Starting a family is not all fun and games. As cute as babies are, life as a parent is not all giggles and cuddles. Being a parent is a lifelong commitment so you need to ensure that you are as ready as you can be before you start trying to fall pregnant.
Before you jump the gun, spend some time thinking about it just to make sure that you are ready. Here are ten signs that you are; you must learn to be able to identify them:
1. You Don’t Party Much Anymore
If you find yourself having more fun staying in and watching TV than you do going out partying, you are probably ready to start a family. As you get older, your priorities start to change and suddenly you wake up wanting more stability and less excitement.
Partying is a young person’s game and you should be proud of yourself for maturing to the point where every weekend doesn’t have to involve going out and painting the town red.
2. You Don’t Run Away From Other People’s Kids
As an adult, having friends over with kids can be a bit of a nightmare. You have to make sure that their children will be safe in your house so you put away any potential hazards and hope that they don’t break your favorite décor pieces.
When you’re ready to have children of your own, your friends’ kids won’t seem so bad. If you don’t find yourself wanting to run away from other people’s kids then you can take that as a sign that you’re ready to have a child.
3. You Secretly Practice Your Baby Bump
If you find yourself rubbing your belly even though it is empty, that can often be a sign of you being ready to have a baby. Our bodies have little ways of showing us that we are ready to start a family, and constantly being reminded of an empty womb is one of these ways.
When you find yourself touching your tummy more and more often, that is usually a good indication that you are ready to have a baby on board.
4. You Can Function On Very Little Sleep
Parenthood is full of so many new experiences, and most of these happen with very little sleep. If you are thinking of having a child but you can’t function on less than 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night, you are most certainly not ready to have a baby.
Having a baby is all-consuming, and you need to be able to function on only a few hours of sleep per night if you are lucky! If you can wrap your head around the idea of not getting much sleep for months on end, then you are ready to procreate.
5. You’re considering All of Your Options
When you’re ready to have a child, everything else will take a backseat. If you find yourself keeping your options open and considering every way possible to ensure that you have a child soon, you are ready.
We often forget that falling pregnant is not the only way to have a child. You should also strongly consider using the best surrogacy agency in California. Sometimes people run into problems when trying to fall pregnant, and instead of repeating the same mistakes, you can do things a little differently.
In these modern times, there are multiple avenues to explore to have a child so you don’t always need to follow the traditional methods.
6. You Have a Nursery Board on Pinterest
If you secretly have an entire board on your Pinterest page that is dedicated to all things baby and nursery, you are more than likely ready for a child. Pinterest is filled with so many great décor ideas that are both gorgeous and practical.
So if you find yourself pinning more swaddling techniques than recipes, you need to seriously consider getting pregnant.
7. You’re More Patient than You Used to Be
As we get older, our patience and tolerance levels either increase or decrease – depending on the person. If you are more patient than you used to be and show an increased ability to keep calm, you are likely ready to be a parent.
Parents need to keep calm and collected at all times, but no one is perfect – so don’t be too hard on yourself if the stresses and pressure of life get to you at times; it is only natural. If you manage to keep your cool most of the time, you can consider having a child.
8. You Know Your School Area
If you find yourself taking note of family-orientated things when choosing your new neighborhood, like school zones and parks, you are probably ready to have a family. As mentioned before, parenthood is all about changing your priorities.
By prioritizing schools and parks, you are showing the signs of wanting to be a parent. Be selective when choosing your school zones because not all schools will offer the same level of education and personalized programs.
9. You Buy Baby Items
If you can’t walk past a baby store without popping in to buy a few things, your body is trying to tell you that you are ready to have a child. Starting a collection of baby goodies is a great idea; it lets you begin parenthood one step ahead.
If you’re buying baby clothes, remember to keep the theme gender-neutral. You have no way of guaranteeing what the gender of your baby will be, so stick to green and yellow colors if you don’t like grey.
10. You Babysit For Friends Often
People who are ready to have children will try their best to spend time around their friends’ kids. That is a great way to get some practice in for one day when you have your own. One of the best ways to tell if you are ready to start a family is to do a few runs to check if you can handle it.
Don’t worry if you aren’t ready now – your day will still come.
