Mandatory Motherhood/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Basic Trope: A character does not want kids, but society expects her (or him) to anyway.
  • Played Straight: Alice's mother constantly gives her the I Want Grandkids speech. Alice has no interest in carrying, birthing, or raising children.
  • Exaggerated: Alice is getting this from everyone including her gynecologist
  • Justified: Alice is living After the End, and reproduction is encouraged because the world is getting to Adam and Eve Plot population levels.
  • Inverted: My Biological Clock Is Ticking
    • Alice wants kids, but her society is discouraging her from breeding (for whatever reason(s)).
  • Subverted: Alice starts to ponder the possibility of having a baby.
    • Alice already has a child, and Bob discusses the possibility of having another one.
  • Double Subverted: But then decides that it's not for her and probably never will be.
    • Alice and Bob decide they don't want any more children.
  • Deconstructed: Alice is being pressured to do something very life-changing (and costly in terms of time, effort, and money) that she doesn't want to do.
  • Reconstructed: Alice learns not to let others tell her what to do (or not do) regarding reproduction. She shows the naysayers that she leads a happy and productive life even without children.
  • Zig Zagged: Some are pressured to procreate, others are not.
  • Parodied: Alice passes through the park, which is full of happy families.
  • Lampshaded: "You know, Alice, having a child is a wonderful thing, which is why you will have one."
  • Averted: Alice doesn't catch any flack for not having or wanting kids (or more kids.)
  • Invoked: "What? You don't want children? HOW DARE YOU, YOU FEMINIST SELFISH BITCH??!!! AREN'T YOU ASHAMED??"
  • Defied: Alice decides she'll be childfree no matter what anyone else thinks.
  • Discussed: "I just don't think having children is for me. It's great that you have a purpose in your kids, but I don't think that's my calling."
  • Conversed: "Why does it even matter whether Alice wants kids or not?"
  • Played For Laughs: "I don't want kids. Never have, never will." Gilligan Cut to Alice and Bob happily raising 10 kids.
  • Played For Drama: Alice is being taken by a Mad Scientist or evil government to be forcibly used as a Baby Factory.

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