In an interview on Call her Daddy Chappell Roan said out loud what is usually held under wraps: parenthood doesn’t automatically bring happiness and fulfilment. And people lost it. Why? Because it challenges the romanticized myth we’ve been sold.

Truth is, many people don’t truly choose to have kids – they do it because of conditioning, societal pressure, FOMO, or even subconscious desires like seeking validation, companionship, legacy, or a form of old-age security. And when reality hits? The isolation, the exhaustion, the clash between kids’ needs and parents’ unmet inner child wounds – it’s a hard pill to swallow.

In fact, it can make them less happy moment-to-moment. What it can bring is meaning and purpose in hindsight – but meaning isn’t the same as happiness.

But here’s the real issue: we don’t live in a society that actually supports parents OR kids. No village. No real support. The system itself is inhumane, and the burden falls on individuals. Parents, mostly mothers, left to do the impossible.

So why do people get defensive? Because facing this truth means questioning their own choices. And this can feel like failure. Instead of doing that, they’d rather double down.

Why is this still so taboo to say out loud?