Why do people want kids? This is a question that not only couples ask themselves but also many single people too.
After all, deciding that you do or don’t want to have children can impact who you end up spending the rest of your life with.
Of course, there are pros and cons to having children such as the joy they bring along with the constant worry, the sleepless nights, the lack of time you have, and of course the financial resources that are required to raise a child.
In this article
- Pros and Cons Of Having Children
- 12 Common Reasons People Want Children
- To Leave a Legacy Behind
- To Carry The Family Name
- To Prevent Certain Illnesses
- Children Make A House A Home
- Creating Memories That Last
- Continue The Family Business
- To Experience The Joys Of Pregnancy
- For All The Joy In The World
- Have A Second Chance At Doing It Right
- Because You Can, Not Everyone Can
- Trying To Fix A Broken Marriage
- Because We Think We Have To
- FAQs
- The Final Thought
Pros and Cons Of Having Children
| Pros to Having Children | Cons to Having Children |
| To leave a legacy behind | Overpopulation |
| To carry on the family name | Economic impact |
| To prevent certain illnesses | Passing on physical or mental health issues |
| Children make a house a home | Making the same mistakes your parents did |
| Continue the family business | Environmental impact |
| To experience the joys of pregnancy | Logistics |
| Trying to fix a broken marriage | Stress levels |
| Because you can, not everyone can | Lack of sleep |
| We think we have to | Marital issues |
12 Common Reasons People Want Children
To Leave a Legacy Behind
This is often the strongest argument for wanting children. Many people get to a stage in their life where they question what this is all for, and feel the need to want to leave a piece of themselves behind.
By making this journey means something by continuing to live on through others’ lives.
Leaving a legacy behind is far more than leaving behind your genes, it is about leaving behind how you affected those in your life, those people that you have loved.
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By having children, you have an opportunity to be remembered long after you are gone and have the hope that what you taught them will continue to play a part in their lives.
To Carry The Family Name
Some people have family names that come with a history that needs to be preserved. If you do then the obligation to make sure that family name lives on through your offspring may be enough to ensure that you have children.
No one wants to be the reason that prevents your family name from living on and imagine the proud moment when you announce to your parents that you have created a child to carry on their lineage.
To Prevent Certain Illnesses
It has been said that having children can give us a greater chance of avoiding certain illnesses. Of course, there are no guarantees but it is definitely worth taking into consideration.
When we become pregnant our ovaries essentially shut up shop for around nine months and this lowers our chance of developing ovarian cancer.
The less that the ovaries work, the less chance there is of the lining becoming damaged and therefore more susceptible to cancer.
Being pregnant before the age of 30 lowers a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, as does breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can also reduce the chance of getting breast or ovarian cancer and osteoporosis.
Children Make A House A Home
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As a society, I think we all crave that Instagram picture-perfect house, but is that a home where there is not a thing out of place. For me, it is not.
I have learned to appreciate the sticky handprints on my perfectly gray walls, the toys that have taken over every inch of my home, the lego that has turned my floors into some weird and often painful edition of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom!
Without all these things our house would be just that – a house! But with these things and all the other messes that go with having children, is what makes a house a home!
Creating Memories That Last
Everyone loves to look back at old photographs, those embarrassing hair cuts, weird fashions, and our own strange physical progression.
But what gives me even more joy is looking through old photos of my children, their birth, their first birthday, first holiday, first steps, and all the crazy moments that go with them.
It is about sharing this journey with them and seeing how much they have grown and changed.
Having more than one child also offers you more chances to create those beautiful memories. So how many children should you have?
Continue The Family Business
Many people may not understand this reason. But anyone who has struggled to create a family business, who has worked ridiculous hours and shed many tears to keep their dream afloat will understand this one.
When it is time to retire there are of course other options for you. If your business is profitable enough, you could consider selling it.
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You could offer an employee a partnership, which would allow you to continue to have input in the business, depending on the details. Or you could give your business to your child and keep it in the family.
