Deciding to be Parents

When are you ready to become a mother? If you wait for the absolute certitude that you are making the perfect decision then the answer is: never. Deciding to have children is, like with every important decision in life, something about which you can never be 100% ready. College, your partner, marriage, a new job, and a child: all of these big life decisions make you face your fears and insecurities, and you will never feel completely prepared to face them. Sadly, they are no guarantees.

A simple piece of advice: don’t add stress to a stressful situation. Meaning, if you’ve just started a relationship, or recently gotten married, and you’re still adapting to a new life together, perhaps it’s not wise to add the responsibility of a child at this time, even if there’s social pressure to start a family. If you are having serious problems as a couple you shouldn’t expect a child to help resolve your marriage problems. If you’re in financial trouble, you shouldn’t add to your worries the financial pressure of caring for a child.

It’s important to remember that there’s no perfect couple, and you don’t need to wait until you’re rich to be a parent. You need only to be realistic about what a child will mean in your life and consider all the joy but also all the responsibility that this will bring. The best you can do for yourself and future family is to be true to yourself.

Need more? Check out:
Start Your Family: Inspiration for Having Babies