Did you know that starting a family can be extremely expensive? In fact, a recent report revealed that raising a child can cost you approximately $227,000 per kid. This doesn’t even include educational expenses such as college tuition and other potential expenses that you will have to pay while the child grows up.
This is one of the reasons why coming up with a well-thought-out plan is important. Both you and your spouse need to be physically, mentally, emotionally and financially stable before you decide to raise a child.
Starting a Family in the Modern World
Our society can sometimes be judgmental, especially towards married couples who decide to delay having kids. Some people expect that couples should immediately start their own family while they are still young.
However, modern principles about marriage have brought in a significant change for married couples. Before they decide to start their own family, they consider a lot of outside factors, such as career advancement, financial issues – even the inflation rate. If you are one of those who can’t seem to decide whether it’s time to have a child or not, the following questions can guide you.
Questions To Ask Before Starting a Family
Here are a few important questions that you need to answer before deciding to have a child:
How stable is your physical and emotional state?
Bearing and raising a child requires a lot of time, effort, and energy. If you plan to have a child, are you emotionally ready for it? How about your physical health? Can your body handle it? Keep in mind that you will be bringing another life to the world. You need to make sure that you and your partner will be able to handle all the physical and emotional demands of having a child.
Do you have enough savings?
As mentioned above, raising a child can cost you a lot of money. You will be spending a lot – from childcare to food, medical checkups, education, and beyond. You might even spend more if you plan to hire a babysitter.
So, before you decide to have a baby, make sure that you have set aside enough savings to start a family. If you need assistance in budgeting, you can contact a financial planner in Utah. This professional money adviser can help you keep your finances in order.
What are your plans for your career?
Are you willing to push the pause button in your career? Are you prepared to sacrifice your work schedule to spend time taking care of your kids? You need to make sure that you are willing to take a short break from your career. This can only be temporary, but you still need to plan carefully about it.
Can both of you handle raising the child?
Did the two of you talk about the adjustments that you need to do when the baby arrives? What will be your setup? Keep in mind that raising a child is no easy feat. Make sure that you and your partner are prepared to face all the challenges that come along with it. If you need to, ask assistance from other family members. Most importantly, you and your partner need to dedicate 100% of your time to making sure that your child receives all the love and attention he deserves.
Try answering the questions above and see if you are indeed ready to have a baby. You and your spouse may still be struggling to finalize your decisions, but that’s okay – the best plans are the product of a long, well-thought-out preparation.
Just keep in mind that both of you are involved in planning what’s best for your family. Don’t forget to support each other every step of the way. Remember that you are partners for life and your kids will need both of you to be there for them as they grow up.