Being One and Done by Choice
As a kid, I always wanted to be a mom. I was constantly begging my parents to buy me baby dolls, and I would take them everywhere with me. I was always taking care of these baby dolls and practicing being a mom. I worked at a daycare for a year when I was 17–18 years old. That made me more set on the idea of wanting to be a mom and wanting a big family. I wanted about 3–5 kids, and I remember when I met my husband and started talking about our future I said I wanted to have at least three kids, and I would not settle with less. He agreed and before we got married we started trying for a baby. I was 20 years old when I had him. After we had our son, I realized being a mom was nothing like how I expected and that’s normal. After a year of having him, I started thinking about the possibility of him being an only. It was hard and I jumped back and forth between having another child in the future and not having another one. My son is now three years old and I am 23, and I am making an appointment to have my tubes tied. It is a decision my husband and I both agree with and, while it is our decision and our decision alone, we have gotten hate for this decision. So why am I posting this on a public site knowing I might get more hate for this? Because I know, while I might get hate, there’s going to be someone who is in my shoes who needs this. So here are some things I feel every one-and-done parent should hear.