Australian model Ellie Gonsalves shared a list on Instagram of 117 reasons she doesn’t want to have children. Photo / via Instagram @ellie_gonsalves
Australian model Ellie Gonsalves shared a list on Instagram of 117 reasons she doesn’t want to have children. Photo / via Instagram @ellie_gonsalves
An Australian model and actress has caused controversy after posting a list of why she doesn’t want to have children.
Ellie Gonsalves said she posted the list of 117 “Reasons to remain child-free” on Instagram on Sunday after “years of being asked why”.
Some of the examples Gonsalves included in her list were: ‘’You are tired ALL the time”, “Kids can be rude”, “What if they get trafficked?” and “You have to take your kid to sport on the weekend”.
The 33-year-old said she had written a “very honest personal list” and said previous posts had “opened up a lot of discussion”.
Some of Ellie Gonsalves' reasons for being child-free. Photo / via Instagram @ellie_gonsalves
“After years of being asked why I don’t want children, I compiled this as it always seemed a short reason was never good enough or understood,” Gonsalves wrote on her Instagram page.
“So, this is in more detail for those asking. It’s my own PERSONAL thoughts based on a lot of my own experiences or things very honest people have shared with me personally or online. Some people are made to be parents and that is amazing (I am so happy if you are happy!!!!) but that life is just not [for] me.”
The list received a predictable backlash, with some labelling Gonsalves “self-centred” and others calling the list “absolutely ridiculous”.
Gonsalves received a backlash after posting the list of reasons she doesn’t want to have children. Photo / via Instagram @ellie_gonsalves
To the critics, Gonsalves wrote: “I had many people saying to me today (out of love) ‘are you sure you want to post this list?’, I have also already received hundreds of dms (direct messages) criticising me telling me how much of a horrible and broken person that I am.
“And while some of those things on my list are satirical, many are serious & factual. Societal pressure when it comes to this topic are (sic) truly questionable & I believe unfair towards those with differing opinions & rarely do we see a voice in support of this … because let’s face it, the public backlash can be too much.”
Gonsalves, who has been with her now-husband Ross Scutts for 15 years, said the question of when they’d have children “is probably the most frequent one I get”.
“I know some of the things on there might be insignificant compared to what a child might bring, and are some of them vain? Sure,” Gonsalves told Mamamia.
“But lots of these fears/thoughts ARE real and resonate with not only me but with so many other women. A lot of them are small things that contribute towards a much bigger picture.”