It’s not one of the best reasons to bring a child into this world as there are no guarantees that your child would have the same interests as you and they may have their own idea of a career path that does not include taking over the family business.
To Experience The Joys Of Pregnancy
Almost every woman has considered the idea of pregnancy. The amazing things that our bodies are capable of and the privilege of being able to create a completely new life within ourselves.
It is a scary and often overwhelming idea but one that many women yearn to experience. Nine months of eating whatever you want, gaining as much weight as you like, and of course the increasing size of certain body parts.
Along with the whirlwind of emotions, stretching of our skin, the effects of hormones on both our mind and body is extremely scary but we are still curious like it is almost pre-programmed into us.
For All The Joy In The World
We can all easily fall into a rut of just cruising through life, surviving until the next day and we all probably have at some point.
But what we can’t all seem to do is to find pure joy and laughter on a regular basis. This is something only a child can do well and they often help their parents to find the same joy.
Spending quality time with a little mini version of yourself can often remind us of the happiness and joy we once found in the simplest things in life.
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Have A Second Chance At Doing It Right
We all feel as though we have made some bad decisions at some point in our lives. If you could change those choices, would you?
By having a child and nurturing in them the things that you enjoyed, there is the possibility that they may take a similar route to you.
They may go to the school you were too afraid to in case you didn’t get in, or perform on the stage like you always dreamed of, or travel around the world and see those exotic places that you never thought you could visit. As the parent you may be able to guide your children so that they do not make the same mistakes as you.
I understand that it is not quite the same as doing those things yourself, but it could provide you with a great deal of satisfaction.
Because You Can, Not Everyone Can
This is a reason that will hit home with more people than you realize. Unfortunately, not all of us are equipped to create a child.
There are a wealth of factors that can prevent a healthy pregnancy from taking place such as hormonal issues, scarring, menopause, low sperm count, just to name a few.
We feel almost obliged to create a baby like our bodies were made for this purpose and it would be so wrong to not at least try it once.
Being able to create a life and carry it to term is an extremely precious gift and as it is not something that every human being can do, it would seem that we are taking it for granted. Like it would be a waste if we don’t.
But this is a huge amount of pressure to put on a woman, especially if they are not sure it is something that they definitely want to do.
Trying To Fix A Broken Marriage
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Many people believe that having children brings a couple closer together and in most cases, they would be totally correct.
But it is not one that I would completely agree with, I can understand where the idea comes from, and maybe for a different generation, it was true.
Having a baby comes with a huge amount of added stress, basically, from the minute they are conceived.
The gender, names – omg the choosing of a name can be a huge strain on a relationship that is working well so for one that is already broken it could be the end!
Because We Think We Have To
We have all been convinced that in order to live a happy and fulfilled life we must have high paying careers, big homes, the perfect husband as well as the 2.4 children, actually, that is down to 1.9 children in the last few decades, not really sure why.
We feel this immense pressure to procreate, as though that is the only reason we were put on this earth. Initially, children are the cheapest thing to tick off this list and if we decide to not follow this path, people ask why not.
What are you waiting for? Your biological clock is ticking… It’s going to be just you?
Having a baby will avoid these awkward interrogations but it is not the most inspiring reason to have a baby.
FAQs
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What is a nice age to have a baby?
Women are most fertile and have the best chance of conceiving in their 20s.
This is the time in your life when you have the most high-quality eggs available and your pregnancy risks are at their lowest. At age 25, your odds of conceiving after 3 months of trying are just under 20 percent.
What age are men most fertile?
Men under 40 have a better chance of fathering a child than those over 40. The quality of the sperm men produces seems to decline as they get older.
Most men make millions of new sperm every day but men over 40 produce fewer healthy sperm than younger men.
The Final Thought
Deciding to have a baby is a life-changing decision that should be taken lightly. You need to consider if you can provide a stable, safe, and loving environment for that baby to grow up in.
As well as being able to have the time to nurture them and help them to grow into the best version of themselves that you can.
There is a lot for you to think about before taking the plunge, but if you have come to the end and are definitely all in then why not check out our article on unique baby shower venues.
