Kelly Rizzo Shares Why She Doesn't Regret THIS Big Decision!
By Melanie VanDerveer on April 12, 2024 at 4:45 PM EDT
Kelly Rizzo is sharing why she has no regrets about this big decision she made years ago.
The podcast host recently shared her "child-free story" in a TikTok video to shed some light on her decision to not have children and why she has no regrets about it.
Kelly Rizzo Opened Up About Being "Child-Free" In A TikTok Video
Rizzo, 44, took to TikTok to share her reasons for not wanting children and why she has no regrets at this time in her life.
"There's still this weird stigma around this conversation of being child-free. It's usually coming from people who do have kids and just don't understand why people could not want kids," she said. "So I thought I would just put my story out there, and hopefully it resonates with some people."
Rizzo said that growing up, she "assumed" she would have kids one day because "it's just what you do." And even though she wasn't feeling having kids, she just went with the notion that one day she would.
In her mid-30s, she met her late husband, actor Bob Saget, who had three adult children with his ex-wife.
"And even though at this point, I was not feeling like I wanted kids, I still wanted the option," she continued. "And so, he's like okay, the option is there."
Before Kelly Rizzo Moved To L.A. To Be With Bob Saget, They Had A Talk About Having Kids
About six months into their relationship, just before she moved to L.A. to be with Saget, the two talked about having kids, and Saget admitted that he "can't have kids anymore" because he's "done."
"And I totally didn't blame him. I totally understood," she shared. "I was like, I wouldn't want to be pushing a stroller in my 60s, and I'm like, I don't wanna do it in my 40s, let alone in my 60s. And so I totally got it."
That's when she realized she had a big decision to make, and that reminded her of an episode of "Sex and the City."
"It made me think of the 'Sex and the City' episode where Carrie was dating Aleksandr Petrovsky and he doesn't want more kids. And she and Charlotte are talking and Charlotte's like, 'I don't understand. How could you give up a baby for a man you hardly know?' And Carrie said, 'How could I give up a man I love for a baby I hardly know I want,'" Rizzo said.
"And I was like, that's it. That's it right there."
Kelly Rizzo Doesn't Regret Her Choice To Not Have Any Children
Rizzo chose Saget, and she has zero regrets.
Even after his death, she doesn't regret the decision to stay child-free. In fact, she said she was even more "convicted in my decision of not having kids" after his passing.
"Number one, it was just so much easier to be able to grieve and not have small children or babies at home," she continued. "I could just focus on myself and his girls. I'm a stepmom, so I still have my three beautiful stepdaughters. I have my nieces, so I'm very fulfilled in all those aspects."
She reiterated that in this "next chapter" of life, being child-free makes "much more sense for my life."
And while she knows what works best for her life, she said people still pose questions such as "What if you regret it one day?"
"You can't plan life. I have learned that," she said. "And, you know, nursing homes are full of people who have kids. There's no guarantee that having kids, they're gonna take care of you when you're old."
Kelly Rizzo 'Opened Up The Conversation' So Others Don't Feel Alone In Their Journey
Rizzo's TikTok video received nearly 63,000 views so far and tons of comments from people sharing their thoughts and personal situations.
"I had always wanted a child, but didn’t meet my husband til I was 38, he was 42. At that point we didn’t want to be “old” parents. So we live a happy child-free life doing the stuff we love!" one viewer shared in the comments.
Another person said, "First decided I didn’t want kids at about age 12. Over 25 years later and people are still telling me I 'might change my mind.'"
One other viewer shared, "I’m almost 32. At physical last week, the nurse checking me in asked if I had kids. I said no. She said, 'Oh you still have time that's ok! But the clock is ticking!' It took me a lot not to scream."
Kelly Rizzo Addressed One Comment With A New Video
While Rizzo received many comments that understood her feelings and reasoning, there was one comment that stood out for her so she made a new video to address it.
"I work at assisted living and 100% of the geriatric resident childless women regret their choice," the comment reads.
Rizzo said that the comment is "so ridiculous" and while her feelings "don't get hurt," she wants to address the comment for others who may have seen it.
"I've heard the exact opposite of people who are in nursing homes who never had kids. I've talked to so many people who are, let's say in their 60s, 70s, 80s who didn't have kids who don't regret it," she continued.
"So either you've maybe worked with like three people, of those three people, one didn't have kids, cause most people do have kids, so it's not like she's talking about hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people. Maybe the couple of people you talked to who didn't have kids regret it. It's possible. But to say that everyone does, I call bullsh-t."
One viewer commented, "My husband works at a nursing home. Most of them don’t even remember if they have kids." Another person added, "I too worked at a senior living community. Not one of the senior women ever mentioned regretting not having children they could barely remember who to vote for in November."