Better off Childless? ( a semi rant)

I saw that interview....with the guy who's taking over for Larry King....Piers somebody. I didn't take her comments in the same way that you did. Firstly, she made it quite clear that she believes some people are meant to be married and have kids and others are not. She's not. She made those comments about her own personal life's experience, not saying in any way that it would be or should be the same for anybody else. I think her biggest point was that if her child had indeed lived, she wouldn't be the "Oprah" that she is today. If her child had lived, based on her life circumstances at that time, she probably would have had to drop out of school, hence never becoming student council president and all the other experiences she had that culminated in her station in life today. She never once said anything along the lines that you can't be successful if you have kids. She merely spoke of her own life and the differences she knew there would have been for HER life if her child had lived. Sorry......I just didn't view it the same way you did. The interview gave me a lot of insight into Oprah's personal life that I wasn't aware of. I'm always fascinated by people's journey's and I had no idea what her formative years had been like. I like her even more after seeing this interview!

I always wanted kids.....more then I ended up with. And I think they made me more! Because of them I have what I have....I have a house that's paid for because I wanted them to be able to say...that's the house I grew up in....And there are so many other things I have because I strived to make it for them! You can be successful and raise kids!

I didn't see the show, but I agree that it is up to the person and there is nothing to say that you will or can not be successful having children. The only thing that I can really say is that at the age of 14..it might be quite a bit harder to get ahead in life. I was 16 with my first child and my grandfather passed shortly after he was born. The family that I had been raised with no longer wanted me around. I was on my own. I went through a lot of trials and a lot of hard work ,but I have survived and done well for myself and my children. I can be proud. I have a family, a career, and I am going back to school now. I have my own home and am by no means rich..but I am not starving and am able to provide for my children. I think I am successful in my own way.

Hi, Sarah. Yes, she is right. Her life could have a different turn if she had that child. She could have been happier and thus focused more on doing what every mother does., loving and taking care of her child. Anybody, including Oprah, can be very successful with or without a child only if that person wanted to. Being not successful because of having children is a lame excuse .. On the other hand, children should inspire us to be successful and triumphant with whatever endeavors we have.

I used to work in an industry dominated by women. All my bosses then were powerful women, and were considered b!tches across business tables. Although a few of them didn't have children, there were some that had. For those that did have, I also had the pleasure of seeing them with their families. And the one thing I noticed was that they had an internal switch which could make them really pleasant with their family, yet very cold if you cross them at work. And I think this is what made them successful. So, I don't believe for a minute that women can't have both!

Hi Sarah, Celebrities have a responsibility and many cannot handle them correctly. Not sure about Oprah but from what I have seen her(on TV shows) and read about her (on Internet and magazines) I believe she is more responsible and I respect her for that. Now I am not aware about this one but in general, it was wrong on her part to mention this. (I am saying this as I dont know what show it was and what was the reference). If I was an Oprah fan and I heard only this much then maybe somewhere it would have had an impact on me... But now that I am grown up and more mature than I was in teens, I will not agree with her... but for teens who look up to their Icons or Celebrities, can be misled. And yes, I never would agree that you would be successful only if you dont have kids... in fact if you have kids your chances of success are a bit higher just because you would want to be a Role Dad or Role Mom to them and somewhere you would try with greater efforts to be successful. PS: Success here doesnt mean becoming the richest mom or dad, it means achieving more for the family.

Wow I love this post! ok being a mom of 8, you read right lol 5 of my own and 3 of my husbands, I'm appalled at Oprah for saying something like that. Maybe it wouldn't have worked for her maybe it would she's not God or a psychic! How dare she say something like that. Ok having children is hard but it's very rewarding. I might not be famous or glitzie glamorous but I'm successful in my own right, as a stay at home mom. I have my own business and joint businesses with my kids! makes me mad to hear something like that!

I would hope her loyal viewers, I am not one, would perhaps not take it this way, but then you have those that although know about Oprahs success and intelligence would certainly take it this way. It would have best if she would have said that although saddened that she did not have her child, but life hands you certain cards in life and she tends to believe that things happen for a reason.

I am not really a fan of Oprah but whatever she said it was her opinion in life. For me, I wanted to have a child or children. Success in life with or without children will come through hard work.