Certain things have to change when you become a parent. You can’t be as spontaneous and you need to be stricter with your budget. However, that doesn’t mean your entire life has to be put on hold until your kids grow up.
There are many things that you CAN still do as a parent that many of us put off. Below are just some of the things you can still do when you have kids.
You CAN travel the world
Most people travel before they have kids – or they wait until retirement when the kids have long moved out. However, you can travel with kids. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely doable.
You could plan to travel before your kids reach school age – this post features a great guide to travelling the world with young kids. Alternatively, you could plan to travel during the school holidays. This prevents you from having to take kids out of school.
On top of providing yourself with the experience of travelling around the world, you’ll also be giving your kids that experience, helping them to become more worldly and building treasured memories.
You’ll need to save up a little extra and you’ll need to look into family-friendly activities and family accommodation. If you’ve got your heart set on travelling somewhere that isn’t very child-friendly, you may still be able to plan a short getaway without them (particularly when kids get a little older).
You CAN still get an education
It’s never too late to get an education. Nowadays, there are many forms of flexible studying that are ideal for adults with commitments. A popular example is online courses, which can be studied from home around parental duties or work. While studying with kids can be a strain, many parents are able to do it.
Getting an education could open up new job opportunities or simply serve as a personal challenge. Either way, it can be very rewarding, and it could serve as a great inspiration to your kids (they may think twice before complaining about homework).
You CAN chase your dream career
You don’t have to give up on career goals when you have kids. While it’s true that you may not be able to work certain hours, many employers are now very accommodating to parents and a number of jobs can now be worked flexibly from home.
Chasing your dream career could help you to feel more fulfilled. A high paid job may even improve the quality of life for you and your kids. Just make sure that it’s a career that you’re certain to truly enjoy – money isn’t everything.
You CAN break up with your partner
A lot of dysfunctional couples stay together for the sake of the kids. This could lead the two of you to feel bitter and depressed in the long run – and your kids will gradually sense this.
Unless you truly both enjoy the comfort of sticking together, it’s better to break up so that you’re both free to live your life as you want. If it’s a toxic relationship involving abuse or infidelity, then you should definitely consider ending it and getting a divorce.
How long does it take to get divorced? Usually, you’ll both have to be living apart for 12 months. In this time, you and your partner can share time spent with kids. If you don’t think you’ll be able to end things amicably, it could be worth getting legal advice. You can find plenty of guides online on how to tell your kids about a breakup. The news can be hard for some kids to receive (especially older kids), but your kids will learn to adapt.
You CAN still party and have fun
You don’t have to put your kids first all the time. Sometimes you deserve to do things for your own happiness such as going on a night out with friends or taking up a new personal hobby.
If you don’t allow yourself to have fun, you’ll end up miserable and this will most likely cause resentment towards your kids. Your kids also need to understand that you are allowed time for yourself and that you’re not always going to drop everything for them.
Of course, you should still invest time and money into making sure that your kids are having fun such as planning family days out and supporting their interests. However, occasionally you should still do things for yourself and you only.