Baby Makers

One of my staff at the office came up to me today. He wants to switch into sales because he needs a bigger income and that’s where he feels he can earn more.

My natural question was: Why?

He has two siblings he is sending to school and he just got his girlfriend pregnant.

I asked, was it an accident? And he goes, no. I wanted to have a baby. We did that on purpose.

I nearly lost all sympathy.

While I don’t judge the reasons why people choose to have kids, there is something to be said about responsible parenting. Why would you think you’re ready to make a baby knowing fully well that you don’t have the means, you’re barely out of school and you’re already putting your siblings through school? Now he’s panicking because it’s basically like he has a family of 3, at the age of 26. His girlfriend is 23. They are in love.

I know I sound like a whiny cynic. I’m not even a parent nor a girlfriend but when that moment comes, I want to be prepared. In my opinion, Filipinos need a strongly-worded, painful lesson on the responsibilities (and harsh realities) of parenthood. It’s not all rainbows, unicorns and cupcakes. It’s sweat, tears and sleepless nights. You need money to raise a kid, it’s true. They don’t come cheap. I see this all the time at the office. Young moms and dads, creating children by accident, on impulse and without a thought for the responsibilities that follow. My mom always said that money isn’t everything but having it does ease a lot of your stresses. While you don’t need to be filthy rich to make a baby, you need to put careful thought in how you are going to bring your child into the world and raise him/her as a good person.

Just random thoughts.