Quote:
Originally Posted by SmootSmack
So this thread is really for all the fathers out there. My wife and I are that point when we feel we want to look to start a family in the next year or so.
On the one hand, we feel ready. We both have good careers, we're in good (not spectacular) financial shape.
On the other hand, we don't have any immediate family near us, we don't know what a baby will mean to our finances and our careers, and we know our lives will forever change.
Sometimes we feel like we'll always find an excuse not to be ready.
So for all the dads out there, how did you know you were ready? (If you knew). I mean the thought of it is so overwhelming, how do you adjust your mentality to the idea of being responsible for a brand new human being?
|
Good thread. I'm not a Dad, but I certainly plan on being one in the not too distant future. Hopefully I'm not hijacking by posting my thoughts!!
I know my wife and I aren't quite ready, although we could both handle it if she got pregnant. I just turned 32 and she's 28. We're thinking that about 2 years from now will be the perfect time. She just got a nice promotion, and my career is going very well too. We have been building a nice nest egg, and are looking to buy a house next summer. So ideally we'd like to keep the pedal to metal work-wise and continue to stack as much money as possible, get the house, and then maybe start trying in middle of 2012.
For us, it's not the mental aspect. I know I can be a good father, and mentally I think I've been up to the task since I was probably 27 or 28 years old. If I had to guess, my wife will be a great mom. The care-taking aspect certainly won't be lacking. Also, I have lots of family and close family friends in the area. My mom is practically Mary friggin Poppins, so the fact that we know my family can help is huge. Shit, I'm 11 weeks removed from my wedding and my mom is already dropping hints left and right about popping out little ones.
Our roadblock right now so to speak is more of our life situation. We just got married 3 months ago (although we've been together a little more than 7 years). We're not in our early 20's anymore, but we feel like we're young enough to where we can spend a little more time saving, furthering our careers, and getting a house suitable for raising a family.
Not that you have to do all these things to be good parents, but the amount of money I figure we can sock away over the next few years coupled with the house, and we're setting ourselves up for the best possible situation for parenthood relative to our lives.
So I guess long story short, mentally I'm ready to be a Dad, but lifestyle-wise, I'd prefer to wait about two years before little GMScud's start roaming the earth.
Good luck SS!!