Starting a family is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make in your life, so this choice should never be taken lightly. Some people feel as though they will never be fully ready for a baby until they take the leap and have one, and there is some truth to that. You cannot ever be 100% prepared to bring a child into this world, but there are still some signs you should look for in your life to determine if this is the most optimal time for you to start a family.
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You have chronic baby fever.
You think about kids all the time. When you walk into Target, you walk past the infant clothing section just to imagine what it would be like to have a child and dress him or her up in all those adorable outfits. Or, when one of your friends or family members has a baby, you want to spend even more time around the little angel than around your friend or relative. -
You’ve found the "one."
Having a responsible, trustworthy, and loving life partner will make the transition into parenthood much more smooth. You’ll have someone special to share the responsibilities and the joys with, so if your partner is ready to have a child as well, you two should start planning for that future. -
You have the finances.
Children will not only consume what feels like most of your time and energy, but taking care of them will require a substantial amount of your money as well. Diapers, formula, clothing, doctor’s visits, and more will greatly eat into your budget, so if you can pay all of your bills and still have plenty of money leftover, you will probably be able to feed another mouth and still live comfortably. -
You’ve accomplished your educational/career goals.
Creating a tiny human being and making him or her the primary focus of your world will consequently cause some other areas of your life to be put on the back burner for awhile. Two of those areas are school and career goals, so if you aren’t satisfied with where you are in life, you may regret it a few years down the road if you don’t focus on yourself before the baby. After achieving your goals, you’ll be more fulfilled and ready to give your full attention to your child. -
You’re ready for the responsibility.
You’ve done your research and you’ve talked to people you know who have children, so you know how much of responsibility you are about to take on. You fully accept the fact that after you have a child, your own wants and needs will no longer be as important. Parenthood is full of many joys, but you realize how much hard work you have to put into your child’s life to raise him or her properly.
