The Biggest Barrier To Friendships In Your Thirties? Not Having Kids

  • 📰 GraziaUK
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 58 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 27%
  • Publisher: 78%

United Kingdom Headlines News

'It felt as if being childfree had sentenced us to being friend-free, too'.

Research shows that becoming a parent decreases contact with friends. But outside the baby bubble, asks Gemma Askham, 38, where does that leave the childfree?

As someone childfree, a pregnancy announcement means that person is moving to a place I’ll never quite get. Despite all the memories, laughs and common ground before, some things change instantly. My ‘I can’t wait to see you!’ is met with ‘I can’t wait for you to meet them!’ – a third person already in our gang of two. Once a child is here, frustrations build.

Simple – and yet not, in practice. In my twenties, I remember the evening my housemate Julia told me she was moving in with her boyfriend. I was so happy for her and yet devastated. A decade older, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t felt disappointment when yet another couple said they had ‘some news’ – particularly if I thought they would swerve children too.

Being childfree is uncharted social territory: even meeting new faces requires more than a free bar and a Secret Santa when you’re older and breaking the mould. Last December, my husband Jordi and I moved to Paris. We’d previously lived in Sydney and Barcelona, and made friends easily. But this time I was 37 and Jordi was 40. Similar-aged expats were wrestling toddlers at the Disneyland Christmas Parade.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 15. in UK

United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

'Crummy rust bucket' Jeremy Clarkson fumes at having to fork out £8,000 extra for used carJEREMY CLARKSON has hit out at the increasing prices of used cars.
Source: Daily Express - 🏆 26. / 68 Read more »

Fury as US politician posts gun-toting Christmas pic days after kids shot deadA family photograph from Republican Thomas Massie with the caption 'bring some ammo' sparks outrage coming just days after America’s deadliest US school shooting the year Awful! To BorisJohnson trussliz.and all MPs. We r British citizens trapped in Afghanistan under uncivilized regime.u r starting to celebrate Xmas by decorating ur Home but we r British citizens who voted for u to make u GOV, MPs.we r here having horrifying life hungry, freezing, sick This is appalling. I was going to say especially at the season of “peace on earth”, but it is appalling at any time of year.
Source: The Mirror - 🏆 136. / 51 Read more »

Fury as kids given detention for wearing masks in 'UK's strictest school'Teachers at The Abbey School in Faversham, Kent, have been accused of punishing pupils with detention if they refuse to remove their masks during lessons
Source: The Mirror - 🏆 136. / 51 Read more »

Three kids and two adults shot and stabbed to death 'while in Covid quarantine'THREE children and two adults have been found shot and stabbed to death while in Covid quarantine at their family home in Germany. Cops found the lifeless bodies at a home in Koenigs Wusterhausen, …
Source: TheSun - 🏆 64. / 61 Read more »

Mum whose house is 'absolutely covered' in damp and mould fears for tots' healthErin lives in a property owned by Preston Road Women's Centre, operating as Winner Trading Ltd with her two young children, but she worries that the nightmare conditions may impact their health To BorisJohnson trussliz.and all MPs. We r British citizens trapped in Afghanistan under uncivilized regime hungry, freezing,If we r British citizens please help us get out of this horrifying situation. If u think we r not British citizens be honest and tell us u can’t help us. Not good at all, should not be living like that……..but maybe she could have cleaned & wiped it every day just to keep topside of it, she shouldn’t have too I KNOW!!
Source: The Mirror - 🏆 136. / 51 Read more »

Shocking abuse threats faced by thousands of kids see social workers struggleTory cuts have been blamed for social workers' rising caseloads as they juggle 40 to 50 each and see 'really complex cases of physical and sexual abuse and high levels of neglect'
Source: The Mirror - 🏆 136. / 51 Read more »