The decision to start a family isn’t always easy and can often be a complicated one full of different emotions. Some people know from a very young age that they want to be a parent, others don’t decide that they want a family until later on in life. Everyone comes to this decision at different times in their lives. Whether a couple wants babies or not is totally their prerogative. Some couples go with a structured plan, others go with the flow – there is no one way to start a family. It’s a completely different journey for everyone. So, here are 10 things that show that you and your partner might be ready to start a family…
10 Things That Show You Might Be Ready
1. You’re Married or In A Committed Relationship
Together for a long time, getting engaged, buying your first home, getting married in front of your loved ones and starting a family. These tend to be the relationship milestones. However, nowadays being married isn’t as important and many people don’t care about being married before starting a family being in a committed relationship is enough. Many people don’t want to get married but want to have children, others do want to have that traditional commitment before having children. This was husband, he really did not want to have kids out of wedlock which was fine by me. At the end of the day, you know your own relationship and what you both want from it.
2. You’re In A Good Place
Settled in your relationship, but how do you know that you and your partner should have a child, it would be really helpful if there were guidelines to follow but of course, that’s not the way it works. For some people they like to be settled in their home, have a form of transport, happy within their career, knowing that they're entitled to maternity leave etc, have little or no debt and have some savings put aside for the baby.
3. You Both Want Children
Some people are unsure about having children, others are confident that they’ll be a parent as it’s something they’ve always wanted to do. Maybe you come from a big family so have always loved the idea of having your own or maybe you’re the opposite and are an only child who wants many children of their own. Either way, if you and your partner have been clear that you both want children in your future making the decision of when to start a family can be that bit easier.
4. You Know You’ll Regret Not Being A Parent
Another reason that people decide to have children is that they’re afraid that the may regret not having kids in the future. It’s difficult as you can’t fast forward the next 10 years of your life to see how you will feel, you may be living life, loving freedom just now but you might not be feeling the same way in 10 years. Weighing up both – a life with children and a life without might help you decide if you’d regret not having children in the future.
5. When You Can’t Stop Thinking About It
If you can’t stop thinking about starting a family, becoming a parent and you can’t stop looking at baby pictures, then I reckon you’re on a pretty good path to being ready to start a family. Just like everything else in life, when you’re constantly preoccupied with a thought, it’s a sign you really want it.
6. It Feels Like The Right Time
There’s no “right age” or “right time” to start a family and become a parent. It totally comes down to you and your partner and your lives and sometimes there’s just a feeling of this is the “right time”.
7. When You’re In A Good Financial Position
People would definitely agree that having a baby when they’ve got lots of debt is not the best decision, it’s much simpler and less stress-inducing to start a family once your finances are in order. Having some financial security can ease some stress before starting a family, babies are expensive but, in my opinion, you’ll never have enough money, you’ll always want to have a little bit more saved. However, I truly believe in no matter your financial position, you make it work because you don’t really have a choice.
8. You’re With The Right Person
Some people can’t ever see themselves having children but then they met someone and fall in love and discover that they really want a family with that person. I think deep down you know when you’re with the right person and if you’ve always wanted children then you’ll know yourself if the person you’re with is the one you want to have a family with.
9. You Want to Experience Being A Parent
The parenting experience can be full of good times and hard times just like everything else and some people decide that it’s the right time to have children when they just really want to experience having their own little one. Having your own child is one of those life experiences that many people want to experience. When you find yourself wanting to keep your friends’ sweet baby and not hand them straight back it may be a sign that you’re ready to experience the wonderful journey that is parenthood!
10. Spoiler!... You’re Never Really Ready.
So, you may have heard the saying that there’s never a right time to have a child. In a way it’s true, no one is ever really ready. Regardless of how long you’ve wanted and waited for parenthood once that baby is here, you’re just thrown into it and you just tackle each day as it comes. There’s nothing else you can do except make it work.
So, are you ready to enter into the wonderful, wild journey of parenthood? If you are, good luck, you’ve got this! There’s really no other journey like it!
