Australian model Ellie Gonsalves has revealed the 118 reasons why she doesn’t want to have kids.
Yes, that's right. We’re still in the day and age where women are constantly asked why they don’t have to have kids. It’s so much fun!
But the Aussie isn’t beating around the bush, posting to Instagram her ‘very HONEST personal list as to why I will remain child free’ with 118 reasons in her Notes app.
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“After years of being asked why I don’t want children I compiled this as it always seemed a short reason was never good enough or understood,” Gonsalves wrote alongside the list.
“So, this is in more detail for those asking. It’s my own PERSONAL thoughts based on a lot of my own experiences or things very honest people have shared with me personally or online.
"Some people are made to be parents and that is amazing (I am so happy if you are happy!!!!) but that life is just not [for] me.”
At the top of her extensive list, the model wrote, ‘They are YOUR responsibility until the day they die’, ‘Postpartum hair loss’, ‘You are tired ALL the time’, ‘Children can inherit emotional trauma’ and ‘The world’s already overpopulated’.
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Gonsalves, who has been with her now-husband Ross Scutts for 15 years, said she is constantly bombarded with questions about when she's going to have children.
While some reasons were a little tongue in cheek, Gonsalves added that her not wanting to have kids should be enough for people not to pry.
The many reasons divided people in the comments section.
One viewer wrote: "Having children makes you selfless...I believe that having a child has made me a better person. PS half of your reasons are ridiculous!"
Another added: "So much fear. Better not to have kids if that's what you will instill into them anyway. Gosh, so many self centred people in this world."
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A third said: "Why are people so bothered. It’s not their business, it has zero effect on their lives and yet they are so upset by it. Totally your choice!"
After posting the list, the model told Mamamia she was met with swift backlash, noting that criticism further reiterates her point.
Ah yes, be offended by someone else's decision.
"[They] further illustrate my main point: people are told and sold a certain life, and when they witness others choosing a different path, the frustration lies within themselves,” she told the publication.
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“They may not realise there is an alternative path or may not be mature enough to accept that others can live a life different from theirs without the need to harbour resentment.”
But despite the hate, she’s also received hundreds of DMs from women who said they felt ‘seen’.
Among the supporters are also mothers.
"It's also been nice to read all of the comments from mothers who support another woman in making their own decision," she said.
Charisa Bossinakis