Consider yourself warned!
A guide for those who think they want children.
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If you are planning to have kids, get ready to make some sacrifices! Once the kids come, you now have someone, or some other people to look after. It’s no longer about you. Gone are the days when you can decide on Thursday night to call in “sick” on Friday morning, so that you can go away for the weekend. You can’t. Who’s going to take care of the kids? And besides, on Saturday you have to take them to basketball, dancing school, swimming class, karate, piano lessons, soccer, birthday parties … You name it. There’s always some place they need to be.
Yep, most of your money goes to the kids and occasionally you get to spend a little of it on yourself. But, mainly you spend it on them, or on something related to them. I remember when my kids were old enough for me to buy them shoes at DSW. Now, let me be clear on this, I was not happy when this happened because I knew that the cost of shoes was now going to double, if not triple. The first time we went to DSW, I told the kids that they were going to get a pair of sneakers for gym and dress shoes for school (they were in Catholic school and wore uniforms, otherwise, they just would have gotten sneakers). We walk in the store, and as per my usual custom, I went right to the sales/clearance rack. Not my son. He went right to the regular priced sneaker section! I had to redirect him and told him that he had to at least look at the shoes in the sales rack. I mean, come on, he knew who his mother was! Boy please! So we get to the sales rack and I just had to look for something for myself. After all, I would like a pair of shoes too, and we are at DSW. How could I not look? Then I saw them! I found a pair of beautiful black and white dress sandals with a four inch heel. I just had to try them on. They fit perfectly, and I must admit, they looked good on me. I walked up and down the aisle in those shoes. I actually thought to myself, “I should treat myself to these sandals. After all, I worked all week”. Side note, sometimes I use the “I deserve it. I worked all week” rationale as justification to buy something for myself. It usually works, and it was working that day. But then, I looked at the box to find the price …. $200.00! And that was the DSW marked down price! They were pricey, but I held onto those shoes. You never know, maybe by some miracle the kids would find some shoes on the sales/clearance rack that they liked and were marked down so much that they were a steal. After all, this is DSW. One could only dream. And a dream it was. Neither of my kids found anything on the sales/clearance rack. Their four pairs of shoes came to about $250.00. $250.00! But, they needed them for school and the sandals were a luxury. So, after having a conversation with myself as to whether I should treat myself to the shoes, or pay the electric and cable bills that month, I decided to pay the bills. After all, we all can spend quality time together watching TV. I sadly put the sandals back. Now, it won’t be just shoes that you sacrifice. It will be your time, your energy, your money, your space (don’t fall into the habit of letting kids sleep with you, you’ll never get them out of your bed), your happy hours, and sometimes, your sanity. Your kids will become your whole world. You will live and breathe for them. Everything you do will be for their benefit. But I must admit, it’s worth it. You will watch these little people grow and develop and turn into well adjusted, caring, loving, and thoughtful children who eventually see, acknowledge, and appreciate all the sacrifices that you are making for them. So, get ready … and just consider yourself warned!
2 Comments
11/4/2017 06:49:00 am
A friend of mine told me that he wanted to have kids because he thinks that it was the only missing thing left for him and his wife. I told him that they shouldn't rush into it and they should enjoy a couple of years enjoying each others company more. However, he didn't take my suggestion. When he had his first born, he told me he was the happiest man alive, but he took those words back. He wasn't able to do the things he loves anymore. He can't watch his favorite shows on the television because the kid is the master of the television.
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SassyGirlTye
11/6/2017 09:18:36 pm
Hey Writing Assignments, I hope your friend is finally adjusting to having kids in his life. What he is experiencing now will pass. How old are his kids? Soon enough, his kids will be teenagers and he'll be able to enjoy the things he loves. In the meantime, if what he wants to do is kid friendly, he should include them. If not, get a babysitter. But, he definitely needs to get another tv! Maybe he should get two, that way, his wife can have her own.
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SassyGirlTye lives with her two wonderful teenagers in Brooklyn, New York. No matter what she says in her posts, she truly loves her children with all her heart.
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