Dolly Parton has the perfect response when people ask why she doesn’t have kids

Anybody who knows anything about Dolly Parton knows that she's had an incredibly accomplished career.

She's written chart-topping songs, established an acting career, produced numerous TV shows and done a great deal of philanthropy.

Despite all her achievements, she's still repeatedly asked about why she doesn't have any children.

She could, of course, tell the interviewers that it's none of their business.

But, instead, Parton answers the question in an incredibly meaningful and diplomatic way.

In a recent interview, she told Oprah Winfrey:

Since I had no kids, and my husband was pretty independent, I had freedom.

She continued: "So I think a big part of my whole success is the fact that I was free to work."

Parton then explained that she didn't have children so that "everybody's kid" could be hers.

She said: "I didn’t have children because I believed that God didn’t mean for me to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine, so I could do things like Imagination Library because if I hadn’t had the freedom to work, I wouldn’t have done all the things I’ve done."

She added: "I wouldn’t be in a position to do all of the things I’m doing now."

Thankfully, Parton's freedom to work means that the Imagination Library has changed countless lives.

The free children's book gifting scheme currently sends 1.3m books to children every month and has been credited for improving literacy rates.

That should shut them up.