The right time.
Many of our friends don’t have kids, yet intend to have them when they feel the time is right. Now kids are a huge responsibility and they dramatically change your life and you need to think really carefully about whether you want them but I don’t believe the time is ever ‘right’.
There is never a good time to lose an income, there is never a good time to feel sick, there is never a good time to be fat, ugly and hormonal, to suspend a career, to have pain, to lose sleep, to change a pooey nappy, to have interrupted meals or have to stay at home because the kids are sleeping. And yet despite all that it is awfully nice to see them smile and reach up for you, to hear them laugh and call you ‘mama’, to see them take their first steps or hear their first words, to know that they are your family, part of your imprint on the world.
Sometimes you just have to jump and realise that life is hard, but that is life and without all the difficult beginnings I doubt we would celebrate birthdays as much, I doubt we would get as much joy from a child’s laughter, I doubt we would enjoy holidays so much and I doubt we would look forward to toilet training, or rather the completion of it, so much.
September 11th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
‘Chelle, you have done everything right – had your children while you are still young; believe me you don’t want to be coping with teenagers in your fifties. I seriously believe that fifties is grandma territory. ‘Fifties’ women have enough going on (or should I say not going on!!) in their bodies, without having to cope with teenagers’ issues. The other point to mention is, and I know this is very selfish, but many grandmas are missing on a huge portion of their grandchildren’s lives because couples are leaving it so late. Grandmas can be a big help but lots of them can’t help because they are well and truly past being able to cope with kids by the time they come on the scene. As for not having children at all – well all I can say about that is – what a lonely life without them!!! Thank you for not waiting – it is now in the realm of possibility that I will be able to see Wrigglebot and Squirm married and, if they are like their parents, starting a family of their own! How cool is that!!! Luv ya!! Mum