90s Baby with No Baby

     Everywhere I look, there is a pregnant lady or a lady with a baby or babies. When I graduated, there were a few pregnant girls in the mix and some became new mothers after high school. My Facebook news feed is a haven for pregnancies. I do not have an issue with this, but it does make me realize how glad I am not to have a child or children right now. The number one reason that I'm glad I'm not a young mother is finances. I'm not financially capable of raising a child based on my jobs pay or my boyfriends. Even combined, we would not be able to pay our bills and baby bills as well. They are expensive. There is a new study out that says it costs nearly half of a million dollars to raise a child until they are 18. That is money that I just do not have right now. The second reason I'm glad I'm not pushing a stroller is my education. I'm going to college to get a career before even thinking of starting a family. Another thing I've been thinking about lately is the type of world this is. Schools get bombed and shot up, kidnapping, bullying, and abuse in places you think your child is safe. I don't want the stress of thinking that my child could be kidnapped or touched inappropriately by their teacher at school.
     Not having a child, especially at a young age, has many benefits. I have more time for myself without the worry of finding a sitter. Also, my money is mine. I can use it to buy things I need or want instead of diapers and bottles. Babies cause a lot of stress, especially if only one parent does most of the diaper changing and feeding. I have enough stress on my plate and a baby does not need to be thrown into the mix. I don't want people to get offended when they read this. If you're a parent and you stepped up to the plate to raise your child or children, kudos to you. But it is people that have them and pawn them off on friends and family so that they can continue to party and have a social life that annoy me. People need to be more responsible when making the choice to bring a child into this world. It isn't an object or an accessory, it is a responsibility and if you can't handle it, give your child to someone who can. My boyfriend and I have been together for 6 years. We have no children and we aren't engaged or married. We don't even live together. We are young and we are enjoying life just being together. There is no need to rush into babies or marriage. It may happen one day, but for now, we focus on work and school. I'm proud not to have a child just as much those are proud to have one.