Supporting childless men and boys

As International Men’s Day 2025 focuses on Supporting Men and Boys, it gives us an opportunity to highlight an overlooked section of society, that is lost in the traditional narratives of what men’s lives “should” look like: men who are childless not by choice.

The Full Stop podcast has become a crucial voice in this space, sharing real stories from men whose experiences rarely make it into public conversations, thanks to our guests and connections with the Childless Men’s Community. Our episodes explore grief, identity, societal pressure, and the quiet loneliness that many men feel when their lives don’t align with expected milestones.

Why does this matter?

Because how we speak about how men show up affects mental health, community belonging, and how we raise the next generation of boys. Some many not wish to be fathers and others may not be able to be dads. When society links a man’s value to fatherhood alone, those who aren’t parents can feel sidelined or judged, often silently and painfully.

1. Mental health & belonging
   Childless men often face a kind of invisibility, both in public discourse and in their personal lives. When parenthood is assumed to be a universal path, men without children can feel sidelined, misunderstood, or even judged. This isolation erodes mental well-being.

2. Societal narratives & masculinity
   Our culture tends to celebrate fatherhood, but what about men who are not fathers, not through choice? The silence around involuntary childlessness reinforces a narrow definition of “successful manhood.” The Full Stop challenges this by giving space to voices of childless men so we can change the script and create inclusion.

3. Intergenerational impact
   How we talk about men without children influences how we support boys growing up today. If we fail to acknowledge that men’s value and contribution aren’t tied only to fatherhood, we risk reinforcing harmful messages about what boys “should” become, or what they must achieve.

4. Community & peer support
   The Full Stop doesn’t stop at podcast conversations. The Childless Men’s Community, co-founded by Michael Hughes and Andy Harrod, is a dedicated online space for connection, grief, and solidarity. Our Full Stop Community welcomes people who are childess not by choice for any reason regardless of gender. This kind of peer support is a concrete example of what “supporting men and boys” can look like in action.

Here’s a selection of episodes from our archive that place childless men at the centre of the podcast.

Men and Childlessness with Dr Robin Hadley, Rod Silvers & Andy Harrod Early foundational conversation on male infertility, identity, research, and lived experience. Listen

Do childless men need a community? Discussion with men from the Childless Men’s Community across different continents; loneliness, belonging, why peer-support matters. Listen

The Clan of Brothers, men and childlessness (Apr 2020)The Clan of Brothers, men and childlessness A conversation about male involuntary childlessness, step-parenting, and the emotional complexities of being a man without children. Listen

Why is nobody talking about childless men? Panel discussion for International Men’s Day, featuring childless men talking openly about exclusion, societal myths, and support. Listen

Childless Men’s Experiences in Society Draws on a panel from Storyhouse Childless; explores self-perception, social stigma, and creating safe spaces for men without children. Listen

I Always Wanted To Be A Dad Conversation with Robert Nurden about his personal journey, writing a play and a book, and his involvement with the Childless Men’s Community. Listen

How to encourage conversation

So, as we honour International Men’s Day, what can you (individuals, colleagues, communities, and friends) do to make that theme real for men whose experiences include childlessness not by choice?

• Listen and learn: Tune into the Full Stop podcast, read about men’s experience on World Childless Week and Dr Robin Hadley’s research. Put Robert Nurden’s ‘I Always Wanted To Be A Dad’ in your library. Listen to episodes like the one on childless men, and let their stories challenge your assumptions.

• Normalise conversation: Bring childlessness into discussions of men’s mental health. In workplaces, friend groups, or family settings, acknowledge that not all men are fathers — and that’s okay.

• Create inclusive support spaces: Whether you're part of a men’s group, charity, school, or workplace, think about how to make your initiatives inclusive of men without children.

• Raise awareness: Share resources like episodes from the Full Stop, or promote peer networks like The Childless Men’s Community.

• Advocate for policy and research: Support efforts to research involuntary childlessness in men, and to design mental health systems that recognise their needs. As the Full Stop highlights, there’s still a major gap in understanding and support.

Supporting men and boys means recognising every path, including those shaped by childlessness. You can make room for different experiences and tell the next generation that their worth is not defined by parenthood. As we like to say, you are not alone.