# 370. Should You Have Kids or Not? The Psychology Behind One of Life’s Biggest Decisions Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/relationships-made-easy-1024411/370-should-you-have-kids-or-not-the-psychology-behind-one-of-life-s-biggest-decisions Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/relationships-made-easy-1024411/370-should-you-have-kids-or-not-the-psychology-behind-one-of-life-s-biggest-decisions.md Podcast: [Relationships Made Easy](https://stenobird.com/podcast/relationships-made-easy-1024411) Published: 2026-02-17T00:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://abbymedcalf.com/how-to-decide-whether-to-have-kids Audio file: https://audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/165840b4-7f38-40eb-9491-8f688183b178/stream.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/relationships-made-easy-1024411/episodes/370-should-you-have-kids-or-not-the-psychology-behind-one-of-life-s-biggest-decisions Duration seconds: 2309 ## Resource Deciding whether to have kids isn’t just a practical decision. It’s one of the few choices in life that can feel irreversible, identity-shaping, and loaded with expectations you never asked for. Maybe part of you imagines a future with children and feels something warm and meaningful. And another part of you imagines the same future and feels panic, grief, or a quiet sense of “I’m not sure this is for me.” In this episode, I’m breaking down what the research actually says about parenthood, happiness, and meaning, why this decision feels so emotionally charged, and the five questions that genuinely help you figure out what you want, not what you’re supposed to want. If you’ve ever felt stuck between fear, pressure, and honesty about your own life, this episode is for you. ____________________________ Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedcalf.com/how-to-decide-whether-to-have-kids     Download The Kids Decision Snapshot. It will help you start to think this through in a grounded way without pushing you toward any answer: https://abbymedcalf.com/kids-decision-snapshot   Join my online community, One Love Collective, on Substack: https://abbymedcalf.com/substack .   You'll get... ✨ Early drops + ad-free podcast episodes ✨ Worksheets, journal prompts, downloads, and guided visualizations ✨ Community chats and live Q&A calls with Abby _________   Subscribe to the Love Letter and get my little messages each week!  https://abbymedcalf.com/loveletter-opt-in/    👉 Pick up a copy of my new book, Boundaries Made Easy: Your Roadmap to Connection, Easy and Joy: https://abbymedcalf.com/boundaries   👉 Pick up The Workbook: Boundaries Made Easier to use as a companion to the book or as a standalone masterclass: https://abbymedcalf.co… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/relationships-made-easy-1024411/episodes/370-should-you-have-kids-or-not-the-psychology-behind-one-of-life-s-biggest-decisions/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/relationships-made-easy-1024411/370-should-you-have-kids-or-not-the-psychology-behind-one-of-life-s-biggest-decisions.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.