What are some of the things responsible parents consider when deciding whether to have children?

The decision to have a child or children and when to do so is very important. The difference between having or not having children and other important decisions is that this one cannot be changed and is binding for life.

Most young people want to have children, but simply wanting children is not a good enough reason to have them. A couple needs to decide how many children to have and when to have them in order to ensure the best possible life for the family.

There is no standard family size that is best for everyone. The ideal family size can only be determined by each couple based on the resources they have available to provide for the family and the standard of living they wish to achieve. However, the impact of family size decisions on the community should also be considered.

There are several reasons to consider delaying the birth of the first child. First of all, a woman who has her first child when she is very young (under 20) puts both herself and her child in danger in terms of health. Women who have their first child when they are very young are much more likely to die in childbirth. The danger to the baby is even higher - many more babies born to very young women die in the first year of life or are sickly and small. So one good reason to delay pregnancy is to permit the wife to reach physical maturity.

Delaying pregnancy also allows time for parents to build the other basic conditions that are necessary for happy, responsible families: emotional, economic and intellectual maturity. For example, if the couple has not developed a secure and stable emotional relationship with both husband and wife prepared for all the demands a child will make on their lives, pregnancy should be delayed.

Likewise, if economic conditions are difficult (no steady job, adequate income or satisfactory living conditions), a couple should consider waiting to have children. Sometimes, personal goals of the husband and wife (school, traveling, working, etc.) may also lead to a decision to postpone having children.

What is the role of child spacing in achieving responsible parenthood?

The amount of time between the birth of one child and the next is another very important decision that couples need to make. Having a baby places a great strain on the physical health of a woman. It normally takes a woman's body at least two years to fully recover.

When the time between pregnancies is less than two years, the danger of the mother or the child dying in childbirth is much greater. Also, mother's milk is an important source of nutrition and protection against disease for growing babies. When children are born too close together, the older infant can become undernourished because the mother has to feed the newborn baby.

Children, especially infants, need constant love and affection. When children are born too close together, the parents do not have enough time to give adequate attention to all of them. By spacing children further apart, the parents will have more time for each child and also more time for themselves. This can help contribute to a happier and more satisfying family life. Child spacing can also give the woman time to work in an income-generating activity if she wishes. This can help the family to have a better standard of living.