Dec 16, 2019
Kate found out how different life is as a non-mom after she and
her former husband abandoned infertility treatments, quit their
corporate jobs and moved from a suburb to a rural community to
raise sheep. So began her quest for identity as a non-mom in a
culture high on family. Kate shares the following nuggets of life
wisdom:
- there are more ways to look at life, giving and connecting than
just biological
- we are so much alike, than different,
- there is so much opportunity for us to learn in our lifetimes
- curiosity, heart and openness create bridges between the largest
gaps that we might imagine
- our stories can be a source of understanding, identity and a
feeling of being heard
- we have the opportunity to define 'the path'
- be open to the wisdom of elders
Kate Kaufmann is fascinated by how women who don't have children craft their lives. There are no navigation charts for life outside the mainstream of motherhood.
Kate got her first inkling how different life as a non-mom can be after she and her former husband abandoned infertility treatments, quit their corporate jobs, and moved from a suburb in an excellent school district to a rural community to raise sheep. Everyone in the country seemed to have kids. So began her quest for identity as a non-mom in a culture high on family.
Since 2012 Kate has talked intimately with hundreds of North American women who don't have children, ranging in age from twenty-four to ninety-one. She's relentless in her search for pertinent data about not having kids in both the academic and popular press. Kate has also had the privilege of speaking about the childfree and childless with organizations such as AARP, the Oregon Community Foundation, and several colleges, universities, and retirement communities.
Kate has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, an M.A. in Management, and a B.A. in Psychology, as well as professional background in corporate staffing, training, and consulting. She's lived in various urban, suburban, rural, and coastal communities and currently calls Portland, Oregon home. Kate is proud of knowing how to drive a tractor.
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