Growing Family

From LoveToKnow Baby

Are you the parent of a growing family? Do you sometimes look at your children and think back to the time when it was just you and your spouse? You may even muse about how different your life has become, and how blessed you are. You want to make sure that everything is perfect for your growing family, but sometimes things are beyond our control. Whether you chose to expand your family, or Mother Nature takes matters into her own hands, your life is certainly filled with all sorts of adventure!

To Grow, Or Not to Grow

As inflation continues to rise and expenses for seemingly everything continue to soar, many couples are questioning the issue of expanding their growing family. In many cases, the decision is simply about providing an only child with a sibling. In others, it's planning how to space your children and worrying about sibling relationships.

As more and more women put off having children until their thirties and even forties, the decision about how many children a couple should have is sometimes made based on the time factor and mom's biological ticking clock. Still, there are plenty of young couples who begin having children in their twenties, and that means there's probably lots of child-bearing years ahead. How do you decide whether to continue to expand your growing family? Consider the following points:

Affordability-What??? You want to wait until you can afford children? Think again. If you wait until all of your financial ducks are in a row, you may be too old to conceive naturally. Don't assume that only the wealthy can afford to have children. Sure, you'll have to cut corners, and you may not travel to Europe anytime soon, but you won't miss any of that once you look into the eyes of your precious newborn!
Perfectly Spaced Births-You and your spouse already have everything planned out. You want two children, a boy and a girl, and they'll be born three years apart. You even have their names selected. Boy, are you prepared! Think again. Your first child may come right on schedule, but it's three years down the road, and your second child is nowhere to be found. That's life, and parents have to roll with the punches!
Stay At Home Parents-You and your spouse have decided there's no way you'll begin a family until one of you can stay at home. That's a wonderful thought, and for many families it is a workable situation. Only you and your spouse know how realistic this goal is, and you'll need to have some concrete figures in front of you before you can stick to this plan. Crunch those numbers, and then crunch them again. Set goals, and stick to them. Don't just assume that this wish will come true in time. Do something to make it happen!
Unexpected Pregnancy-Woops! Your baby's first birthday hasn't arrive yet, and you're expecting another baby! Yes, life will be hectic for a while, but try to put a positive spin on things. Think how much fun your household will be with two little ones to entertain you! You certainly won't ever be bored!

Growing Family Later in Life

Have you noticed how many more movie stars seem to be having or adopting children later on in life, such as Geena Davis, Joan Lunden, Patricia Heaton, Susan Sarandon, and Diane Keaton? This isn't just a trend any more, it's a fact of life. Although, women have been having babies into their forties for centuries, breakthrough medical techniques have aided many women who would have been unable to conceive in the past.

Is it difficult? That depends. As the mom of four children, three of whom are teens and one who is a toddler, I can quickly say that I'm a different parent the fourth time around. I realize now how quickly life passes by. I look at my two year old and then my older children, and find myself reminiscing about them as toddlers. I have infinitely more patience than I did with my oldest child, whom I had at 24, almost twenty years ago. As she nears her 20th birthday, I find myself wondering where the time went. I also cherish every moment with my two year old because I know that in the blink of an eye, he'll be grown. He will never need me as completely as he needs me in his toddler years.

The pregnancy? Here again I can say that although I was forty-two when he was born, my pregnancy with my late-life baby was probably my easiest. Maybe it's because I didn't have time to focus on every ache and pain. After all, I was constantly running from work to the baseball field to watch my son play ball, the gym to watch him shoot hoops, or the football field to watch my two daughters cheer. Who has time to feel bad?? Also, I'm in a great second marriage, full of laughter and love.

The point is this-Don't let age stop you if you want to expand your growing family. Siblings are a joy to behold, even if there's fighting and tears, there's always love. Who can understand each other more than siblings? Who will be there to share in the laughter and the pain as they watch their parents grow old? Siblings. Growing families are blessings, and it doesn't matter if you have lots of money. For centuries, families have made it work. If this is what you want, you can make it work, too!