The nuclear family is detonating.
The image of the perfect mom tending to her children used to be as American as apple pie. But now, a societal tsunami is underway, changing the way we see motherhood and questioning its primacy in the fabric of our culture.
Just look at the birthrate. In the 1970s, 1 in 10 American women were childless.
Today, the number is 1 in 5.
Childlessness is a trend soaring across all racial and ethnic groups, with women as young as 15 knowing that kids will not be a factor in their future.
And they're refusing to apologize for it anymore.
In America, the over two million women who are bypassing babies are an ever more vocal group, with books, blogs, Facebook pages and even drinking games (swallow a shot every time someone says, "It's different when they're your own!").
Millennial-focused media is just beginning to recognize this emerging mindset and celebrities are popularizing and glamorizing this path, too, with powerful women like Chelsea Handler, Zooey Deschanel and Cameron Diaz leading the charge.
And it's not just Americans declaring "no kids for me." It's a movement sweeping the globe. In fact, in Italy, up to a quarter of women of child-bearing age are saying "no" to motherhood. And Denmark's birthrate is in such a steep decline, a local travel company is running an ad campaign urging couples to "Do It For Denmark," to go on romantic weekends at hotels with discounted rates and make some babies.
Another insight as to why childlessness is increasing: Regardless of age, marital status and sexual orientation, couples without kids are decidedly happier than those with.
Intriguingly, research reveals that the more intelligent women are, the weaker their maternal urges. With an unprecedented 71% of females attaining higher education, this represents a huge shift towards the "no thanks to motherhood" model.
Childfree women are poised to become a new upper class: They are wealthier and better-educated than their counterparts with kids.
We call the women and couples making this decision "CxC: Childfree By Choice," and their decisions are reshaping the world in shocking ways. Think sweeping political reforms (tax deductions for cultural contributions, instead of children), exclusive, luxury communities (no kids allowed!), completely new reproductive technologies (listen up, Big Pharma) and a redefinition of nurturing for the next generation (pets will be more privileged and pampered than any toddler you've ever met).
To find out how Childless by Choice couples will transform the Future, click here.
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