Single envy
THERE’S a new trend on social media — women who are single and who have been looked down on for not having partners or children outline their days and highlight how happy they are without the baggage.
For years, the woman who chose to be childless and partner-less was a pariah, an old maid, someone to be pitied. But today she’s someone to aspire to, as people who have gone the traditional marriage-child route sometimes realise that they would have been happier being old maids after all.
What do women in relationships, or with children, envy about single, childless people?
Taneisha, 28, married mom of two:
I envy just having alone time, and spending my money on myself. I never get a chance to think of myself or my needs, there’s always something to do for the kids or my husband, and I just sometimes envy other women who seem put together, doing their own thing on their own time.
Tracy-Ann, 34, married:
I wish I could decide what I did with my own money instead of always having to ask, discuss, and share with my partner. The amount of my salary that goes to car payment and mortgage is scary and disheartening. Sometimes I wish I could just shop on Shein and Amazon and do what I wanted with my money instead of constantly stressing about shared bills.
Letecia, 50, widowed mother of three:
My last child is finishing college now, thank God, and it’s so liberating to finally live for myself and not for my kids. The other day I took a trip to New York and stayed in a hotel by myself and did my own thing, and you wouldn’t believe the peace that brought. If I had to do it all again, I wouldn’t have chosen marriage or kids, but at least now I have a few years to myself without considering the kids, and before they give me grandkids.
Danielle, 36, married:
I don’t feel this way all the time, thank God, but sometimes I’m doing his laundry or cooking after work, or cleaning up the house, scooping up cat poop, and cleaning up after the dog, and I think how much my life sucks. The suburban mom thing is just not attractive to me sometimes. Thank God my stepkids only come on the weekends, so at least I don’t have the struggle with them in the week. But it gets overwhelming sometimes.
