It's interesting how much life really changes as we get older. When we're young -- say, in our late teens and early 20s -- we have ample time for ourselves, but not much money to make the most of that time. Once we hit our 30s -- the time when we typically settle down to start a family and are more established in our careers -- we find ourselves on more solid footing financially, but with much less time available than we had in our post-high school years. It isn't until the kids move out for college that we transition back to a life where we can focus more on ourselves and our interests, but by then, those interests tend to be radically different than the ones we enjoyed when we were younger. It's no surprise more and more couples are waiting longer to have kids -- or are opting not to have them at all.  Perfectly content with their sans-kids lifestyle, such couples are in no hurry to go from a life of unfettered freedom to baby bottles and Dora the Explorer. ...

It's appalling to see so many reports in the news of parents leaving their babies in their cars. How in the world do you forget to get your own kid? In the most heartbreaking cases, the kids are left in cars so hot that they end up dying. Parents who do this should undoubtedly be charged for murder and remain behind bars for the rest of their lives. Such utter carelessness is unacceptable. If people are not ready to shoulder the immense responsibilities of parenthood, they should not have children. I am on the fence about having kids, but I know that should I choose to become a father, I will never let my child out of my sight. A child is not a sweater, wallet, or some other object that you can get away with accidentally leaving behind. Such a careless mistake places the child's safety -- and life -- in grave danger. Not only might heat, a lack of oxygen, and no access to food adversely affect the child, but someone might break into the car and kidnap the infant...

Many childfree individuals like myself get asked repeatedly when it is that we plan to have children. The pressure is even more pronounced for women, who society expects to kick into baby-making mode as soon as the so-called clock begins to tick. What doesn't add up, though, is that many of the parents asking the question are the same ones who complain about the stress and headaches brought on by parenting. They're endorsing the very thing that's making them go haywire. It's like being miserable at work as an accountant and encouraging others to follow the same career path. As hard and stressful as it may be, having kids is the norm in most people's eyes. It's just "what you do," and if one decides not to have children, people assume sterility is to blame or that something else is wrong.  It's unfair to say that all parents are envious of the childfree, but it's certainly likely that a few of them are. After all, the childfree hav...