“Why would you want to do that?”

“But you’d be such a great mom!”

“Weird.”

These are some of the many colorful responses I tend to get when I tell people I’m childfree and work with kids. In fact, I work in kids’ TV, so I actually work with the entire world’s kids! Most of my jobs are in story development, writing, and script coordinating for various animation shows for ages 3-12 and, despite not wanting kids, I absolutely love my job. It’s creative, fun, and filled with talented, smart people who I can learn from.

But loving my job doesn’t make me immune to the funny looks people give me when I tell them that I pursue my job, happily and passionately, without wanting kids of my own. Who in their right mind would want to work with children, yet never want to have any? 

This paradox can be baffling both to those who have children and to those who choose not to, but I’m here to tell you that there are many valid reasons and benefits to working with kids that have nothing to do with actually wanting little humans of your own.

What’s interesting is that some of the foundational benefits of working with kids are also the foundational benefits of working in any job that is the right fit for a person. Some of these benefits include:

• Diverse perspectives: Talking with kids from different backgrounds and experiences can broaden your understanding of your community and foster acceptance and inclusivity.
• The freedom to use your imagination: Whether you’re a teacher planning a lesson or working backstage at Sesame Street, jobs that involve kids call forth your imagination. It keeps your mind young and your imagination playful and challenges you to look for new and exciting ways to present information.
• The opportunity to be a mentor: People working with kids one-on-one or in a group often end up as role models, providing guidance and support that can shape and inspire the future. If you love to lead, you might find you naturally become a mentor to a young person in your work life, which can create a legacy that goes beyond the amount of time you work with them. 
• A chance for you to learn: Kids don’t do circles around what they want. Their opinions, thoughts, and feelings are all out in the open. They tell it like it is and they’re not afraid to say something’s boring or just not relevant to them. When they make a comment about you, your work, or your plans, it’s an opportunity to look and learn about yourself and others.
• Setting and accomplishing goals: The sense of accomplishment that comes from helping kids overcome challenges, achieve their goals, and develop into well-rounded individuals can lead to high levels of job satisfaction.
• Variety and fun: Working with kids often involves a wide range of activities. Whether it’s art, algebra, or a trip to the aquarium, the variety involved  can keep your work engaging and enjoyable.

What’s interesting is that all these benefits have nothing to do with nurturing or raising kids, but are more about what working with them brings (satisfaction, accomplishing goals, variety, fun) and the environment of people it creates, which, for the most part, are like-minded and equally imaginative humans.

These qualities are part of what makes working with kids a rewarding experience without ever needing or wanting to raise them yourself. So don’t think just because you’ve chosen to be childfree that you can’t pursue your dream career that happens to involve kids. A childfree lifestyle is meant to offer freedom and permission for you to become more of who you already ar, so whether you’ve got your heart set on becoming a storyboard artist at Nickelodeon, a high school music teacher, a graphic novel writer, or a family counselor, you have permission to go for it. 

Contributed by: Margaret Hoffman

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