Am I Ready To Be A Parent?

If you’re not sure that you are ready to be a parent or just not convinced that you will be a good one, take a look at this list of questions. Asking these questions to yourself (and the other parent, if desired) may help you eliminate or decide on other options.

Self-Examination

About Myself:

• Do I expect my child to make my life happy?
• Am I willing to spend at least the next 18 years of my life taking responsibility for and caring about my child’s health, happiness, and well-being?
• Do I like doing things with children and enjoy children’s activities?
• Do I know how to care for a child and provide for his or her needs?
• Do I know anything about child development? Am I willing to learn about those things?
• How do I act when I get upset or angry?

About My Goals and Priorities:

• What are my goals in life?
• How would a child fit into those goals?
• How would a child affect those goals?
• Am I willing to give up my goals for a time to take care of a child?
• Would I have time and energy to parent a child and work or go to school?
• How would having a child impact my social life?

About My Financial Resources:

• Can I afford to financially support a child?
• Do I know how much money it requires to provide for a child’s needs or to raise a child?
• Do I want to raise my child in the neighborhood or situation I am living in now? If not, where and how would I move, and how much would it cost per month?

About My Support System:

• Do I live in an environment where my decision to parent will be accepted? If not, would I be okay with that and how would I deal with it?
• Do I get along with my parents and family? Will I need their help?
• Do I get along well with the father’s parents and family? Will I have their support?
• Would they support my decision to parent?

About The Father:

• Does my partner want to have a child?
• Does my partner want to parent our child?
• Is our relationship a happy and strong one?
• Is my partner ready to give the time, energy, and money to raise our child?
• Do I know my partner’s feelings about discipline, family, child-raising, religion, work, and his future goals?
• Will a child fit into our hopes and plans?
• If my partner is unable/unwilling to parent, am I capable of raising a child on my own?
• Am I comfortable with my partner being a part of my child’s life?

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Average Financial Expenses of Parenting