I'm 41, and I thought I'd always be child-free. I decided to have kids so my parents could be grandparents.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Courtney Kocak with her parents and husband standing in a living room and smiling at the camera.
Courtney Kocak and her husband recently decided they want to have kids.

Courtesy of Courtney Kocak

My wife and I have always known we don't want kids. We want to spend our time doing other things.

Tech Insider : Business, Climate Crisis
Headshot matt jones by fountain
The author and his now-wife don't want biological kids.

Courtesy of the author

I founded a bike company and have built my net worth to $30 million. Leaving too much money to my sons would make their lives less rich.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment
Ryan McFarland and his family posing for photo
Ryan McFarland founded Strider Bikes when his oldest son was 2.

Courtesy of Ryan McFarland

I start holiday planning early. It takes the pressure off and my kids know what to expect.

Tech Insider : Business, Sports
Family decorating Christmas tree at home
The author (not pictured) starts celebrating on October 1st, and her kids know what to expect.

ArtMarie/Getty Images

I'm terrified to let my son play tackle football. But he loves the game, so I signed him up for flag football as a compromise.

Tech Insider : Sports, Business
Close-up of hand holding football on grass during flag-football game.
The author has always been opposed to her son playing football.

Mint Images/Getty Images/Mint Images RF

I was an overworked teacher in the US, so I moved to Portugal. I couldn't be happier with my decision.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment
Photo of Jeana Whitaker in a black and white striped shirt holding a glass of white wine
I have learned to love Portuguese wine which often costs about $2 a glass.

Courtesy of Jeana Whitaker

I had my first 2 kids in my early 30s and thought I was done. I fell in love again and had a baby in my 40s.

Tech Insider : Business
Newborn girl dressing, hand of mother
The author (not pictured) had two kids in her late 20s and a third one in her late 30s.

Ekaterina Vasileva-Bagler/Getty Images

I respect my kids' decision not to have children. Now, I need to accept it means I won't be a grandmother.

Tech Insider : Business, Climate Crisis, Politics
Silhouette of mother, baby, and grandmother at sunset.
The author's kids don't want to have their own children.

Getty Images

I'm a mom of 5 and a CEO. My financial success means I can be more present with my kids and support other creatives.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Sports
Maya Smith with her products
Maya Smith founded the brand The Doux with her husband.

Courtesy of Maya Smith

My mom had me in her 40s, months after her mother died. Now that I'm older, I get why she did it.

Tech Insider
Father carry baby
The author (not pictured) says she was a sorrow baby.

Johner Images/Getty Images/Johner RF

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