DEAR HARRIETTE: My wife and I were thinking of having kids this year, as 2020 would be the perfect year for us financially and time-wise to begin the journey of starting a family. This, of course, was before the COVID crisis started. We have not been financially impacted by the crisis, as both of our jobs can be done remotely. However, we are naturally second-guessing the idea. We are thinking of immediate factors such as the fact that social distancing measures might hinder access to medical care, or that my wife might be at a higher risk to the virus during pregnancy. However, the bigger question for us is what it would be like to raise a child during these next couple of years when we are readjusting as a society. We were so excited to start a family, and COVID has really put a wrench in our plans. Would it be selfish to have kids now? Do we have to give up on our dream, or is there a responsible way for us to approach this situation? -- Planning for the Future
DEAR PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: COVID-19 is forcing us all to readjust and reframe our plans. Only you can decide whether now is the right time for you to start a family, given the new circumstances. However, if you do go forward with it, you must know that things will be different from how you originally envisioned them, and you need to completely think through the ways in which the virus will change your plans, as you have already started to do. Think about child care and education, for example.
Having a child is a blessing, even during COVID-19. If you want to do so, make a plan, have faith and go for it.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)