Momof3

Having a child isn’t for the faint of heart. We were just having this conversation with my brother, who is on the same boat as you, sans dog. He’s 35, a software engineer, with a nice partner who’s a psychologist working in the private sector. They love to travel and have looked after my kids from time to time and seem to get overwhelmed after a few hours. I think it is hard for people used to order and the life of the mind to deal with newborn babies and toddlers. The thing is, being present and interacting during the first three years of life is so important. I’d say it’s significantly easier after that unless you have a child with a disability (one of mine has autism) and you disagree on parenting strategies (time outs vs positive discipline, table manners, after school activities and division of labor). However, at the end of the day I would not exchange my kids for anything in the world, so perhaps it’s worth it. I do see a lot of couples who can’t sustain the weight and end up divorcing. Don’t underestimate how hard it will be. Best of luck to you.