And I have a message for all my fellow one-and-done parents out there. People can tell you that you’re selfish, but until they know your story, they have no room to judge. In fact, I asked some other parents who have decided one child is it for them to ‘fess up to the whys and wherefores. Their stories, the real stories of why people have only children, are anything but selfish:
3. I have a special needs child who requires my full attention.
4. I’m concerned about the planet! Having fewer kids is the single most important thing that people can do to lower their carbon footprint.
7. My ex-husband decided he wanted another woman.
8. I knew one was (and still is) all I can handle.
More from CafeMom: 10 Reasons It Stinks to Be an Only Child
11. We don’t make a lot of money, and one child is right for our budget.
12. My marriage crumbled after my son was born, and my second husband wasn’t interested in having kids.
15. I had a high-risk pregnancy, and my doctor warned it could be worse the second time.
16. My daughter was born with a serious health condition that turned out to be genetic. We didn’t want to risk the same genetic combination with a second child.
19. I always wanted a lot of kids, but my boyfriend doesn’t. I can’t pressure him into having a child he doesn’t want.
20. I had uterine cancer after my son was born, and I am unable to get pregnant again.
More from CafeMom: 5 Things Not to Say to the Mom of an Only Child
