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When To Consider Having A Second Child
Choosing when to consider having your second child can be a tough decision. Both you and your husband/partner need to agree. My husband and I had a harder time trying to figure out the right time for having our second than initially deciding to have our first.
Once you have your first and you see firsthand how expensive it is, you become even more cautious about the next one. We didn’t want to take on more than we could handle financially and emotionally. Having one child is hard enough but having more really increases your responsibility.
For us, the financial issue was our biggest concern. Raising children is very expensive between all of the diapers, supplies and clothes you will need. You want to make sure you will have enough money to be comfortable when your new baby arrives. Are you currently working and if so can you go back to work after your second? Can you afford not to work?
These are all important questions you need to consider. I worked throughout my entire second pregnancy but it was not feasible for me to return to work after he was born. Although my children are 5 years apart my oldest was not in school yet. Therefore, I would have to pay for daycare for 2 kids. At that point, for most families, it’s not even worth working.
Do you have enough room in your house/apartment for another one? The logistics of your home is important in making your decision. We only had a two bedroom home at the time of our second pregnancy but we had already planned on moving after he was born. It would not have worked if we stayed in our previous home. It would have been too crammed.
The age difference between your first and second child is a factor in your decision too. Some women like to have their kids closer together because they can get all of the diapering and potty training out of the way sooner. Plus they feel that having kids close in age will help their children to become close with one another. They have built-ins playmates. The disadvantage to having kids close in age is double diapering. Having one child in diapers is costly and tiring but having two is even harder. It’s also exhausting chasing after two kids.
My age was definitely something we thought about when deciding to have our second. I knew I wasn’t getting any younger. Plus getting pregnant is not as easy for some as it is for others. I knew there could be a possibility getting pregnant might take me a while. As you creep toward your mid thirties, your chances for pregnancy complications and problems with your baby increases. I wanted to make sure I had the least possible risk factors.
Knowing when the right time is to have your second child is a very personal decision. We hated the constant barrage of unwanted opinions and comments from family regarding when we were going to have our second. In the end, it’s up to you and your partner. Take time to think about what’s right for you and your family.
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