(Newswire.net — January 29, 2020) — Choosing to start a family is a major life decision. It’s one that will change the entire trajectory of your life. And while it’s usually a change for the better, it’s still an important issue to prepare for. Before jumping in, you should carefully evaluate where you are in your current stage of life.
5 Issues to Work Through
The beauty of affordable birth control is that you’re basically able to decide when you start a family. And while we all want different things in life, most people eventually want to settle down and start a family. If you’re currently in a phase where you’re considering having children, please consider the following:
1. Health
Health comes first and foremost. Are you healthy enough to get pregnant? Are you aware of any genetic diseases that could be passed along? Do you anticipate being healthy enough to raise children?
You obviously can’t answer all of these questions with total certainty, but it’s an exercise worth conducting. Assuming you’re healthy enough to have children, then you can move on to the other issues and considerations.
2. Frame of Mind
In order to have and raise healthy children, you need to be in the correct frame of mind. Consider whether your desire to start a family is something that comes from inside, or whether it’s the result of pressure from friends and loved ones. If you’re having children just to make other people happy, you’ll almost certainly end up miserable.
3. Relationship Status
Your relationship status is a big thing. If you’d prefer the stability of a healthy marriage before having kids, you’ll need to spend time working on your marriage. Or perhaps you’re fine having a child with your significant other – or even being a single parent. Everyone is different.
If you are starting a family with a partner, make sure you prepare for some of the emotional challenges that a child introduces into the relationship.
“The changes of pregnancy and parenthood can cause relationship stress as you try to sort out your new life and roles,” Bright Horizons mentions. “Be patient with yourself and your partner. Spend time together and talk honestly about your hopes and fears. Accept those inevitable differences in temperament and priorities, which often become more obvious as you prepare for parenting.”
Simply admitting that you don’t know what to expect and vowing to work together is usually enough to put you in a solid position moving forward. Good, healthy communication goes a long way.
4. Safety and Security
Are you in a safe and secure environment?
It’s selfish to bring a child into an environment where there’s abuse, neglect, or unhealthy standards of living. Make sure you’re in a stable environment where you can protect your babies and help them grow into healthy children and adults.
5. Finances
Babies aren’t cheap. It’s a good idea to review your finances and get an idea of where you stand.
“Consider your household budget and determine how much in additional expenditures it can absorb,” Nationwide advises. “The daily costs of caring for a baby can add up quickly, including diapers, formula, baby food, clothes and all the other accessories. That’s not to mention larger, less-frequent purchases such as a crib, car seat, stroller and highchair.”
If you’re a two-income household, consider whether one person will have to stay home with the kids. If so, how does this change the financial picture? If you both continue to work, how much will childcare set you back? Weigh the decision from each angle.
You don’t need to make a certain amount of money to have kids. Everyone has the right to start a family. But it is smart to understand your situation and do everything possible to ensure you’re in a stable place.
Putting it All Together
There will never be a perfect time to start a family. If you’re waiting until you’re a completely-healthy, mentally-prepared, happily-married, homeowner with a six- or seven-figure savings account, you’ll probably never have a child.
Having said that, it’s a good idea to consider each of the factors above so that you can at least prepare a bit ahead of time.