Take This Super Quick Quiz To Find Out If You Should Have Kids
- by Jill Harness
- – on
- in Lifestyle
Kids are sticky, stinky, whiny and beyond lovable; for every first word, school play, little league trophy and high school graduation, there are tons of dirty diapers, tears, screaming and fighting. Children are one of the greatest things in the world for parents ready to take up the charge, but even then they are one of the greatest challenges in life as well. And if you aren't ready for one, having a child could also destroy your life as you know it.
While plenty of people end up having babies through happy (or not-so-happy) accidents, it's always a good idea to wait until you're actually prepared instead since simply having a child is one of the most life-changing things a person can do.
So are you ready to have children now? Do you have the emotional maturity, patience and nurturing spirit it takes to raise a well-adjusted adult from infancy? Are you the kind of person who should never even have children at all? This quiz is a great way to find out where you stand right now and whether you should get busy getting busy with that big end goal in mind or keep using some form of protection to keep those babies away until another day.
How much sleep do you need to function?
Everyone knows babies make it hard to sleep. While it's especially hard those first weeks, you'll have sleepless nights even when your kids are in high school. So how many hours of sleep do you need per night in order to still function like a human being?
Do you have a partner who wants to have kids with you?
This is pretty obvious, but if you want to have kids, it's a good idea to have someone who wants to have them with you. Even if you're adopting, just having someone else to help out is pretty important. So do you have someone there to co-parent with you?
It's time to give your child "the talk." How do you handle it?
All kids mature at different ages and while some need to learn about sex early, others don't have questions about it until much later. When a kid starts asking a lot about sex though, that's generally considered the right time to teach them about the tricky subject.
What do you like to do on the weekends?
Sure, having kids will make everyone's routine different, but parenthood sure changes some people's lives more than others. In fact, for some people, the change requires them to give up practically all of their past lifestyle. So what's your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Pick your favorite TV show from the bunch:
We're not talking about what you think you'll be watching with your kids, but what show you would prefer to watch right now if these were your only four options. And yes, we understand that you might hate all four, but yes, you still need to choose.
What do you do when you're sick?
Everyone gets sick on occasion, but everyone seems to handle it a little differently. Are you someone who needs a little help or do you try to do even more while you're sick just to try to show your body who is boss?
Your son has a championship baseball game, but you have a mandatory meeting at work scheduled at the same time. What do you do?
It's a sad reality of parenting that at some point, you'll have something really important to do at the same time that your child has something they really want you to be there for. So how will you deal with this age old problem?
Your sweet little daughter painted you a picture. The only problem? She used your kitchen cabinets as a canvas. What do you do?
Pretty much every parent will deal with their budding Michelangelo creating a masterpiece where they shouldn't. You might as well consider how you'll deal with it now before it happens for real since your answer could have real implications for your child's future.
You have a super important project due at work on Monday, but your friend invites you to go to Vegas over the weekend and is willing to pay for your whole trip. What do you do?
Parenting requires both the ability to have fun and a lot of responsibilities. How well you balance fun and responsibility will determine what kind of a parent you will be and help shape your child's ability to balance the two as well.
Imagine you found out you're pregnant (or your wife/girlfriend is). What is the first thing you do?
It's one of the most exciting parts of having a baby -the discovery that it's actually going to happen. Since the memory is sure to be one you'll have for the rest of your life, how will you react to the big news?
What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Yes, you can change vehicles after you find out you're having a baby, but what you drive says a lot about who you are, which is what we're trying to use to determine if you should be a parent at all. So what do you use to commute right now?
What necessities do you need if you're having a baby?
Walk down the baby aisle at your local Target or Wal-Mart and you might just be shocked about how much stuff there is out there for babies. But you don't actually need to buy it all just because you're expecting. So what are the bare minimums you'll need?
What would you like to do before you have a baby?
Many aspiring parents still want to achieve some kind of goal before they have their child since you tend to put most of your own goals aside for the first few years of the baby's life. So what's on your baby bucket list?
How much time would you take off for a new baby?
If you're planning to have a little one, taking time off for the birth (or post-adoption) is something you need to start thinking about anyway. So how long do you want to spend at home after your new bundle of joy enters your life?
How do you feel about adoption?
There are babies all over the world that need homes and you're looking for a baby, so how do you feel about adoption? Would you ever take an orphan into your home and make him or her part of your family?
