Women are often encountered with the pressure of having their life completely figured out before turning 30. Many are the societal expectations we are supposed to have fulfilled before saying goodbye to our twenties – from reaching our career objectives to forming a family and settling down. 

Yes, Taylor Swift is turning 30 in a few months, but that does not mean she is planning to have kids anytime soon. As part of the worldwide promotional tour of her new single ‘ME!’, she spoke to the German news outlet Deutsche Press-Agentur. During the interview, the singer was reminded she would turn 30 in December and asked if she was planning to have children. 

Her response was beyond perfect. 

“I really do not think men are asked that question when they turn 30,” she said, “so I’m not going to answer that.” 

By declining to answer this invasive and rather sexist question, the singer successfully challenged the expectation that women are expected to have children before reaching their 30s. And she’s also reminded us that, while more women than ever before are choosing not to have children, many child-free women find themselves under a harsh spotlight, often being grilled by friends and strangers alike asking deeply personal questions surrounding their reproductive choices.

Instead, Swift steered the conversation back towards a more palatable topic. 

“I hear others say that when you’re in your thirties, you no longer feel as much stress and anxiety in life as in your twenties,” she said. “In our 20s, we are looking to gain experience, try things out, fail and make mistakes. But I definitely plan to try and fail in my 30s as well.

“I expect that in our 30swe feel better about who we are. The closer I get to it, the more I feel it happens. Hopefully that will be the case!” she added.

Jennifer Aniston previously penned a blistering op-ed about sexist stereotyping in the media – particularly focusing on the stigma attached to so many women in the public eye, whether they’re single, divorced, or living a child-free lifestyle.

She later said that she was sick of being ‘shamed’ for her choices, saying: “I have worked too hard in this life and this career to be whittled down to a sad, childless human.”

The moral of this story? Stop asking women if and/or when they’re going to have children.

Of course, this is not the first time that Swift has refused to answer a sexist question. 

During the 2015 Grammy Awards, an interviewer suggested to Swift that she would leave the gala with more than one trophy, as there were “lots of men” in attendance. 

“You’re going to walk away with more than a trophy tonight, I think, lots of men,” the reporter told Swift.

Swift responded: “I’m not going to walk home with any men tonight. I’m going to hang out with my friends, and then I will go home to the cats.”

Well, quite. And it’s worth remembering that our age should never govern what we choose to do with our lives. 

After all, we are the ones who determine our timeline –and our limits.

Photo via Getty