Sometimes becoming parents is planned. Sometimes not. Some parents are ready. Some not. One thing for SURE. Children don't get that choice to say " I want parents who are READY for me! ". Woo babies are cute, I want one honey! Woo, what do you think our baby will look like? Woo, children does good for our tax returns. Woo, I need to tie my husband/wife down with a kid! Woo I need a son to do the lawn mowing in future, I hate it! Okay, that last one was silly. It's just... When you become parents, your lifestyle changes. What used to be WILL change. Even something as simple as eating out would become a challenge. You might choose places to go just based on it being child friendly. In short, your life becomes more restricted. That's the sacrifice you have to make as parents. Gee, sometimes parents even need to take turns to eat! Why can't people take turns to go out!? Are couples joined at the hip? If you HAVE to do something that requires you to leave your kids with others, MAKE double, triple, quadruple, oh dang it, MAKE DARN SURE they will be safe. Don't lie to yourself & say, "It'll just be a couple of hours, what harm can it do?" or "Everyone is doing it, why shouldn't we?" or "It's my prerogative & I don't care what others say." Face it. When you decided to have kids or even if it was unplanned, your life becomes restricted to centering it around them. You make decisions based on their welfare. If you REALLY have to chill out & let loose, plan the fun to happen in your own home. Or if you have great folks whom your kids love, leave them there & have a great weekend. Just DON'T, don't place yourselves FIRST & your kids SECOND. No need for self righteous excuses. Everyone knows it's NATURAL for parents to place their kids' wants before their own. PS: Sorry for the long post. All that jazz topics about this has taken its toll. I just needed to rail :> 

Woo I need a son to do the lawn mowing in future That seems perfectly acceptable. 

kindly deleted :-) 

well said! 

Completely agree. On an unrelated note, my friend was telling me about a girl she knows. They are young, 18/19, he's an e3, this is their first duty station. They have a baby and one on the way. One day she decided she needed a $900 from the BX...so she got it. Next thing you know, CRAP, they have no money for groceries. So they beg around and try to find someone stupid enough to donate money to them but no one would. They ended up going to the Air Force Relief Society. It makes me mad to know that money went to someone dumb enough to blow all their paycheck on a ring! That money should be meant for people who are truly in need. 

!Woo I need a son to do the lawn mowing in future, I hate it! That's a bit sexist. If I have a girl she'll mow the lawn too. lol 

she decided she needed a $900 from the BX... A $900 WHAT??? 

That's a bit sexist. If I have a girl she'll mow the lawn too. lol Say, if you have a son & a daughter & you have chores of mowing the lawn & vacuuming the carpet. Who would you set to do each task? I personally wouldn't care. As long as they both get done! LOL. It's just that I've heard men say stuff like that. Yup, surely sexists :> 

On an unrelated note, my friend was telling me about a girl she knows. They are young, 18/19, he's an e3, this is their first duty station. They have a baby and one on the way. One day she decided she needed a $900 from the BX...so she got it. Next thing you know, CRAP, they have no money for groceries. So they beg around and try to find someone stupid enough to donate money to them but no one would. They ended up going to the Air Force Relief Society. It makes me mad to know that money went to someone dumb enough to blow all their paycheck on a ring! That money should be meant for people who are truly in need. Let me guess who THAT was....ugh. I think they had to show their bills, and were forced to return the ring before they could get the aid. On another note, I just read a quote earlier that I LOVE, and it kinda has to do with this... "Biology alone does not make you a great mother" 

she decided she needed a $900 from the BX... A $900 WHAT??? RING! MY BAD!~!!!! 

Say, if you have a son & a daughter & you have chores of mowing the lawn & vacuuming the carpet. Who would you set to do each task? I personally wouldn't care. As long as they both get done! LOL. It's just that I've heard men say stuff like that. Yup, surely sexists :> I was just kidding. My kids will have chores and they can decide between themselves who does what (equally) just like my siblings and I did. 

My kids will have chores and they can decide between themselves who does what (equally) just like my siblings and I did. Hmmm. My sister used to bully & manipulate me into doing her chores so it was not equal. >; She's evil! But I love her :> 

Your talking about me again?!!?!? Just keeding! But really... it's all about me! Me! Me! 

Wait. Do you mean being a parent means that you have to make sacrifices? Sh!t. Why didn't someone tell me this before! I'm due next week!! :) 

Wait. Do you mean being a parent means that you have to make sacrifices? Sh!t. Why didn't someone tell me this before! I'm due next week!! :) Yay, come back & tell us the atrocious things you do as a parent because we'd love biting your head off. :> 

i know i've sacrificed a lot. its so hard to keep the little monsters from running out the door of the bar when i go drinking. maybe jimmy will watch the older one while the bartender holds the baby. 

i know i've sacrificed a lot. its so hard to keep the little monsters from running out the door of the bar when i go drinking. maybe jimmy will watch the older one while the bartender holds the baby. I just lock mine in the closet under our stairs. 

Lol ladies :> 

I just lock mine in the closet under our stairs. i don't have room.. that's where i hide all the toys so they don't mess up my house and make me clean up after them. 

I just lock mine in the closet under our stairs. Lockers are also good places for small children. 

i don't have room.. that's where i hide all the toys so they don't mess up my house and make me clean up after them. We just don't own any toys. Our kids play with pots and pans...and the occasional steak knife. 

My husband and I NEVER go out! Seriously. You know what though. I don't care. I'm happy to spend time together as a family and content knowing they are safe with us. We can go out when they're older. 

My husband and I NEVER go out! Seriously. You know what though. I don't care. I'm happy to spend time together as a family and content knowing they are safe with us. We can go out when they're older. That's great, but you should really find time for the two of you. It's healthy to break away from the kids. ;) Also, you need time for yourselves. It's all about time management and the QUALITY of time you spend with your family. 

We just don't own any toys. Our kids play with pots and pans I remember those days you get the wooden spoons and beat on them...memorieeess 

I have a Marine here that wanted to buy a $25k vehicle, all because he wanted it. So, I sat down talked to him and discussed his finances and savings. Not because I'm prying or I really care, just because I'm helping him make 'sound' decisions. It turns out, he only had roughly $1000 in savings and about $800 in savings - spread throughout 3 or 4 accounts! I broke everything down for him, payments (including cell phone, credit card, internet, estimated car payments, loan pay offs, personal finances - food, gas, etc). He finally saw the big picture. But he was really determined to purchase that particular vehicle. I let him know that I'm not telling him he can't have it, I'm just suggesting that right now isn't the time that he should invest in it. Eventually, he went back and said that he wasn't going to buy it. Instead, he bought an $8k car, got a speeding ticket and lost driving privileges for 90 days. I also mentioned to him, since he's married, that if he were to purchase this vehicle and there was the possibility of his wife getting pregnant, that it may cause financial problems down the road. He's one of my Marines that just doesn't think too much about what others say. I always tell them, "I was once what you are now." Which I learned from my dad. Yet, they never seem to grasp what that really means. 

I remember those days you get the wooden spoons and beat on them...memorieeess my cousins used to get a whack on the bare butt with a wooden spoon that had a hole in it. they were very well behaved. 90% of the time. :| 

my cousins used to get a whack on the bare butt with a wooden spoon that had a hole in it. they were very well behaved. 90% of the time. :| I would pray for a wooden spoon... I'd always get the leather belt.