Society has changed, and it’s now very common for women to delay having children until they are a little older. After all, some say our youth is for living life to the fullest while many want to establish their careers and financial stability before having kids.
Considering the pros and cons to gain reassurance regarding your choice is one thing. But ensuring that you delay the process in the best possible manner is another altogether. There are many factors that should be considered.
Make sure that you do each of the following five things, and you should be just fine.
Find The Right Relationship
It may turn out that you’ll become a single mother, but many women prefer to go about it in partnership. We can’t predict the future. However, if having children is on your agenda, it’s vital that any partners understand this. It’s a harsh reality, but if you have conflicting views in this area, it probably won’t work.
Conversely, if your partner wants children immediately and isn’t willing to wait, something will have to give.
Having the talk about kids isn’t a topic for the initial stages of dating. Nonetheless, it’s important that you bring it up before things move further along.
Being in an incompatible relationship will stop you from finding the right one. Even if tough decisions need to be made, it’s important to not forget the importance of doing what’s best for all parties in the long run.
Keep Yourself In Good Health
Regardless of gender, all young people should take good care of their bodies, whether they wish to have children or not. However, it’s not just about eating healthily and quitting bad habits. If you’re going to have kids in later life, you need to think about the obstacles you could face.
Every parent wants to play an active role in their son or daughter’s upbringing. Lower back pain is a common issue that can cause major movement problems. Even if the trouble is manageable right now, you need to think about how it might escalate. Treating it immediately is a must for your immediate and long-term happiness.
Even if the trouble is manageable right now, you need to think about how it might escalate. Treating it immediately is a must for your immediate and long-term happiness.
Good health doesn’t only enhance your future life as a parent. It will bring positive impacts to virtually every aspect of your world. Do not underestimate it for a second.
Check On Things From the Inside Out
Our culture is evolving at a rapid rate, but our bodies aren’t. If you are going to delay having children until your mid-thirties and beyond, it’s imperative we understand and accept the biology that could impact our chances.
For most women, fertility becomes a lot harder with age. Egg freezing processes enable you to increase those chances greatly. Even if you could conceive naturally with your eggs in later life, you’d probably have to wait far longer. This might not seem an issue right now, but it will do once you feel ready for children.
Delaying the childbearing process is fine. However, you cannot afford to miss the boat completely if it’s important to you. If you can fight back against the biological clock, you should.
Save Save Save
Raising children isn’t cheap. Studies show that you’ll probably spend a six-figure sum before your child reaches college. Thankfully, this is one area where having kids at a later date gives you a huge advantage.
You don’t have to be rich to save some money. Figure out just how frugal you need to be (start using coupons?), create a stricter budget, and incorporate better daily financial habits. Those savings will soon add up, which will take away some of the financial strain when you do finally expand the family.
While money might not be the most important factor, it’s one that should not be ignored. If nothing else, it will give you an additional sense of confidence when that period of your life arrives. In turn, that should encourage maximum enjoyment.
Bond With Others
Even before having children, you know that the kids will dominate your life. Even so, you’ll probably be surprised by the level of influence it’ll bring. This is especially true when it comes to adult interactions. So being able to make friends with other parents is key.
If you’re lucky, other friends of your age group will have delayed having kids too. Still, you shouldn’t overlook the friendships with younger parents as they can be beneficial for your long-term happiness.
Local groups are a great starting point while you can often meet other parents online. Aside from your emotional happiness, the play dates with other kids will be crucial for your son or daughter.
Ultimately, having kids in slightly later life brings many positives and negatives. As long as you appreciate them and work with them in a productive manner, you’ll take to parenting like a duck takes to water.
So, even if it’s not going to happen for a few years, it’s never too early to begin the mental planning.
Sidenote: though this post will resonate with many of my friends and peers, this is not reflective of my current situation (no babies yet!)
