Are your friends and family members putting pressure on you and your spouse to have a baby? Here are some signs that you may not be ready to have children in your life.
You may not be ready for a baby if...
* ...your financial situation is less like a situation and more like a crisis. If you are bogged down with bills and can hardly make your rent or mortgage payment and are swimming in debt, you may want to pause the baby talk for a little longer. Having a baby is not free. There are doctor visits, hospital bills, diapers, formula, baby clothes, cribs, strollers, car seats and many more things you will have to pay for, in addition to all of your current bills and expenses. If you are serious about wanting kids, consult a financial advisor who will help you get out of debt and make your budget more bearable.
* ...you have never really wanted children and are simply feeling pressured. As I mentioned before, friends, parents and in-laws may inadvertently put pressure on you and your spouse to have children, despite the fact that you both have never really discussed the idea of kids or agreed that kids were something you were going to hold off on for a few years. Your family may want to see a baby in your arms, but you may not, and, in the end, you are the one who ends up paying for it. If babies are not something you and your spouse want, gently let your family that you have decided to hold off on kids for a while so that you and your spouse can have some alone time together. Babies are never something you should be pressured into.
* ...the sound of a baby crying makes your stomach turn. If you walk into a restaurant and instead of answering the waiter's question of "Smoking or non-smoking?" you respond back with, "Wherever there are no children," you are, more than likely, not ready for children in your life. If the thought of meeting your friend's new baby makes you cringe, then don't consider having a child.
* ... the thought of free time being gone sends you into a panic attack. Having a child means that the focus and attention will be off of you and on them. No longer can you just sit back and watch all of your television shows any time you want or sleep in late on weekends. If you have children, there is now a more important person to worry about, and if your mind can not wrap around that concept, then I would advise against thinking about children.
* ...the mere idea that your house might not be 100% spic and span all of the time makes your head spin. Let's face it, children require a lot of space and often leave behind a trail of mess. There are toys to contend with, smashed pieces of cereal on the floor to deal with and forget about having your antique teacups on display. Don't even bother having kids if you don't see yourself changing up your lifestyle for them.
