Jackie

There is no doubt having more kids makes your life more stressful and hectic. I have one kid and my husband is really content with just one. I can definitely see how multiple kids puts a strain on marriages especially for those who don’t have family support.

My husband and I for the longest time didn’t think we were going to have kids for a variety of reasons (i.e. concern about how having a kid would impact our marriage, losing our own identities and having to give up our interests, and also feeling like maybe not everyone is meant to be a parent based on our experiences growing up). There is tremendous pressure to have kids in our society. We ultimately decided to have a child and I delivered our son when I was 37. He is now 2.5 years old. While our lives have obviously changed in many ways we still make time for our own interests. I exercise on the weekends and my husband will golf. We don’t get to do “what we want” as much as we could pre-kid but we make it a priority. The first year was very difficult mostly due to sleep deprivation. We talked a lot about how we pictured our lives as we got older and we ultimately made the decision to have a child. I’ve always had the same thought and have said no one will tell you if they regret having a child. I really don’t regret the decision but definitely have moments where I think this is hard!! My husband and I dated for a long time before we were married and I don’t miss our life pre-kid per say. I continue to work full time and while that can be stressful I also love my job and it’s an important part of my identity. I understand the feeling of getting older and feeling the weight of having to make a decision. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.