tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989033992988999073.post2363928277467052647..comments2024-03-26T02:25:58.003-05:00Comments on Little House in Chicago: You don't need a lot of money and stuff to have kids.Tesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11095694388830565339noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989033992988999073.post-27600348139469891392015-11-30T14:08:26.043-06:002015-11-30T14:08:26.043-06:00Hi Maria! Thanks for commenting. I can't speak...Hi Maria! Thanks for commenting. I can't speak for everyone, but in my experience, it's more than possible to have a baby without sacrificing yourself at all. The first few months with a child, yes, are really intense, and at one point I began to fear that my "old self" was gone forever. But the older my child gets, the more independent he is, and the more time I have to pursue my own interests. Now, after only 18 months, I feel that my "old self" has been 100% back for some time. I have all the time I want to read books, care about fashion, go out with friends, etc.—all these things that are challenging to do with a newborn. The one difference is that I enjoy these things so much more, and pursue them with more intention, since for a while they weren't as easily accessible and my time for them is more limited now. It's like a better, more focused version of my pre-baby life. Hope that helps! :)Tesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07797493386545660391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989033992988999073.post-1075444398288251682015-11-30T14:02:01.689-06:002015-11-30T14:02:01.689-06:00Thanks Stephanie! I completely agree that what you...Thanks Stephanie! I completely agree that what you'll use as a parent depends so much on personality. <br /><br />I should add that I wrote this post about three months ago, and since then, I would no longer include a stroller on the list of things we don't use! I almost never used the stroller for the first 15 months, but around that age he started getting really antsy in the carrier and developed a real love for being in the stroller, so now we use the stroller frequently. But I think it still applies for this post since we didn't use it for the first year. :)Tesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07797493386545660391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989033992988999073.post-58359946430825934102015-11-29T16:19:01.949-06:002015-11-29T16:19:01.949-06:00Thanks for this post. I hope to have a child somed...Thanks for this post. I hope to have a child someday (far, far into the future). Finances is something I worry about. I guess I'm just another girl who wants to "have it all" - a job I like, a loving & lasting marriage, stable finances, travel, and maybe a baby or two. ;) I don't care much for having a big house or anything. I just really like my lifestyle and I hope I can have a baby one day without having to sacrifice myself, if that makes sense. Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01068892260681772839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989033992988999073.post-31360743927690507792015-11-28T09:17:30.377-06:002015-11-28T09:17:30.377-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Stephanie Kunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09586337442160000738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989033992988999073.post-2109147272696223542015-11-28T09:16:42.827-06:002015-11-28T09:16:42.827-06:00I agree! I'm always saying that children do NO...I agree! I'm always saying that children do NOT cost what people think they do because so many of those things are unnecessary; although I will say what you need/will make your parenting life easier varies greatly depending on your kid, your personality, whether you work outside the home or not, where you live (i.e. city vs suburbs vs rural), & of course how many kids you have. I was kind of amazed that you said you don't use your stroller - but then I remembered you live in the city and have 1 child. Where I live with 2 kids the babywearing alone becomes more of a hindrance than a help sometimes. But thank you for writing this and encouraging so many of your friends to change their perceptions about cost!Stephanie Kunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09586337442160000738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989033992988999073.post-10897158153422829612015-11-23T16:40:24.977-06:002015-11-23T16:40:24.977-06:00I love the post and totally agree - But i think th...I love the post and totally agree - But i think that the $10,000 comes when you add in childcare or lost income because of leaving a job or working part time. That really is a huge expense that a lot of families will struggle with while raising kids. It can be tough to find any way to make childcare affordable!Tarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02398502839762732521noreply@blogger.com