Is it OK to have kids in a climate changing world?
Why I finally decided to become a mom, even as we’re facing an unfolding climate crisis.
If you’re concerned about climate change and wondering whether or not to have kids, I see you.
For many years, bringing children into this world just felt wrong:
How can we introduce innocent human beings to a future so uncertain?
Who am I to add such a big footprint to an already overpopulated world?
Here’s what changed for me….
Me and my daughter at our local lake in Western Massachussets.
I healed my relationship with being a human
I recognized that we are not a parasite to be eradicated, that the narrative of minimizing ourselves and our footprint is flawed, and that we must reclaim the beautiful gift of being human on this planet.
I embraced my mission as a facilitator of Earthly relationships
If I can teach my kids to see, love, and respect nature, I will help raise a generation that puts caretaking for our natural environment at the forefront. Making nature part of life becomes second nature if we normalize it.
I changed my relationship with the future.
To have kids is to put trust in our ability to create change and intentionally build a world we want for our future. When I feared having children, it was because my relationship to the future was rooted in angst. Today, I allow myself to get excited, because what if...
What if the world my kids grow up in is even more beautiful than the world we know of today?
Unsplash Image: Josue Michel
You do you!
If a childless life feels more aligned with you (for whatever reason), please choose your path! It is so important that we listen to and trust our callings!
But if you’ve felt guilty, fearful, or confused in this decision, I hope my story can offer a guiding light. It’s our birthright to become parents, and it is part of our mission to continue the human species here on Earth.
Here are some more resources to dive into that might be helpful...
Listen to Episode 101 of the Hey Change Podcast, where my guest and I reclaim our relationship to ourselves and the world.
Read The Climate Optimist Handbook, which offers many narrative shifts and practices for optimism and radical hope.
Check out resources like Unthinkable Earth and the Climate Mental Health Network
Look into some mother- and parent-grassroots organizations fighting for climate justice.
