{"id":40575,"date":"2013-07-11T09:54:51","date_gmt":"2013-07-11T14:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=40575"},"modified":"2013-07-11T13:32:12","modified_gmt":"2013-07-11T18:32:12","slug":"the-perfect-time-for-parenting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/07\/the-perfect-time-for-parenting\/","title":{"rendered":"The Perfect Time for Parenting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"sonogram\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll never forget when my wife, Michelle, told me we were pregnant the first time. \u00a0I unwrapped a gift to find tiny baby booties inside with a note that said, \u201cCan\u2019t wait to meet you, Daddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

As I recall, I just started laughing. \u00a0And then I kept on laughing. \u00a0And then laughed some more. \u00a0For whatever reason, that was my body\u2019s sympathetic response to the shock of joy and terror that filled my mind and heart. \u00a0I wondered how on earth I could possibly be up to the challenge of raising a child. \u00a0Did I make enough money to care for our small, growing family? With a lack of answers to these questions, I could only laugh.<\/p>\n

Apparently, the concerns that washed over me in those first few moments of realized-fatherhood are not unique. \u00a0The United States\u2019 national birth rate is at an all-time low and, according to the Pew Research Center, the weak economy is to blame.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, the U.K.\u2019s Daily Mai<\/em>l<\/a> covered the story, making note that, \u201cSome couples are missing their window of opportunity to have a baby because they never feel financially secure enough to commit to having a child.\u201d<\/p>\n

I understand the desire for financial security, for some assurance that everything is aligned before having a \u201cbig commitment\u201d like, you know, a child. \u00a0But, I have a short and sweet message for all who are delaying starting their families in hopes of a more secure tomorrow: There is no such thing as financial security.<\/p>\n

Recently, we made a concerted effort to tighten up our finances and change our priorities a bit in order to meet longer-term goals, like an eventual family trip to Disney World. \u00a0Naturally, our best laid plans were laid to waste as, instead, we were faced with a $5,000 plumbing repair. \u00a0That\u2019s financial security for you.<\/p>\n

Sure, we can all make reasonable steps to prepare for the future, but nothing is a sure bet. \u00a0There are no guarantees in adulthood.<\/p>\n

So, what happens to the Willistons now? \u00a0Do we drop to our knees and lament that we ever had children because now we can\u2019t save money to fly the family to Orlando? \u00a0Do we declare ourselves failed parents because we can\u2019t give them all we want to give them?<\/p>\n

No, we adjust. \u00a0We reconfigure our expectations because, let\u2019s face it, most of the expectations we have for our kids are OUR expectations, not theirs. \u00a0We put our own expectations of what a \u201cgood\u201d life looks like into their heads when, in reality, our kids would be just as happy with a mom and dad who hugged them a little more or glanced at their cell phones a little less.<\/p>\n

Culturally, we\u2019ve bought into the notion that, until we can give our kids the lives we dream of for them, we shouldn\u2019t have them. \u00a0We put off parenting, waiting for the right time. But, really, there is no \u201cright\u201d time and there is no \u201cwrong\u201d time. Parenting isn\u2019t supposed to be easy, which is good, because it isn\u2019t. No magical economic formula is going to change that.<\/p>\n

Parenting is giving – and giving is sacrifice. \u00a0Parenting is the ultimate form of charity, and true charity hurts because it requires something of ourselves.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t take much to be a perfect parent to a newborn. \u00a0In the earliest days of life they don\u2019t require much more than Mom, some onesies, a warm blanket, disposable diapers and love. \u00a0So stop buying into the notion that you have to have everything \u201cjust right\u201d before you make the leap.<\/p>\n

Trust me, you figure it out and, in the process, you learn more about yourself than you ever thought possible.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ll never forget when my wife, Michelle, told me we were pregnant the first time. \u00a0I unwrapped a gift to find tiny baby booties inside with a note that said, \u201cCan\u2019t wait to meet you, Daddy.\u201d As I recall, I just started laughing. \u00a0And then I kept on laughing. \u00a0And then laughed some more. \u00a0For… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[91],"tags":[55,51,467,50,199,165,1821],"class_list":["post-40575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-young-adult","tag-catholic-2","tag-catholicism","tag-economy","tag-faith","tag-finances","tag-parenting","tag-personal-finance","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t