Chicago Tribune Interviews Blackstone About How Childless Couples Spend Holidays
Amy Blackstone, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Maine and chairwoman of the Sociology Department, spoke with the Chicago Tribune for the article, “How couples can start their own Christmas tradition, no kids required.” Blackstone said many relatives often assume if adults don’t have children they have lots of free time, and a couple’s holiday plans should revolve around families that include children. “(As a society), we’re not culturally comfortable with the idea that a family can mean two people,” Blackstone said, adding that our culture is beginning to grasp the idea of many types of families, including those without children. “The idea that (childless) couples don’t form families of their own is a myth,” she said. “They, like all families, enjoy and have every right to spend the holidays as a family, too.”