A growing number of adults in the U.S. are choosing not to have children. Jenna Watling Neal, PhD, of Michigan State University, talks about her research that’s found 1 in 5 adults are child free, why people are choosing not to have kids, the stigma child-free adults face, whether people who decide not to have kids early in life usually stick with that choic ... Show More
Aug 20
Why numeracy counts in everyday life, with Ellen Peters, PhD
From deciding whether to buy a house to weighing the risks and benefits of taking a new medication, many important life decisions hinge on understanding numbers, statistics and probability. Ellen Peters, PhD, author of “Innumeracy in the Wild: Misunderstanding and Misusing Number ... Show More
35m 22s
Aug 13
Encore - How science can help you change your behavior for the better, with Katy Milkman, PhD
What can you learn from the science of behavior change that can help you make the changes you want to see in your life? Katy Milkman, PhD, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where Y ... Show More
43m 42s
Aug 6
Encore -- Why we choose to suffer, with Paul Bloom, PhD
Why do people like to watch scary movies or listen to sad songs? Why do we run marathons and raise children, even though both of those pursuits come with struggle and pain? Paul Bloom, PhD, discusses why suffering is linked to meaning in life, the connection between pleasure and ... Show More
23m 18s
May 2024
Can I be childfree and still feel fulfilled? - with Laura Henshaw
Whether it’s biological, circumstantial, financial, environmental, a result of trauma, or simply because you don’t want to, the reasons why people decide to be childfree are as diverse as the reasons why people decide to be parents. For many people, the decision to be childfree i ... Show More
48m 57s
Nov 2023
317. Parenthood, Regrets, and Authenticity: A Conversation with Emmalee Bierly and Jennifer Chaiken of ShrinkChicks
“When are you going to have kids?” is a question that many women are asked in their lives, sometimes by complete strangers. It’s just assumed that all women should want to have children. This week, Emmalee Bierly and Jennifer Chaiken, licensed marriage and family therapists and h ... Show More
45m 40s
Apr 2023
So you don't want kids. How to build a child-free life
If you've decided not to have kids, your life will look different from what you might have seen growing up. Here's how to build your child-free life, with or without a long-term partner. We talk about finding community, planning for the future, making a financial plan and respond ... Show More
18m 38s
Jul 2020
The Power of Bias and How to Disrupt It in Our Children (with Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt)
Dr. Jennifer Eberhart, author of the best-selling book “Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do,” joins Janet to discuss how racial bias develops in the brain and creates disparities in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and the crimina ... Show More
41m 49s
Jun 2021
The Societal Taboos of Child-Free Lives, Parental Regret and Eschewing Motherhood
A growing number of adults are choosing to not become parents, a lifestyle described as “child-free.” Yet many people, especially women, say they feel judged by their families, friends — and even their own doctors — when they vocalize not wanting children. By the same token, some ... Show More
55m 44s