Getting married, having children and settling down is the goal for many of us. It might not be something you want to do right now, but at some point in life, a large proportion of us do end up wanting these things. If you think that this is the path you will take, then one of the best things you can do is to plan in advance. Get yourself to a point in life where you can bring in a little human and be able to provide a stable and secure environment and have a life that you’re family truly enjoys. Here are some things to consider if you want to have kids later down the line.

Your Financial Situation

You don’t have to be rich to be a good parent, however there’s no escaping the fact that raising a child is expensive. If you’re constantly running out of money, are being chased by debts and struggling as you are right now then this will be magnified when there’s a little one to take care of. Before having children, it can be a good idea to get yourself into a comfortable position with money. This could mean paying off your debts, getting some savings behind you and ensuring that you can pay your bills and rent/ mortgage every month without any hassles. This will make things run much more smoothly and will give you one less thing to worry about when you become a parent. Most of us struggle with money at times, that’s pretty normal. But if it’s a constant worry and you’re barely getting by as it is, then this could be something to address first. Start using a budgeting app to spend your money more wisely, and perhaps make some cutbacks so you can get ahead. You could sell things you no longer need to pay down debt balances, and have a declutter in the process. You could check your utility bills on a price comparison site to make sure you’re getting the best deals. Do what you can to get your money under control.

Your Work and Career

As a woman, it can be difficult juggling kids and career. It’s worth knowing in advance what you plan on doing, and if there are any steps you can make things a little easier for yourself. For example, would getting a promotion and working at the next level of your career for a while before having kids make it easier to get back to work once the baby has arrived? Perhaps working for yourself would be the way to go instead, this could be running a business from home or working mobile such as beautician or hairdressing work. This would allow you to take the time off you needed, and work when you needed, and that kind of flexibility is invaluable to a mother raising a child. If you want to go down this route, get qualified and established now so that it’s easy to get the work later on when you want it.  

Your Health

We all want to give our children the best start in life, and one of the ways we can do that from the very beginning is to look after our own health. Before falling pregnant, work on nourishing your body and providing it with everything it needs to thrive. Make fruits and vegetables a large part of your diet, you could use a tracking app like MyFitnessPal to make sure you’re getting enough protein and other important nutrients. Take a vitamin supplement as an insurance policy so you know that your body is getting everything it needs. One thing you can do in the time leading up to your pregnancy is by reaching your ideal BMI. This will put you in the very best position for conceiving and can also slash your risk of all kinds of complications. Work out a few times a week and build up a strong body which will be more resilient and generally make carrying a baby easier.

Your Child’s Education

It can seem crazy thinking about your child’s education before they’re even conceived. But this is such an important part of yours and their lives that it’s something well worth considering. For example, is there a prestigious school that you will want to get them into that you will need to sign them up to years before they start? Will you want to have them privately educated- if so, you will need to think about saving for this as it doesn’t come cheap. Homeschooling is another option, check out resources like Well-Trained Mind to see if this is something that’s right for you. Homeschooling can be very beneficial for some children, it can also be a chance for you to bond and you’ll improve your own knowledge too! Brushing up on your own education could put you at an advantage if you wanted to do this.

Your Home and Car

Chances are your home and car perfectly suit you and your partner, but what about when a baby arrives? For example, if you only have a two seater car, or you live on a high up apartment which only has stairs then you will need to think about making some changes. You will need a room for your baby, and so moving to another house could be on the cards especially if you want to get everything sorted well in advance. Look into things like local schools, parks and crime rates as of course these things are more important than ever when you’re raising a family. You might want to switch to a house that has more space or has a garden. Your car will need space for a car seat, and ideally have as many safety features as possible. If you know you want children later on, buying these things now means you’re all set when they come along. It will give you time to settle and recover financially.