Female Artist Of The Week: Comic On Why It's Okay To Not Want Kids

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satirequeen
May 9, 2020 4:00 PM EDT

Each week we bring you a talented female artist who produces incredible quality content. This week, we've picked Kate McDonough, an illustrator living in South Dakota, USA, who created a comic titled I Don't Want Kids (And That's OK!), to explain why raising children is not for her. Kate felt the need to create the comic because of the expectations and pressures she feels from society to have children even though she doesn't want to. She believes that acceptance is the only appropriate response to a woman expressing her desire to not have kids, even if you do not share the same opinion. Trying to convince her otherwise is just not OK. Take a look at her brilliant heartfelt comic below and once you've enjoyed that, check out last week's female artist of the week in case you missed it. 

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  • 01
    Text - I DON'T WANT KIDS (AND THAT'S OK!) KATE MCDONOUGH
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 02
    Face - ARE YOU GUYS THINKING OF KIDS? NOPE, WE DON'T WANT KIDS. OH, WHY NOT? THEY CHANGE YOUR WHOLE LIFE! EXACTLY.?
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 03
    Text - WHEN I WAS 3 YEARS OLDI TOLD MY MOM: I DON'T WANT KIDS. 20 YEARS LATER, I HAVEN'T CHANGED MY MIND. NOPE, STILL DON'T.
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 04
    Face - WHEN TALK OF CHILDREN COMES UP, I AM COMFORTABLE SAYING: I DON'T WANT KIDS. BUT NO ONE SEEMS COMFORTABLE HEARING THAT ANSWER. O H...
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 05
    Face - I OFTEN HEAR: REALLY? OH, BUT YoU'D BE A GRE AT MOM ! You'LL CHANGE YOUR MIND, TRUST ME!
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 06
    Face - TRUST YOu? NOT MYSELF?
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 07
    White - HAVE NEVER FELT THE DESIRE TO BE MOTHER, E VEN WNHEN I TRY To FORCE IT. IT'S JUST NOT IN ME.
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 08
    Text - I KNOW PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM A CARING PLACE. IT'S JUST FRUSTRATING TO HAVE SOMEONE ASSUME THEY KNOW ME BETTER THAN I KNOW MYSELF, BASED ON SOCIETAL EXPECTATIONS.
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 09
    White - IT WOULD BE MUCH WORSE TO BECOME A MOTHER TO A NOT WANT, TO DISAPPOINT PE OPLE CHILD THAT I DO THAN WHO EXPECT MOTHERHOOD OF ME.
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 10
    Face - PEOPLE ASSUME IF I DON'T WANT KIDS, I MUST NOT LIKE THEM. THAT COULDN'T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. | HAVE ALWAYS LOVED WORKING WITH KIDS. I EVEN HOPE TO BE AN ART THERAPIST SOMEDAY.
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 11
    Cartoon - FEEL I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD WITHOUT BRINGING SOMEONE ELSE INTO IT. abcdefghijk V w X y Z
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 12
    Face - SOME SAY MY DECISION IS SELFISH. I SAY HAVING AN UNWANTED CHILD IS SELFISH. SOME SAY I'M TOO YOUNG TO DECIDE, BUT I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS MY WHOLE LIFE. SOME THINK BUT IT IS THEY HAVE MY CHOICE AN IMPACT ALONE. ON MY DECISION.
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 13
    Text - MORE WOMEN ARE CHOOSING A CHILD-FREE LIFESTYLE, AND THE MOST APPROPRIATE RESPONSE IS: RIGHT ON!!
    via Kate McDonough Comics and Art
  • 14

    Her comic received very positive feedback on Facebook, with many women relating to her feelings.

    Text - Sarah Giknis Berson I am 42. I have a 9 year old and a 3 year old. I love them desperately, but I mourn my pre-kids life. Everything became exponentially more difficult with them, and the loss of self can be upsetting at times. I don't regret having my kids, but I doubt l'd do it over again if given the opportunity. 29
    via Sarah Giknis Berson
  • 15
    Text - Jennifer Dunlop Never wanted kids myself and at 42, still don't. That being said, I'm a pretty awesome aunt and love all those little s ts more than life itself! #auntlife 171
    via Jennifer Dunlop
  • 16
    Text - Lauren C Thompson "Being a parent is a massive responsibility, and not everyone is cut out for it. Isn't it actually more unselfish and responsible to recognize that about yourself and simply opt out of having kids, as opposed to being a terrible parent? At the end of the day, it all boils down to this: if you want to have kids – great! If you don't want to have kids – great! There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all lifestyle for ANYONE. Make your life choices based on what's best fo
    via Lauren C Thompson
  • 17
    Text - Joanne Airato Merriam My daughter decided as a child that she never wanted kids. As a 23 year old, she hasn't changed her mind and I am totally ok with that! I'm proud of her for refusing to bend and my ONLY comment was to make sure she did everything possible to prevent it from happening and if she needed help in that respect, to ask me! 22
    via Joanne Airato Merriam
  • 18
    Text - Jessica Reis I would love to see more reflection of this in tv, books, and movies. It seems like every time a female character is introduced and doesn't want kids, the story line eventually has her change her mind and it's revealed that she was just covering insecurity about her parenting abilities. This is insulting to women who choose to be child free. I don't doubt my capacity to be a parent, I just don't want that for myself. There needs to be more representation of this - women who d
    via Jessica Reis
  • 19
    Text - Flo Bo I used to want kids, I love them, they're great little people, so I became a preschool teacher. But let me tell you. That job is the best birth control. I still love kids but dont want any of my own. I know my limits, and think kids are too much time, energy, and money, especially after a long day of work. 69
    via Flo Bo
  • 20
    Text - Erin Poliskie Thank you for saying childfree not childless! This speaks to my soul. I love being a dog mom, wife, sister, daughter, auntie and friend and I wouldn't change a thing about it! Except maybe more dogs.. 22
    via Erin Poliskie

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kids artist cartoons comic female artist of the week women children
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