“I don’t want kids” may be one of the most controversial sentences a woman can say out loud. That’s why one TikToker decided to say it loud and clear for the whole world to hear.
For centuries, women have been told they will eventually hear their biological clock ticking, so they should have as many kids they want as early as possible. But the TikTok user, Alice Petterson, revealed a list of reasons why she shut off the alarm and possibly never wants to hear it ever.
“I don’t want kids” may be one of the most controversial sentences a woman can say but one TikToker said it loud and clear
In a video that has racked up more than 641K views on TikTok, Alice Petterson unabashedly listed out the reasons behind why she hasn’t had any kids yet.
Giving her viewers some context, the 28-year-old woman living in Lincolnshire said she is a wife who has been with her husband for eight years and married to him for one.
“This is my list of ‘what puts me off having children,’” she began, saying she was “starting off strong” with reason number 1.
“#1: None of y’all look like you’re having any fun,” she said.
The TikToker explained that whenever she’s in a shop or at the airport, parents seem to be stressing and fussing over their children.
“It just looks like constant overstimulation [and] stress,” she said. “…It doesn’t sell it to me.”
“None of y’all look like you’re having any fun,” the TikToker told other parents
Bijou Baby (not the actual photo)
“The second reason is I’m quite materialistic … I can’t imagine buying school shoes over Jimmy Choos,” she continued.
While there’s no room for kids in her life, there’s also apparently no room for them in her car either, because her next reason was her “Fiat 500,” a tiny city car that’s not really designed for a growing family.
“I have to pay to get a new car. It’s an inconvenience,” she said.
The viral content creator went on to say that the same rule applies to her three-bedroom house.
“I wouldn’t want to get a bigger house because I don’t want to get a bigger mortgage,” she said, having no interest in turning one of her rooms into a children’s bedroom.
Petterson said she wouldn’t want to be “sacrificing” space that could otherwise be used as a dressing room or an office.
She said she would rather buy Jimmy Choos than school shoes and didn’t want to trade her Fiat 500 for a family-friendly car
Another “big” reason is “tiredness.”
“I need eight hours of sleep at night, like uninterrupted eight hours,” she said.
As she wrapped up her list, Petterson said another reason was that she wasn’t sure if she could get along with kids. While her husband is good with little ones, she said she couldn’t imagine playing with them or making baby noises for them.
Work was also another reason she didn’t want to bend on, because she wanted to have a job that is as close to a “full-time” setting as possible.
Many people, including parents, resonated with Petterson’s sentiments, saying her points were valid.
“I have children, and nothing she has said is untrue. I wish more people knew this about themselves before bringing kids into the world,” said one social media user.
“She’s not wrong about childcare. The costs of high quality childcare are absurd,” another wrote. “No wonder people don’t want kids for that reason alone. More importantly I don’t know what sort of world they will be inheriting.”
A number of parents also shared their woes about parenting, saying it is certainly a fulfilling experience for many but entails numerous sacrifices.
“Seriously, we pay so much for daycare/preschool (US),” one said.
Another wrote, “I ended up quitting my job because childcare was almost equal to what I was earning. I was extremely lucky to have a husband who could support us.”
Petterson shared a second video where she listed out the reasons that would make her consider having kids
After her first video went viral, Petterson went to her viewers with a “Part 2” in her series about kids.
This time, her intention was to list out “reasons that make [her] want children.”
“A year of maternity. No work for a full 365 days,” she said.
But unlike her first list, this one was over before it had actually begun.
With a deadpan expression, she said: “That would be the end of the list really.”
Petterson’s two videos made some parents agree that their lives had completely changed with the arrival of their kids. But that’s the life they love and chose for themselves.
“Yep. All of these things were true for us and … we still wanted the kids. Having them outweighed the financial strategizing, loss of sleep, etc.,” one said. “It doesn’t for her and I’m glad she’s self aware enough to make her decision and stand on it. If someone doesn’t want kids, they certainly shouldn’t have them.”
“For a lot of people this is the ultimate goal. So it’s not so much ‘putting your life on hold’ as much as it is ‘living your life exactly as you intended,’” wrote another.
Jonathan Borba (not the actual photo)
The number of women who choose to remain child-free has been climbing over the last few years. A report from last year revealed that in the U.S., there were 11.8 million fewer births than anticipated in the past 17-18 years.
“In 2024, there were four million more women aged 20–39 than in 2006, but seven million fewer have given birth—that’s an increase of 45 percent,” said Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer and professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire.
The researcher found that the trend of being childless is most pronounced among women under the age of 30.
“I would rather spend time why my children than anyone in the whole world,” one commented online
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