuck out for me:

Although to be honest none of that was, or is, as big a factor in my decision to remain childless as my instinctive feeling that I just didn't want children.

I feel the same way, and although I feel obligated to rattle off some reasons when doing press interviews, I always try to get this point in. I don't think we should be asking why as if we need reasons not to procreate; we should not be treating parenting as some mandatory default you need an excuse from. It is simply enough that I lack that desire that all parents should have.

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Childless Careerist Lady Gets Better Job

The Awl: "Childless Careerist Lady Gets Better Job

Elena Kagan is definitely one of my role models, even though she did assign a lot of reading. :)

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Why flying with children can spoil a dream trip

BBC News - Fast Track - Why flying with children can spoil a dream trip

"'I know this is public transport and I am not a child hater but the crew neither spoke to the parents nor did anything to try to shut the kids up. I still have a headache.'

It is an issue some airlines, like Lufthansa, have tackled by adopting a child-friendly approach with a mascot, gifts and a children's lounge, which they believe makes good business sense and benefits everyone on board.

'When our flight attendants see that a child is not calm it's their first priority to help out and see what's going on,' says Aage Duenhaupt, director for Lufthansa's corporate communications in Europe.

Gulf Air has gone a step further. In 2003 it introduced crew members specially trained to keep children entertained.

Seven years on they can now be found on all long-haul flights.

I know it sounds like pandering to parents, but having the staff entertain kids really does benefit us all. I have only taken two cruises; the first was overrun with children so as to make the pools and hot tubs unusable. The second was quite peaceful. The difference? The latter had a kid's program to keep them entertained all day with children-appropriate activities. It was called - I kid you not - Troll Land.

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Review - Two Is Enough

Review - Two Is Enough - Relationships: "In summary, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has made the decision to live their life childless or childfree by choice. Those in this group are likely to find the results of Scott's research to be extremely validating as well as to gain a great sense of acceptance for their choice thanks to Scott's efforts.

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Keepsake Bag for Pregnancy Test

Memorializing Pregnancy » Sociological Images

I don't know about you, but after I urinate on something, my instinct is to get it out of my home as quickly as possible.

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