What does my sister do if her husband doesn't want children?

[wzny]

I have a sister who would eventually like to start a family with her husband, however he has just informed her he is unsure of having children. This was not his stance in the beginning of their relationship. What advice do you have for her?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Disappointing as this no doubt is, remind your sister that “unsure” is not the same as “certain.” Her husband is expressing doubt, not absolute opposition. Perhaps she can gently draw him out to explain to her why he is doubtful about having children. Many times fears can be overcome by demonstrating that what is feared is unlikely to happen. For example, if he fears that he will not be able to support the family if she has to take time off work to raise their children, your sister can do some number-crunching on the family budget and show her husband that their finances are stable enough to raise children.

If she continues to meet with resistance toward children from her husband, I suggest that your sister get a referral to a Christian counselor from the Pastoral Solutions Institute or CatholicTherapists.com.