So, A Dragon Baby ?

noreply@blogger.com (Ling That's Me) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:34:00 PST

Since mid of last year, having a 3rd child has always been in our discussion. Because I am a dragon baby, I hope to have one dragon child.

As should we decide to conceive again, it will be good to start trying from mid-2011 onwards.

So many months past, yet we do not have the courage to try !! Haha!

1. high cost standard of living - when I decided to work part-time and off without a helper, we did our sums and need to tight our pocket. Price kept increasing like rocket, yet salary increase is like peanut. Now as my boy also takes the same school bus to school, we have to pay $50 per child per month. During the school holiday like June and December, we also have to pay. That's an extra cost to us. Now with CCA and Chinese Supplementary class, we have to incur another addition cost for transportation. Hence, I still have to continue to work part-time.

2. education - it's getting too stressful for the children. Syllabus is brought forward too much that most parents are enrolling their kids to enrichment class at an early stage so that they are ready for primary school life. In my time, I could remember I have a lot of time to play. I had enjoyed my primary school life. In order to let my kids have childhood, I let them play most of the time when their peers are attending enrichment class. When my kids are ready to learn, then I shall teach. If not, it's play play play.

Like now, every sunday is a play-day for them. So they have to finish their work by saturday. We will go out or have some outdoor activities like jogging, soccer or just a simple play at playground which they had enjoyed most.

They must have a balance of both study and play, or else, they are really very poor thing.

With my P3 girl so busy in school, I hope when she goes upper primary, this routine of mine still can sustain as I am told by a few mummies that more homework, more staying-back-in-school she will have later on. Sigh.

3. logistic & caregiver - every weekday it's like mad rush. After work, I need to buy lunch and rush back home to wait for their 2pm school bus. Slowly with activities in primary school coming up, I will have more issue. My mum told me before, put kids in child-care or student care then go work full-time again. But this is not what I want for my kids. I want to be there for them. I want to be involved in their growing up. That's how I can manage to jot down so many of their stages in life. Also with bad luck on helper previously, I doubt I will get one anymore. So if with a 3rd child, how to take care of 3 kids + working part-time?

4. housing space - with MIL & SIL staying with us, it's quite cramp now already. My girl yearns to have a room of her own and we are very sorry towards her for not able to let her have one. With a 3rd one, where to sleep?

5. energy level - I feel I am not as energetic as before. Neither am hubby. Sometimes I am exhausted by the logistic, the coaching of homework and housework.

6. weight issue - ok, this is mainly my problem. My girl teased me about my tummy, saying it look like pregnant ! I am worried of not losing 3rd pregnancy weight. Serious !

We included the discussion with my girl. She said she doesn't want another sibling because the attention will be more divided and she doesn't want another mischievous sibling. It's not that she doesn't like babies, she likes to play with babies, but the difference is - it belongs to other people.

It's a joy to have children. I love children. A close friend said, "don't think too much. just do it!" But having a child is a great responsibility. If we are financially very stable, I am sure we do not mind. But with so many negative issues more than positive, in such fast pace society like now, we conclude, we shall stop at two.

Growing UpTogether

So, A Dragon Baby ?