New To the World

My view is simple; I believe children should be taken care of by one of their parents for as long as they can before the age of 6. I have made extreme financial sacrifices to have this happen for my children.

I had my first child at 17, a straight A student, my mother and teachers where disappointed because I had gotten pregnant. The fact I decided not to attend college immediately after high school because I wanted to be the one to rear my daughter, really threw them off.

I am the oldest of five children. I recognized very early what I was missing and that was time with my mother. I always felt like I had to fight for her attention. I made a promise to myself if I ever had children, I would put ample space between them, so they had the impression of being the only child, but actually had the support and love of siblings. It worked for me.

My oldest turned 30 last year, my son will be 19 this April, and my youngest will be 14 in August. My relationship with each of them is remarkable. What is even more remarkable to me is that I figured this out at such an early age. I've given my children the essentials. My last two didn't walk until they were over 18 months old because they were always held. My youngest has never been in Toys-R-Us, because we had learned how keep her entertained. They got their time and where genuinely loved for who they are as people.

When we try to do too much, want too much, we tend to leave things behind because there truly is no way to successfully multi-task. So, if you are planning to have to children have a plan. Get your schooling done before you have them, or wait until they are able to express themselves verbally before you become distracted with too many activities. It is great to want to be involved, but we need to really look and make sure we are not using these activities to shun responsibility or to derail accountability.

Knowing who you are really helps, but is often the component lacking in many of us when we start families. We usually want to live the way we were raised whether consciously, or unconsciously. It is all about priorities. Sometimes kids come during times in our lives when we would rather be doing something else. To me, a child is a sign that everything is going to be alright, if we only let go and truly allow the Universe to guide our hearts and steps.