No one is really getting married first without kids anymore or at least not around these parts, however, I am twenty-four years old and yes, I am married without kids. I got married four and a half years ago, but I’ve been with my husband for seven and a half. We met when we were teenagers and I am lucky to have found the one so young. So, why no kids yet?

To answer that requires you to understand that my family is the modern Brady Bunch. My parents were divorced when I was two, both of them remarried, each new spouse had two kids from previous marriages, and both my parents had two kids with their new spouses. Did you keep up? I have eight siblings and although I was close in age with the four step siblings, I had to raise the youngest four half siblings since I was seven years old. It was the beauty of having teenage parents and when they were actually ready to begin a family, I became the permanent babysitter since I was the oldest.

I’ve grown up with kids my whole life and now that I am an adult, I don’t mind waiting and luckily, neither does my husband. There really is no rush. The way we see it is that we want to travel, start our careers, be settled into our house before we start to raise a family. We know that no one is ready to have kids, but I want to want to devote all my time. I don’t want to feel like I am missing out on life or didn’t take advantage of all my opportunities that I didn’t have the luxury as a kid. I don’t understand how that concept is so hard for our family and friends to grasp.

Do we cave in under the pressure since we are stable in our relationship, we own a home, and most of our friends are already popping out their third kids? Or do we wait and find out too late that we are unable to bare children? There really is no easy answer to these questions except let people choose when they are ready for big life stages. Not everyone wants kids or not everyone is rushing to settle down and that’s okay. There’s no need to pressure our family and friends for a lifestyle they’re not ready for or they may not ever want.

As of now, I am perfectly content with my two fur babies and as for kids, maybe down the road they will come. Life is a journey and not a destination. I am just enjoying the ride and seeing where it all takes me.