Child Free Life Stories and Social Stigma with Emily Paulsen

In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Emily Paulsen about the realities of being child free by choice. Emily joins from Chicago, Illinois.The audience will gain clarity on how to talk about family planning (or the lack thereof) with sensitivity, learn about the shifting landscape for Gen Z and Millennials, and explore the sometimes unseen ripple effects of opting out of parenthood.

About Emily Paulsen: Emily Paulsen is an award-winning entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are . She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way.

Main Topics Covered:

1. The evolving cultural conversation and data on living child free, including global trends and generational differences.
2. Why representation matters—how seeing alternative life paths enables true personal choice, and the impact of visibility in media, workplaces, and families.
3. Navigating family and friend reactions when "coming out" as child free, and why supportive communities make a difference.
4. Workplace bias, caregiving double standards, and the ripple effects of assumptions about who will (or won’t) have children.
5. The pressure, pain points, and social judgments embedded in conversations around parenthood—and what to say (or not say) to someone who is child free.
6. How internal clarity and confidence develop over time, and the importance of talking about personal decisions openly but respectfully.
7. The nuanced differences between being child free by choice and by circumstance, with discussion about language, labels, and surveys.
8. The value of parallel life paths and rejecting the idea that one way of "adulting" is better than another.

Quote from the Episode: "My goal is for women, for all people really, to understand themselves well enough to make a choice that's right for them. And I think that choice becomes a lot more fair when you see both sides of that decision." — Emily Paulsen

Timestamps: [00:00:05] Amy welcomes Emily; Chicago’s winter wonderland; favorite winter activities

[00:01:57] Child free by choice: Amy introduces the topic; Emily shares her passion for representation

[00:02:30] Data and trends: declining birth rates, international comparisons, and generational shifts

[00:04:23] Survey limitations: why it’s hard to research people’s choices and the categories of child free, childless, and more

[00:08:57] Emily’s personal story: When she realized motherhood wasn’t for her, and how family scripts shape our view of adulthood

[00:14:12] Barbie, representation, and the power of seeing alternatives in childhood play

[00:15:04] Why it’s not about convincing others to be child free, but about informed, personal decision

[00:17:58] The workplace: maternity leave, double standards, and caring for aging parents

[00:20:05] The internal journey: relief, “awakening,” and the complexities of telling others about being child free

[00:24:24] Sensitivity and conversations: Recognizing that choices about family are deeply...