Why I Chose to Be Childfree After Watching My Mom's Hard Work 👩‍👧

A woman says she chose to be childfree after seeing how hard her mum worked to raise her sister – and suggests having kids is a "want not a need". <br /><br />Evi Nardi, 35, was just nine when her mum, Lili, 54, fell pregnant with her sister, Laura, 26, and saw the “hard work” that went into being a mother.<br /><br />Her decision to not have children was further solidified when she was a counsellor during college – aged 23.<br /><br />Now Evi and her partner, Alex, 29, have been travelling on and off for the past year – visiting cities across the world such as London, Barcelona, Nashville, Montreal and Las Vegas.<br /><br />She says being childfree allows her to have a “lack of structure” and believes having children is a “want not a need”.<br /><br />Evi, a content creator, originally from Venezuela, South America, said: “When I was nine I had a sister. I remember being scared.<br /><br />“I saw my mum struggling with her health and it was the first reality check.<br /><br />“When she was born I helped a lot – I was so excited. I started to notice it was hard work.<br /><br />“College became hands on. It solidified the idea that having kids was not for me.<br /><br />“Why would I go and put myself in a box by having kids?<br /><br />“I’ll never regret not having kids.”<br /><br />By aged 26, Evi had the “financial freedom” to do more of what she wanted and knew she would never have children.<br /><br />She met Alex, who works in technology, two years ago and found they were on the same page.<br /><br />Despite being told “it was just a phase” and she’d “regret” not having children, Evi is very “happy” with her choice.<br /><br />She now spends her days having slow mornings, taking long walks around the city she is in and enjoying bars and restaurants.<br /><br />Evi said: “I get to have a different day every day.<br /><br />“If I had kids I’d have to give up that lack of structure.”<br /><br />Evi says she constantly has strangers online calling her “selfish” online for not wanting children.<br /><br />She said: “Having kids has been seen as this selfless endeavour.<br /><br />“As a woman you give up your body for nine months.<br /><br />“I get how the notion is selfless but you ask people why they are having children and they say ‘I want one’.”<br /><br />“It’s a want not a need.<br /><br />“It’s oddly seen as selfless but in reality it’s a choice.”<br /><br />Evi loves being able to put her partner first and put their quality time first – something she feels she wouldn’t be able to do if there was a child involved.<br /><br />Evi said: “Having that ability to have that quality time is great.”<br /><br />The couple hope to eventually settle down in north America and adopt pets.<br /><br />Evi hopes sharing her childfree and happy lifestyle will help others who feel the same as well as those who can’t have children through circumstance.<br /><br />She said: “You can be happy even if kids are not a part of your life.”<br /><br />Follow Evi on Instagram @childfreebff