“On Labor Day, American Idol winner and country singer Carrie Underwood took to twitter to announce her first pregnancy with hockey player husband of four years, Mike Fisher. Today, Underwood and other celebrities such as Shakira, Mila Kunis, and Kourtney Kardashian are proud to announce their pregnancies, while some celebs don’t see the need to become pregnant and start a family. Even though Underwood has looked to the direction of motherhood, there are several famous women that have made the decision not to have children, which is their right and they shouldn’t be judged for their choice.
With baby diapers and strollers rolling into the near future for Underwood and her husband, it is hard not to ponder how it will affect the future of her musical career. With this being her first pregnancy, it is possible that she will take some time off and focus on raising the new addition to her family. Country music might not be ready to release their queen and vocal powerhouse just yet. Having a baby will surely rock Underwood’s world, but it certainly isn’t the only thing that can bring happiness or satisfaction to a woman’s life.
The truth is, motherhood just isn’t for every woman. Not having children doesn’t necessarily make a woman’s life less fulfilling. Women should not be judged for deciding to have children or not, as it is a personal choice either way. UT senior and psychology major, Chardene Williams, has known she didn’t want children since she was 18. “Fulfillment in my life is travel. I want to travel and spend time just me and my husband. And I always make sure that I date someone who also doesn’t want children because I don’t want to be pressured into something I don’t want. And I don’t want to settle down and live that “normal” life with kids because that’s what society says I should do and then never give them all my love because I never really wanted them,” she says. Her ideals may be blunt, but they’re honest, and make a lot of sense; children deserve to be loved, which is why having children should be a very thought out decision, and one not lightly made.
Take a look at the flawless beauty Jennifer Aniston. At age 45, Aniston is known for many things including her very public split from Brad Pitt back in 2005, but more memorably her acting role in the popular sitcom Friends, starring in films like Marley & Me, and Bruce Almighty, as well as her philanthropic effort with working with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
One could say that Aniston is a hardworking and independent woman. However, Aniston is one of the few celebrities that doesn’t have kids or even the thoughts of having any. In an interview with People magazine last month, Aniston addresses the topic. “I don’t have this sort of checklist of things that have to be done and … if they’re not checked then I’ve failed some part of my feminism, or my being a woman, or my worth or my value as a woman. I’ve birthed a lot of things, and I feel like I’ve mothered many things. And I don’t think it’s fair to put that pressure on people,” she said. Cameron Diaz and Chelsea Handler have been open about their similar decisions not to have children, saying it’s just not something they want.
In reality, not all women place motherhood as a priority in their lives. It doesn’t mean that a woman’s life depreciates if she doesn’t have a child and it shouldn’t be perceived that making the decision makes them a bad person. Creating substance and purpose within our daily lives means much more than reproducing, just take a look at Aniston, Diaz, and Handler. These successful women were able to accomplish their dreams, develop their careers, and feel fulfilled without having a baby, just as many women who have made the choice to have children have as well.
Sure, the everyday female feels pressured by society to reproduce before reaching their mid-thirties, but that in no way means choosing to do so is wrong either. Aniston, Diaz, and Handler have just chosen a different route to display their personal, true strengths and determination as successful women. In regards to Carrie Underwood, she, too, is a positive role model. Reported by USAToday, in a recent survey iHeartRadio listeners voted Underwood as the best role model in music. Regardless of their decision on childbearing, none of these women have a void to fill in their lives; they are perfectly content with who they are and where they are heading in life and are great examples of ideal role models for young women today.
Senia Ebanks can be reached at senia.ebanks@spartans.ut.edu