I got pregnant when I was 20 years old. At the time, I thought life was all down hill from there. Don’t hate me – just being honest.
I kept thinking about what my life would be like if I didn’t have kids. People always say, “Man, I can’t remember my life before kids.” Well, I can. Vividly. I did what I wanted. I cooked what I had a craving for. I went to bed when I was tired.
But when I really stop to think about it, how would my life be different if I didn’t have kids? Let’s see…
If I didn’t have kids, I might not have gotten my first job out of college. I believe my boss, a mom of four, was impressed that I managed to maintain a 3.7 GPA with a baby on my hip. My boss has been fantastic and really pulled for me to get a salary that (truth be told) was almost twice what I was expecting.
If I didn’t have kids, my husband and I might not have gotten married. My husband and I have been attached at the hip since we met, but he wanted to take things slower than I did, wanting to wait until I graduated to get married, move in together, etc. In fact, I proposed to him three times before he ever popped the question to me. Having kids has solidified our relationship, making it clearer than ever that we are great together. Without the babies, we might not have tried as hard to make it work.
How would your life be different if you were childless? What events in your life would be different? Would you still be in the same place you are now? How would things change?
Great question……….I think having children really slowed me down in a good way. I think I would be one of those single chicks at happy hour everyday buying the latest Louis Vuitton (can’t even spell it) bag. Kids make you realize whats important
hmmmmmmm, if i had no children,
-i would have my fabulous pre-baby body that would be seen rocking the skimpiest of bikinis in the upcoming summer months
-i would be able to sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time
-i would not, repeat NOT be driving the vehicle i have now
-i would be doing waaaaaaaaaaay more travelling
-i would have a job outside of the home
-i would not have the uniform of sweats, t-shirts, and flip-flops
-i wouldn’t be covered in baby spit up, food, and unidentifiable particles
-i wouldn’t be as happy & fulfilled as i am
@ Mrs. W – How are you? The babies? (All 3 of them?) Hope you’re doing well!
I think the only major things that would be different in my life right now would be that if I wouldn’t have had a baby as soon as I settled into the dorm room I would have:
– already graduated and been working a nice fulltime job
– would have possibly still been putting up with my daughter’s dad’s bs
– I wouldn’t have been friends with all the wonderful women I am now friends with because we wouldn’t be connected on the same levels
– I just may have thrown in the towel a while ago instead of pressing forward
At the end of the day, I can’t see life being fulfilled (at least my life) without motherhood. My daughter is my everything. I live for her smile and witty remarks. She gives me a sense of family, makes me feel all warm inside. Without her, I may have been accomplished sooner, but there is the possibility that I would have an emptiness in my life, as some of my CC friends are now admitting.
My husband and I waited 4 years to have a kid. What I remembered was how much I wanted a kid around year 2 of our marriage. Now I think of:
– all those times I slept in and how I should’ve appreciated it more
– Moving across the country because of my husband’s assignments would have been SO SO SO much easier without kids
– Not being able to just get up and go. It seems that when I travel, I travel with the house in the car
– I miss having a clean car. I use to have such a nice smelling, clean car. Now, all of my seats have graham cracker crumbs and spilled milk on them and I have toys on the floor of the back seat.
– how much simpler my household chores were. I feel like a slave now and the house is my master.
– my pre-baby body. I took it for granted. The stretch marks on my stomach is the stuff that horror movies are made of.
– Dinner time. I miss those days when I could just grab a sandwich and soda and go watch tv.
Overall, my kids are the absolute best thing to happen to me. I look at the pictures of them around my house and my heart flips. I’m so in love with them and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
@ Cymonne- Oh man I was just talking about that with my husband when I was making dinner last night. I was wiped out from a day of cleaning, playing at the park, laundry, etc and I really wasn’t hungry – I was going to just fix me a bowl of cereal and be done with it. Then I remembered – “Oh crap – the kids haven’t eaten.” So I heaved myself off the couch and made them dinner.
I guess what motherhood does is force us to quit being lazy, even if lazy is comfortable and lazy is easy. *sigh* I do miss my childfree days but my kids are just my heart now. My heart beats for them.