The Parenthood Decision: Deciding Whether You Are Ready and Willing to Become a Parent

We are living in a time when baby showers are the most popular kind of party and when TV and movies abound with adorable babies and darling toddlers selling everything from soap to toilet paper. In this "baby-friendly" environment, is it any wonder that more and more people are considering becoming parents?

Most people realize, however, that just wanting a baby doesn't mean you are physically, mentally, or emotionally prepared to have one. Nor does the desire to have a baby necessarily mean you will be a good parent.

The Parenthood Decision will help potential parents resolve their conflicts about this major decision. Here, Beverly Engel helps readers find their own answers to questions such as: "Am I ready to be a parent?" "What should I do if I am ready and my partner is not?" "Will I be a better parent than my parents?" "How will having a baby affect my relationship?" "What are the mistakes I am most likely to make and how can I avoid them?" "Should I have a baby on my own?" By presenting important information, posing thought-provoking questions and providing exercises, Engel helps both those who are unclear whether this is the right time for them to become parents and those who are undecided about whether parenthood is right for them.

Armed with the self-knowledge The Parenthood Decision provides, readers will finish the book confident in their potential-parenthood decision.

Beverly Engel, MFCC, is a nationally recognized psychotherapist and sex therapist with over 30 years of experience, as well as a bestselling author. She is the author of The Right to Innocence, The Emotionally Abused Woman, Partners in Recovery, Encouragements for the Emotionally Abused Woman, Families in Recovery, and Raising Your Sexual Self-Esteem. She has shared her expertise on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The PhilDonahue Show, The Sally Jessy Raphael Show, and Ricki Lake.