How did you decide to start a family?

[TheOtherMother4]

I'm 38 now and have a wonderful DP. So far, neither of us have discussed kids as we both love our jobs and children wouldn't really fit in around them. However, I've been thinking recently and know that I could be flexible with work and that if I was to have children then the time to start trying couldn't be too much later. What made you decide to have children?

I guess when I thought I’d done all the things I wanted to do before I had children iyswim. I had travelled enough, no longer cared about wild nights out, bought a house, been married... not saying everyone should do these things before kids or in that order but they were on my mental ‘pre-baby bucket list’.

We'd come back from living abroad for a few years, got married and bought a flat together. The fun we were having drinking and partying started to get a bit dull. We felt something was missing, and that our life, although fun, had become a bit directionless. We sort of knew it was 'time'. That any being constantly reminded about the ticking clock when you're the wrong side of 35....

We knew we wanted them at some point, but I knew I wasn't ready. My "me" time was too important to me and I knew I'd resent kids for taking it away. Over time that changed, as I thought it would, and eventually it changed enough that I was ready. I was right, and being a parent has been an absolute joy so far.