Am I Ready to be a Parent



The test results are positive and the world stops as you try to see everything in perspective. You’ve got a lot to think about over the next several months. If you are struggling with the question of what to do after you find you are pregnant, the following are a few questions to ask yourself to determine whether or not you are ready to raise this child.

Ask yourself these questions:

  • Am I able to give this child what he or she demands and needs?
  • Would I have to count on my parents to help me out?
  • Can I raise a child and meet my own needs? To finish school? To move forward in my career?
  • Am I ready to become a good parent on my own?
  • What do I want to achieve in life and experience out of life?
  • Could I handle a child and a job and/or school at the same time?
  • What would I need to sacrifice when this child comes into the world? Am I ready to give up the freedom to do what I please, on my own time?
  • Am I willing to make adjustments or stay home while my friends go out?
  • Would I miss my free time and privacy?
  • Can I afford to support this child? How will I pay for housing, clothes, food, diapers, and other living expenses?
  • Do I want to raise a child where I am living now? If not, where?
  • Do I want my child to be like me?
  • Am I expecting my child to make me happy and to love me?
  • How do I feel when I’m around children all the time?
  • How would I treat this child if I got angry?
  • How would I discipline this child as it grows into a toddler?
  • How would I take care of this child’s well being?

Source:
“Is Parenting For Me Now?,” Loving and Caring Inc.

Last updated: 12/2006