5 Reasons Not to Have Children

I love kids. In fact, I love my own children more than anything else in the world. However, there are some very good reasons why some people should not have children. They are rational reasons, and I can understand why some people choose not to have children either in a certain time frame or even maybe not to have them at all. Here are 5 reasons not to have children:

1. Money

Lets be honest, money is a huge factor in deciding whether or not someone wants to have children. Children cost a lot of money. Even before you actually have a child you have to pay for doctor's visits, bigger apartment/house for the baby's room, clothes, nursery furniture, and many other things. Then the baby is born. That brings in a whole another list of things you need to buy like diapers and baby formula if you are bottle feeding. Those things do not come cheaply. I remember spending $20 per can of baby formula for my child that needed special formula. You could end up spending 100's of dollars per month just for a baby. That is not even counting all the money you need in the future until they are grown up and living on their own. Just the thought of paying for a child's college tuition could make some potential future parents decide against having kids.

2. Job

Some people are more focused in having a career than in raising a family. Some people find it difficult imagining being able to be a parent when they have a career. Maybe they work long hours, and they just can not put in the quality time commitment that you should put in if you are a good parent. Then again maybe they think if they have a family it might keep them from getting future job promotions. Other people might have to travel a lot for their jobs, and maybe they might feel that would not be fair to their kids so they decide not to have any at all. Jobs can take a lot of time away from family time, and it is not wrong to want to further your career by remaining childless.

3. Your Spouse/Partner Does Not Want to Have a Child

I have heard a lot lately about how one person in a relationship wants a child, and the other person in the relationship does not. That is a strong reason not to have a child at the moment until the couple can come to an agreement, or to choose not to have a child at all. You do not want to ruin the relationship you already have by having a child without the agreement of your partner. I know some moms that are actually having a hard time with this because they already have children, and they want more. However, their mate has decided they do not want to have anymore. It is a hard place to be in, but I think it is better if everyone is on board with the prospect of having a child. I can understand why some people would want to wait to have a child until everyone in the relationship feels ready to have another one.

4. Free Time

Children are wonderful, but in order to be a good parent you have to give up a lot of your free time that you used to have before having children. You can not just leave the house whenever you want to because you can not leave your child alone by themselves. You have to arrange childcare before going out. Even if you are just staying home your free time suddenly is your child's time. Babies need your undivided attention constantly obviously, but even when your child gets older they still want your undivided attention. Just try using the telephone, and see how fast your child comes running every time.

5. Patience

If you do not have a lot of patience, I can see why you may not want to have children. Children take time and patience. They are constantly asking questions, and they constantly want their parent's attention. Younger children often go through the "why" phase, and trust me you will need a lot of patience. You also have to have a lot of patience for when your child does something wrong. You have to be an easy going sort of person who can help show a child how to correct their mistakes even when they make them over and over again. Patience is key to good parenting.