Today's the day, Shandies! We've been wanting to cover the topic of childlessness for quite some time, and when Sharleen read Ruby Warrington's newest book, Women Without Kids, she wouldn't take no for an answer in getting Ruby on the podcast!

This conversation is for every person, with or without kids. Few books have impacted Sharleen the way Ruby's did, and today we dive deep into the world of Womanhood WITHOUT Motherhood. How often have you heard terms like "maternal instinct" and "labor of love", or phrases like "You don't know true love until you have children" and "But who will look after you when you're old?"

Today, with Ruby Warrington's expertise, we examine The Motherhood Spectrum, the truth behind "having it all", and whether or not we can argue with "nature". We discuss the (very real) fear of regret, finding meaning and legacy as a non-parent, the guilt in not bestowing our parents with grandchildren, how to age as a woman in our youth-obsessed society, and of course, Climate Change.

This conversation will hopefully guide your heart and help you hear to something inside yourself, versus listening to what so many of us have been conditioned to believe for a lifetime. If you experience grief over the path not traveled or have felt your dearest friendships wither as you and/or your friends have started making babies, this episode is very much for you.


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More Ruby Warrington:
- "Women Without Kids", The Book: https://amzn.to/3MfLT7T
- Women Without Kids Podcast: https://www.rubywarrington.com/women-without-kids-podcasts
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubywarrington
- Website: https://www.rubywarrington.com


Time Stamps:
0:00 - Welcome To Ruby Warrington!
2:58 - What Inspired Her To Write ‘Women Without Kids’ And How Is The Result Different Than Anticipated?
8:59 - How Many Tears Did She Shed Writing This Book?
10:00 - The Motherhood Spectrum
14:46 - The Mommy Binary
19:19 - Who Are We To Argue With “Nature”?
25:41 - Labor Of Love
29:54 - “Having It All”
33:19 - Climate Change
35:29 - Regret
41:54 - Purpose
44:54 - Legacy
46:42 - Guilt Over Not Bestowing “Grandparenthood” To Our Parents
53:03 - Finding Positivity In Aging As A Woman In Society
55:10 - Female Friendships
1:00:17 - Fear-Based Decisions
1:03:16 - Grieving The Path Not Traveled
1:06:36 - Shandy Debrief

If you have a relationship question, write us at: dearshandy@gmail.com

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More Dear Shandy
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More Sharleen
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharleenjoynt
Blog - http://www.alltheprettypandas.com

More Andy
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/machinelevine

Produced by Gabrielle Galon - https://www.instagram.com/gabsamillion


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