You know the security questions that you need to have for online banking accounts and such? Well one of my questions is “What is your dream job?” and my answer, which I chose at age 18, is “mom.” Every time I answer that security question, I laugh a little inside. What I really meant when I chose that answer when I was so young was “a stay at home mom who can enjoy her children grow up and be there to see everything that happens in their lives.” But that’s just not the reality. I live in New Jersey, and it costs approximately $500/week for childcare for ONE kid. That’s $2,000/month, $24,000/year. On childcare ALONE! Who can afford that? Now I’m 23, engaged to the man I am going to spend the rest of my life with, and we just bought our first house. Everyone keeps talking about our future and including the phrase, “when you two are ready to have kids.” This really annoys me. We both have been increasingly leaning toward not having kids at all. It’s definitely something that people rush into because it’s “expected.” But it’s good that you have someone who loves you and can show you a different perspective. A year or so ago, I had mentioned to my now-fiance that I wasn’t sure I wanted to have kids anymore. He basically said that maybe we weren’t meant to be together then. I explained why I was having these doubts, and now we are on the same page. Most people just don’t think about it. And it’s certainly something that needs to be carefully evaluated! Thanks for the post. :)