Last week I wrote a piece in the Family section of the Guardian about why I don’t have children but do nevertheless like them. Of course it isn’t necessary to like children at all. Why should you? Why should anyone? Anymore than some people like dogs, some like cats and some hate small animals – or wouldn’t want a pet. It’s all a matter of personal choice and preference.

Well seems I hit something of a nerve. To date the piece has been shared on Facebook a staggering 7,341 times and in just three days while comments were open below the line it got a staggering 538 posts. That’s a record for me. I’m chuffed but also somewhat stunned. I never expected this big a reaction. When I wrote my original article about being childless 12 years ago that was before the days of “below-the-line” commentary. But I knew it too had struck a chord because I received tons of emails about it. And I still get them. I guess people are doing a Google of “childless” or “childless and happy” or something.

Anyway it’s very gratifying to receive such a big response. And it’s especially nice for a writer that articles now live on forever. No more is today’s big story and tomorrow’s fish’n’chip paper. Read More→