We all know the great shows about raising multiple kids:
Where are all the shows about raising singletons or even
just three kids?
Almost two years ago while visiting a friend in the hospital
after having her baby she was asked the question all moms are asked the minute they push that bundle of joy out of their vajaja, "When are you having another one?". She said something that has really stuck with me, “The name of my show is One and Done!”
This really got me thinking.
What would be the name of my show?
Will I be raising 2 and We're Through, 4 and No More,
or One and Done?
This question is one that my husband and I have thought about extensively over the years. In fact, when we got married we both agreed that kids weren’t in our cards. We would forever be D.I.N.K.s (Double Income, No Kids). Well after being together for 9 years (high school sweethearts) and married for 4 of those we started questioning our initial plan. It also didn’t help that several friends of ours started having their own kids. Also having a large Catholic extended family that constantly wanted to know when we were starting our own family wasn’t any pressure at all. That’s sarcasm, if you can’t tell!
We finally decided that we do want a child and we got
started on the process right away. Nine
months later we welcomed our son into the world and it was happiness followed
by anxiety, nervousness, frustration, and sleeplessness.
Now that we just celebrated our son’s fourth birthday we
have been contemplating the possibility of future children or the lack there
of.
There are a ton of reasons why having another child would
enrich our lives and that of our son. He would have a sibling; he would have a
lifetime with another person who would know him better than anyone else, and
someone to trade holidays with when he has to visit us in the home.
Somehow though these reasons aren’t enough for us.
We love the life we have with one child. We can devote more
time to him than if we had more children. We are still able to financially
afford things we want like new cars, tuition for graduate school, remodeling
our house, hobbies, and eating out. (Well that last one is mainly for me!)
The biggest deciding factor is that we have time for
ourselves. Mike can go and deer hunt all season long because he knows that he
will be watching Wyatt when race weekends come up in the spring. Yes, we could
do these things with multiples but being left home with x amount of kids all
weekend long while he deer hunts is not my idea of a good time!
I know that some may be shocked by this and not liking my
reasons but they are reasons enough for us. Each family is different and there
is not one model that works for everyone. This just happens to work for us.
So for now the name of our show will be “One and Done”.
What would be the name of your show? Leave a comment and let
me know!
We are one and done too! I get sick of people always asking when we are going to have more. Now I can use your line!
ReplyDeleteHave at it! It does get so tiring of people asking when they second one is coming since Wyatt is getting so old. Sometimes I want to say you give me the money for the kid and we'll talk about it!
DeleteAnother any time now, infertility sucks! Wonder how many people would watch my show. :)
ReplyDeleteI think people would definitely tune into your show! Life in South Korea sounds super exciting and fun. Prayers are going to you and Clint for a baby soon. If we were closer I would totally just have the baby for you. ;)
DeleteMy show would be called Two a world Apart, I had my daughter when I was very young and boy was I done or so I thought... I got married and when Sam was 13 I had Kaden.
ReplyDeleteI understand. One of my besties has a daughter from a previous relationship who was seven when she had her next with her husband. She's now working on Baby #4! She's always thought she would have four though. It's destiny!
DeleteI love Bean to death, but I fought hard to be a "one and done" too...I obviously lost! I wouldn't change it now for the world, but seriously I never thought I would have ONE kid, let alone TWO!
ReplyDeletexoxo
I feel you with everyone always asking about the next. CHILL OUT PEOPLE! My family, my business...not yours. We always said 3. So I guess my show would be "just three for me". But the first was so easy we swelled up to maybe four. Then #2 came and he was a demon baby and I begged to be done at 2. I have a boy and a girl, I've collected them all. Let's quit. But alas, the hubs really wants that third so here we go again...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to read about someones honest look at having one child, we don't have children yet, but only want to have one child. When people hear that they look at us like we have 7 heads. We are both only children and enjoyed it. We made close friends and eventually I ended up with step siblings myself as a teenager. Siblings would be great for a child, except you can't predict how their relationship will play out, I have friends who do not even speak to their siblings and haven't for years. I have friends who are best friends with their siblings, you just never know. I just know we work public service jobs that don't pay much and don't offer much time off, so we feel one child would be the best for us.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shannon! I hate the reaction people give you when you say that you're only having 1. It drives me crazy. I completely agree on the whole job aspect and money. Those were big considerations for us, as well. We are both workaholics! Thanks for stopping by!
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