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Was it everything you thought it would be? I'm still wondering whether I should have children in the near future.
Deciding to have children is a very personal decision. My children have been everything I thought they would be and more. Somedays they are the sweetest kids on earth and others I want to run and hide my head in a hole in the backyard, but I wouldn't change it for anything. Having children is hard work, some heartbreak, but lots and lots of joy. It isn't always be easy but for me it has always been worth it.
I don't think I ever considered NOT having children....it was more a matter of "when" than "if"....I agree though that parenting was much more than I expected....more work, more tears and heartbreak, more interesting, more fun and more rewarding.....I wouldn't change it for the world. But I also understand that it's not for everyone.....
I also never considered not having kids. It sure isn't like I thought it would be most days though. I always had this vision that I would be a much better parent than mine were. I would sail through parenting and it would be so easy, I wouldn't yell or lose my temper. My kids would be respectful and well behaved just because I treated them nicer than I was. Then they came and blew all my plans out of the water. It's very hard work, it's constant work but I would never think of having it any other way.
It never occured to me about having children, even though I'd been married for close to ten years, until my mother announced that my sister who is eight years younger became pregnant. We'd been traveling and moving around and having a good time. I like kids but didn't especially feel the urge when around other peoples kids.
On that news I decided to get pregnant right away so all the cousins would be the same age and moved back home. I wasn't particularly fond of being pregnant, all the changes that your body goes through, I felt like a cow. And childbirth, not easy either. But, after the shock of first being alone with the first one and figuring out what to do, I fell progressively head over heels in love with my kids and still am. Raising them was probably the best time of my life, I had so much fun with them, and miss those days dearly.
it's not for everyone and I feel sorry for couples who get pressured by their parents to give them grandchildren. It's the hardest work you'll ever have and I admire and do not shun those who reach the conclusion it is not for them. This takes alot of guts as they can be scorned by family and friends as being selfish. But I think it is selfish to have kids for the wrong reasons-keeping a failing marriage together, trying to appease grandparents, to fit in, etc...
We kind of just thought "we're almost 30, so we better have 'em if we're gonna have 'em." I love my kids, and they have enriched my life, but some days are really hard. It is harder than I ever imagined.
I wanted to have children as soon as I married at age 21, but it was almost a decade before they actually arrived. It was everything I expected and then some. Children turn your life upside-down, but the view from here is wonderful.
I always knew I wanted to have children. When I was single at 30 I began to doubt that I'd have the family I'd always imagined. Luckily, my DH popped into my life and at 33 I had our first child. The second came two years later. Being a parent is the hardest job you will ever love. It's like walking around with part of your heart outside your body.
I was with my husband for a few years before we spoke about kids - met in college, went through hard times together (in life, not our relationship). We both decided we wanted to have a house and two good, stable jobs with the ability to not have real money worries (be able to do real vacations, experiences, etc) before having kids. We were together for ten years (three of them married, as of yesterday!) and will be expecting our first son in March.
There are days when I wince about not having gone to Bora Bora yet, and having to give up on certain things I wanted to do (sky diving, which I think would be irresponsible once I have kids), but I've honestly never been happier... and I've had a miserable pregnancy, haha!
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. It's very hard work, it's constant work but I would never think of having it any other way.
