I feel that if a husband and a wife/a couple cannot support themselves fully and solely, then they have no right having children. That is my belief. If you are relying on mom and dad or grandma and grandpa to pay your mortgage, co-sign on car loans or loan you grocery or gas money every now and then, you are not prepared to have a child(ren). If you think you don't have money now, wait until you have to buy diapers, pay for daycare (which runs between $1200 and $1500 per month, PER CHILD here in Maryland), pay for extra insurance, buy clothes, formula, bottles, more clothes, pay for school if you live where public shcools are bad etc.
I have a friend who had major trouble breast feeding (basically, she couldn't) even though she really wanted to and she has to switch to formula. Then, her baby was allergic to this and couldn't handle that so the formula she had to buy cost her $250 a month. That is almost like an extra car payment. She ended up getting money from her family to get by. That is not a situation anyone wants to be in....especially me.
Now, I don't know about many of you but my husband and I make good financial choices, try our best to not live beyond our means, but sensical cars and go to work every day and there is no WAY we could afford to either A) Live off his salary alone if I stayed home with a kid or B)Pay $1200 to $1500 a month for daycare. We would be in serious financial trouble. Therefore, it is another added reason as to why we do not have children.
And they say having children makes you an "Adult"? I don't think so. No in every case, thats for sure. Rather, making rational and realistic decisions and not just having a baby "cause I want one" or "all my friends are doing it" even if you can't afford it is what makes you an adult.
Last edited by jhmd; 03/24/08 09:21 AM.