Ever since I've graduated from being a child, I've - to put it bluntly - disliked children. They cry, scream and make messes, and this is the reward for months of bloated, nauseous torture and hours of excruciating pain from childbirth. And, especially compared to puppies, they're just not that cute.
For quite a few years, I've questioned whether I'll even have children at all. They're a huge commitment and have the potential to hold me back from the life I'm dreaming of living.
Of course, that doesn't mean I'll feel this way forever. My mom promises me that the day will come when I'm ready to move on to the next chapter in my life. She hasn't led me wrong so far.
However, let's make this clear: there's a lot I'm going to do before I ever consider having kids. Here are a few:
1. Travel
I'm never going to stop traveling; however, I want to take advantage of being young and free enough to go whenever I have time and do whatever I want to do. The world is huge, and there's so much I want to explore. It might be a little unfair for me to climb the summit of Macchu Picchu with a 5-year-old trailing behind me, or to go scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef while my toddlers wait on the boat. I want to make sure I have my fill of great adventures around the globe before I resign myself to the obligatory trip to Disney World for a decade or so.
2. Tie the knot
Serious PROPS to all the single mothers out there because goodness knows I'll need back-up. The man I end up with better know he will be doing his fair share of waking up with the baby and changing dirty diapers. If I'm getting thrown up on, so is he. I'm all for non-traditional families, but I personally would also love a bit of time to settle into married life and get used to THAT much commitment before committing myself to raising a baby.
3. Have a career
You'd better believe I'll be confidently defying gender roles and supporting myself financially before I'm responsible for supporting another person. I came to college for a reason - a reason that isn't going to be cut short by settling down before I even got up.
4. Get a dog
5. Enjoy being young
I've never understood it when people said they can't wait to grow up; I'm not sure I've said that since I was six. I loved not having to worry about everything my parents worried about. Now, I miss the carefree days of my childhood and am struggling to accept that I'm in my last few pre-adult years.
Once I become a mother, I'll have to forfeit going to the bars in favor of tucking my child into bed and making sure they take a bath. I'll have to trade weekend road trips for weekend trips to catch up on laundry and take my kid on play-dates. I'll forfeit my adult life with adult conversations for deciphering gibberish and trying to calm a screaming baby.
Maybe one day, this will all seem worth it. There is no way to turn back time to the good days, so before I move on from them, I'll be damn sure I make the most out of the ones I have left.
