Five Reasons to Not Have Children

Every day, approximately 140,000 are born across the globe. Those who cannot have babies try, and still others contemplate if they should try to have one. For those who don't have children and fall into the last category, here are five reasons why you may want to rethink having children at all, or at least postponing conception.

Children require a lot of attention. If you are very devoted to your career, your daily workouts, volunteering, having a great social life, then maybe having children isn't for you. Parenting itself is a full time job. Having kids may mean you'd have to give up the activities you love, or dramatically reduce the time you spend doing them. It may even mean switching careers to work less hours.

Children are expensive. This is no secret. There will be extra food to buy, as well as new wardrobes about twice a year (one for fall and winter, another for spring and summer) to accommodate those ever growing bodies. Then there are medical bills, dental bills, vision exams and maybe glasses, insurance, new shoes, haircuts, daycare expenses, birthday parties, loads of baby gear and diapers for the first year, etc. You get the point.

Do you have a good support network to help you in times of need? They say it takes a village to raise a child. Having plenty of family to give you a much-needed break sometimes is invaluable. What about someone to watch the kids when you are sick, or just to let you go on a date with your spouse? If you don't have much family around, do you have friends who are trustworthy and could help? The first time a medical emergency comes up, this is more important than you can imagine. Having that support system in place can make all the difference in the world.

Want to travel the world? This is difficult with kids. When they are small, traveling is unpredictable at best. Everyone who has ever been on a plane with a screaming baby knows this. Naptimes have to be honored, so lying on a beach when you want to or sightseeing may not be what the little ones have in mind. And if they are older, kids have to be at school.

Lastly, if you are impatient or tend to get angry easily, then maybe kids aren't for you. Having kids won't necessary soften your heart, teach you patience or make you less angry. You may end up being an abusive parent verbally or physically. People with these personality traits need to be absolutely honest with themselves before having children, and consider therapy first. If you still feel the need to take care of something in the meanwhile, get a dog.