Thus, if a couple is planning on having a child, they have both the luxury as well as the additional responsibility to consider and discuss many things involved in parenting. The first decision facing a couple, is whether or not to have children. This is an option that has not always been available to couples. While some argue that the decision not to have children is a selfish one, many others observe that the decision to have children is of such importance and responsibility, that it is not one that we should obligate people to fulfill. In all, having children can be a wonderful, exciting and significant time in a couple s life.
Partners often look to their own family of origin as a way to evaluate how many children to have.
Thus, it is important for both partners to discuss not only a possible preference for how many children to have, but to also be able to identify and share their reasons for such. Couples benefit from also discussing whether or not they anticipate the sex of a child influencing their decision as to how many more children to have. For example, a couple who had anticipated only having two children may have assumed that they would have a child of each sex, for example. Cultural, religious, and financial factors need to be considered as does each partner s mental and physical health and intrapersonal needs, dreams, and fears. Couples may even decide to hire someone to take care of their child.