Requirements to start a family

REQUIREMENTS IN STARTING A FAMILY

Starting a family is really never that easy. It’s as if you’re starting to take your first steps. It definitely feels different when you are just one of the children and being the parent. It entails bigger responsibilities, and you are not only accountable to one person, you take hold of the welfare of your off springs as well. 

These days, there are only few people who take pregnancy as something that is planned. Most pregnancies are unplanned making couples forced to make a living even at a young age. This instances increase the country’s percentage in terms of poverty.

So, how do you start a family?

1.      Plan Early.

You should have thought of settling down way way before. You should have known that settling down is not something you just can get into and when things go on your way, you’ll quit. Settling down is a lifetime commitment. You should have prepared yourself with the hurdles you have to go through, including the finances: First, do you have the budget for your wedding? Weddings usually cost a hundred thousand or more. Second, do you already have a house to call your own? Or will you be renting? Third, is your salary enough to compensate your daily needs and other expenses? If you’ll be expecting a baby, are you prepared enough for both the needs of the mother and child? Let’s have some computation:

Wedding                                                                     100,000

After the wedding:

House (monthly amortization)                                       5,000

Groceries per week (good for 3-5 persons)                    4,000

Transportation                                                              1,000

                                                                                     10,000

The computation is for basic needs only.  A minimum wage earner in provincial areas is

Php8,006.25. If you are earning within the minimum range, and you know within yourself that this money is not even enough for your own expenses, then think twice. Have some savings first before engaging into something you would be struggling to provide.

2.      Are you emotionally ready?

Are you prepared for unwanted circumstances that might happen within your marriage and you being a parent? Will you be able to stay true to your wife/husband for the rest of your life? Are you ready for the responsibility of rearing up your kids?

Try to delve within yourself on how do you respond to your everyday crises? Parenting as well as marriage has its everyday ups and downs, how you respond to these situations may evaluate how well you are ready for this new chapter in your life.

Is your individual emotional health in bearing with your partner? Marriage and parenting does not task only one party. You and your partner work hand in hand. If these situations doesn’t patch up early in your marriage, try to work it out first before you plan to have children.

If you are having thoughts, or if you’re other half is still in doubt, well then, perhaps you might want to talk it over again. As said earlier, once you get into this stage in your life, you’ll have to cling on this for the rest of your life. At times, you will be selfless taking the welfare of your own children/partner first before yours. 

The family is one unified clan, and it needs not adventurers who would eventually take its sanctity for granted. Plan ahead and be ready because starting a family is definitely one stressful and rewarding chapter in our lives.