Kid Me Not Quotes

“We are defined by our relationship with each other—not by a life lived through kids.”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s

“So, what is family? How is it best defined? Must you be related by blood? If that’s true, then how does marriage make a family of the husband and wife? Could a group of dear friends who are witness to each others’ lives, who grow old together and pledge to support one another in sickness and in health, till death do they part, be anything less?”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s

“Sometimes I still wonder what made the big decision so easy. Was it because I was loath to give up my independence in the service of motherhood? Possibly. Did I have some kind of hormonal deficit? Could be. Or maybe it’s just that when Mother Nature was passing out maternal instinct, I had stepped out of line to go to the bathroom.”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s

“You can have an ex-husband, an ex-job and an ex-hometown, but children are forever.”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s

“Honey, do what you want to do. A woman is a woman no matter what.”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s

“Over time, I saw that it was not in my nature to live a traditional life.”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s

“Again and again I would see this pattern; my friends who had children slowly but surely disappeared from my life.”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s

“Having seen her endure nine months of discomfort during pregnancy and the horrendous pain of childbirth, I could hardly believe my ears when she told me she wanted to have a second child. Now a seasoned pro, I was thrilled to help her again. And together we went through it all once more. As her children grew from infants in cribs to toddlers in nursery school, I picked them up from school, helped with birthday parties, and babysat, to give my friend much-needed afternoon breaks.”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s

“Women may be the one group that grows more radical with age.”  Gloria Steinem  Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2013”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s

“Mostly relieved not to get pregnant, I was also tinged with guilt, symbolizing a dead branch on the family tree, a disappointment to my ancestors.”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s

“Life is perversely inverted: We should be crazy-busy when we’re young, then have kids when we’re older. Then, when our bodies can no longer make them, we can contribute our time and patience to them, when our minds are overflowing with life to share with them.”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s

“I love my children, would lie on the tracks in front of an oncoming train to protect them. But if I were you, I wouldn’t do it. Go have fun, see the world; be creative, independent, and free. You can have an ex-husband, an ex-job and an ex-hometown, but children are forever.”
― Aralyn Hughes, Kid Me Not: An anthology by child-free women of the '60s now in their 60s