Episode 127: Merle Bombardieri - Kids: How to Make Life's Most Important Choice

Merle Bombardieri is a clinical social worker, a psychotherapist and the author of "The Baby Decision: How to Make The Most Important Choice of Your Life."------------Book Dan to do an interview or a meeting------------Keep Talking SubstackSpotifyApple PodcastsSocial media and all episodes------------Support via VenmoSupport on SubstackSupport on Patreon------------(00:00) Intro(01:00) How Merle got involved in helping people decide about kids(07:21) How Merle decided whether to have kids(09:44) Maintaining neutrality when going through exercises(13:34) Being childfree should be the default(17:57) Role models for the childfree(21:00) When is not having kids a growth decision?(23:05) Is Merle disappointed that one of her kids is childfree?(26:30) Exercises for straight couples to decide whether to have kids(36:02) Long-term ambivalence should result in being childfree(38:50) How to better understand what it's like to have kids(40:48) What do the childfree not understand about parenthood?(42:30) "As a child-free person, you have a right to be ordinary.”(44:30) Suggestions for someone who wants to be childfree and has no support(49:05) Who should become parents?(56:49) Are we getting better at having this conversation?(58:34) The importance of growth for the child-free