How do you feel about maternity clothes?
Unless a woman wears sweat pants and baby tees her whole pregnancy, maternity clothes are a must-have, but some people love the look and some people feel they should be burned after wearing. Which side of the fence are you on?
How do you feel when your friends talk about their kids?
We all talk about what we know and for parents, that tends to be their children -much to the chagrin of their childless friends. So as someone without kids, how do you feel when your friends talk about their offspring?
What would you do if you and your partner couldn't have kids?
It's a reality that some couples just can't have kids together. While this is something you may discuss with your partner, for the sake of this quiz, answer how just you would want to go forward regardless of how your partner would feel about the situation.
What kind of career do you want your child to have?
Do you want your child to be an artist? A firefighter? A neurosurgeon? We all have dreams for our future children, so what is the most important thing for your daughter or son to do with his or her life?
Why do you want to have kids?
If you're taking this quiz, you probably want to have kids at some point, but have you ever actually considered why? Every person has his or her own reason to have children, but these are some of the most common themes among aspiring parents.
When you think about having kids:
Even people who don't want to have children still think about what it would be like to raise them. So as an aspiring parent, what is it like when you sit down and dream about think about your future kiddos?
Imagine you have a dog and he growls at your new baby what do you do?
Sadly, some people don't know their dog hates children until they actually have a child and some dogs are fine with children, but they get jealous when the baby gets all the attention in their house. If you found yourself in such a situation, how would you handle it?
Your best friend tells you he or she is having a baby, you:
Assume, in this case, that he or she is actually happy about the situation and has been trying to get pregnant and that this is not an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, which may be the case if he or she actually was facing a pregnancy right now.
How will having kids affect your relationship?
Relationships always change over the years, but one thing that can kick start that change is having a child together. While you can't always predict exactly how things will change, you probably have at least some inkling of what to expect post-baby.
Do you have a pet?
Yes, we know that having or not having a pet isn't always a perfect indicator of how well a person will be at parenting, but it does give a glimpse at someone's ability to care for another living creature, which is a pretty important part of parenting.
You get pee in mouth while changing a diaper, what do you do?
Let's be honest, being a parent involves some gross realities and if you have a boy, that means pee shooting everywhere while you change diapers. The reality is that you could get pee in your mouth at some point, so what do you do when that happens?
What's the first store you visit when you go to the mall?
We all have a favorite place to shop, and while your actual first choice store might not be here, try to choose the one of these options you would want to visit the most instead if they were the only four options.
How long can you go without sex?
It almost seems unfair that the very thing you need to do in order to bring another life into this world also seems to be one of the first things that becomes so difficult to do once the baby is actually born.
How do you respond when someone cuts in front of you in line?
There's no denying that it sucks to be waiting in a long line only to have someone push in front of you as though they didn't notice the line at all. But how you handle the situation could indicate how you'll handle parenthood.
How long could you survive a month or longer on nothing but kid foods?
You know the stuff, chicken nuggets, spaghetti, apple sauce, grilled cheese sandwiches, crappy pizza -basically anything you'd expect to see on the kid's menu at a local diner. Could you ditch the blue cheese, hot sauce, and avocado?
Imagine your 3 year old boy goes right up to you and vomits on your lap. What do you do?
Kids know their parents are their greatest source of comfort, so when they don't feel good, their first instinct is to run to mom or dad -which is why so many parents have had their kids throw up all over them.
Which of the following could you absolutely not go without:
Parenting involves sacrifice and the matter of which sacrifices are easier to make than others depending on who you ask. Breastfeeding moms, pregnant moms and parents of newborns may have to give up the following. Which would be the hardest for you?
How much do you expect to spend on your baby the first year?
We understand not everyone buys all of their baby supplies themselves, so if you're expecting hand-me-downs or gifts from friends and family members, include the value of those items in your estimate. All things considered, how much do you expect a baby will cost in that first year?
What do you think of giving birth?
Pushing a baby out into the world is painful and more than a little graphic. Delivery often involves mothers pooping themselves, ripping some of the most delicate parts of the body and getting stitches. So how do you feel about the process?
What's the worst thing about having kids?
We think kids are pretty amazing, but there's no denying that having one does come with drawbacks no matter how much you love your baby. So, dirty diapers aside, what is the worst part of the experience in your opinion?
