Things to think about before you start a family

5 things to think about before you start a family

Starting a family is a big deal and there can be a lot more to think about than you might realise. Sometimes it happens so fast that maybe you haven’t had time to prepare or to put certain things in place. With that in mind, I wanted to share 5 things you might want to think about before starting a family.

Size of your home

Before we started our own family we lived in a small two-bedroom flat which was up a couple of flights of stairs. Although at this point we hadn’t started to really think about a family, we knew that if we did want one, the flat was not the home for us. Thinking about this in advance might give you the opportunity to move somewhere more suitable for a family with children, especially a baby.

With some forward-thinking, you might be able to search for your perfect home, maybe move somewhere with an additional bedroom or maybe move somewhere that has a garden if you don’t have one at the moment.

Think about the future

When you decide to start a family it makes you think about all of the different things you might need to do. This could be anything from making sure your hospital bag is packed to knowing how you’re going to get to the hospital. There’s more to think about though than when the baby arrives and those newborn moments.

Becoming a family means having a lot more responsibility and obviously, someone else to look after and think about. Although it’s something that everyone should have, many people don’t even think about getting life insurance until they start a family. Even then, some people might not understand how important this kind of insurance is.

Life insurance from a company such as Future Proof can allow you to have a plan in place in case the worst was to happen. Although a will can help with some things you’re going to want to know that not only will your partner or child be cared for, but that they will be looked after financially. The future can be a huge worry, especially as new parents so life insurance can be one thing easily sorted.

Another thing to think about is whether or not you have a will. Should anything happen, you want to know that everything is in order. You can use something as simple as a will kit to ensure your wishes are followed.

Money, money, money

I think many people are ill-prepared for just how much money it costs to have a baby. It’s not really anyone’s fault though… just no one tells you about how much that first year or two can cost. Of course, you’ll need to set yourself up before the baby arrives; even the basics such as a pram or cot can be very expensive if you buy new. There are also those items that you’ll never have thought about until you realise you need them and that can be an unexpected expense. Going into a shop such as Mothercare at Boots is a good idea because they’ll have nearly everything you could possibly need and you’ll be able to have a look at what things cost.

It’s such a good idea to have a look at your finances before starting a family. This could be anything from looking at your budget and what you can afford to put aside to how you’ll cope with maternity/ paternity pay or even if you’ll be able to go back to work at some point. Although not always possible, if you can have some savings put aside you might feel a better sense of security when you do decide to start a family.

Family and friends support

Being a new parent can be extremely daunting and that’s without having to recover from something like a c-section. Take a look a the people you have around you and ask yourself if you have a good support network set up. Family and friends can be a great help, especially in those early days when all you might want is a shower on your own or to eat a meal without holding a baby.

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Things to think about before you start a family

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