Did you have a career or children first?

[Cookiebaker]

For me, I got married straight out of college. But, I didn't have any student loans to pay off, so that makes quite a bit of difference, I think. We waited until we bought our house to start trying to have a family. Fate played a different set of cards though, and I ended up still working for 7 more years. Just this past summer we got pregnant, and are only now starting a family. So I had a career first, but that's the way it worked out, not the way we had originally planned.

[carole]

For me at 16 I knew what i wanted to do and went down that path, to become a Nurse, however things just did not work out that way in the end, and i went from job to job mostly doing clerical work in the armed forces as a civilain, then i had my son at 24 which was a good age for me, however in hindsight now i wish i had a career to fall back on especially when my children were school age, so if i were you i would embark on that first and have the children a little later.

[Twisterdog]

I got a college degree, and worked for only a year in my profession before my son was born. I wasn't planning on having a child then. But, often, what we plan in life and what we get are two different things!

I continued to work at that company full-time for another four and a half years after he was born, then I quit that job and bought my own business.

This is my personal opinion, based on my own experience. I would recommend you do/see/go/be what you want now, before you have children. Because once you do, EVERYthing changes. I'm not saying you can't have a career and kids; I did, millions of people do. But everything else is harder with kids.

I can think many things I wish I would have done while I was young and childless. Yes, I could still do them now, I suppose, technically ... but how you see the world changes dramatically in two decades. I wish I would have lived a little more for me first.

[borzoimom]

I got married right after grad from college. It was another 4 years before I had my daughter. By then I had a very good job, with career in mind, and figured I would return to work when it was time at 6 weeks old.. I didn't... I stayed home until she was a little over 2. Money may have been tight once in a while, but I never looked back on the time spent with her. I still contribute this time home with her to her being so advanced in school. By 2 years old she knew her letters and some environmental words ( like "pepsi", "coke" "milk", " McDonalds", "Exxon"- in other words the concept that letters made words. ) I went back to work part time when she was 2, but wasnt happy not being with her more. At 4 years old, I opened my own pet store. She stayed with me all day, after morning pre school with other children. Learned how to count money.. lol.. By the time she went to first grade at 5 she was already reading on a second grade level, and could count money, etc.. lol.. It actually was pretty funny. They had to move her 3 times the first year to get her placed, and I never ever thought that time off was a bad thing- or that I had missed something.( btw- she graduated from High School at age 16... And just graduated from college at 20 and a half..) And I am the PROUDEST MOMMA IN THE WORLD OF COURSE.. !! LOL

[Sevaede]

I got married right after grad from college. It was another 4 years before I had my daughter. By then I had a very good job, with career in mind, and figured I would return to work when it was time at 6 weeks old.. I didn't... I stayed home until she was a little over 2. Money may have been tight once in a while, but I never looked back on the time spent with her. I still contribute this time home with her to her being so advanced in school. By 2 years old she knew her letters and some environmental words ( like "pepsi", "coke" "milk", " McDonalds", "Exxon"- in other words the concept that letters made words. ) I went back to work part time when she was 2, but wasnt happy not being with her more. At 4 years old, I opened my own pet store. She stayed with me all day, after morning pre school with other children. Learned how to count money.. lol.. By the time she went to first grade at 5 she was already reading on a second grade level, and could count money, etc.. lol.. It actually was pretty funny. They had to move her 3 times the first year to get her placed, and I never ever thought that time off was a bad thing- or that I had missed something.( btw- she graduated from High School at age 16... And just graduated from college at 20 and a half..) And I am the PROUDEST MOMMA IN THE WORLD OF COURSE.. !! LOL

I know! Isn't it amazing how babies progress? My niece will be two on the 25th and she's been forming sentences for a while now. She asks you, "What's the matter?", "Let's go to the store.", etc. She talks more than I do (I didn't even think that was possible)! Her best friend is her Mamaw and Papaws Husky/Shepherd pup, Bart. They run and play and it's awesome. She helps her Papaw feed the kitties and birds. It's so weird to think that just over a year ago she couldn't walk and now she runs, talks a lot, etc!