Although there isn’t a rule book you must follow to start a family, the better prepared you are for these uncharted waters, the easier it can be to navigate them. There’s nothing like the expectations and responsibilities of being in a family — and there’s nothing like the reward that comes with creating a loving, happy home, either.

Once you start the process of “adulting” as a head of the family, you’ll begin recognizing the excitement in otherwise mundane decisions. Shopping for credit unions with the lowest auto loan rates will become something you jump into willingly before buying a car. And along the way from pregnancy to graduation, you’ll realize that there are certain essentials that belong to the role of a “family person.”

If you’re considering or already on this route, here are 5 of the most crucial ways you can prepare to make this transition a little easier, although we’ll never say having a family is smooth sailing!

1. Have a Stable Income

Building your life as an adult is challenging if you don’t have a stable income to get you started. As you adjust to learning how to juggle bills, work full-time, and have a personal life, you’ll go through various levels of stress. It’s better to understand how to handle these changes before you bring a spouse or child into your life while you’re adapting.

Once you have a stable income that lets you provide for yourself with a little left over, it’s safer to start considering how you’ll pay the expenses that come with a family.

2. Have the Hard Talks

If it’s too late, though, that’s okay as long as you and your significant other are on the same page. Sit down and have a discussion with them about their thoughts on handling expenses and savings and their thoughts on working after children. These are those “hard talks” most people don’t want to have. But when you do, it makes your relationship run more smoothly.

Other topics that are part of a healthy family planning discussion include:

● How to discipline and encourage your children

● How to handle merging families (holidays, vacations, etc. with the in-laws)

● Religions

● The proper way to have an argument or debate

● Views on alcohol, tobacco, and drug use

No one wants to sit down and have these in-depth discussions. However, you’ll have them eventually, anyway, as they come up in your life. You just may not have the discussions as healthily when there are emotions involved.

3. Focus on Always Dating Your Partner

Your relationship with your significant other will set the tone for how your children see family life. When you show love and respect to each other, your little ones will learn that they should expect to be loved and respected, as well. This single, valuable foundational skill will help your relationship thrive, and it will set generational expectations for your children and their children.

4. Invest in Savings

Rainy days tend to crop up when you’re least prepared for them when you have a family. How will you handle those unexpected expenses?

Even if money is tight, consider putting aside part of your paycheck and investing it into a savings account. CDs and other investments are wise, but you first need something that you can access without penalties in the event of an emergency.

While you’re getting started, start with whatever you can reasonably move over to savings. Some banks have a spare change program that rolls over your change into your savings account. If you spend $14.50, the remaining fifty cents is added to your savings account for a total spending of $15. If you don’t want to do that, try putting one dollar a day into savings and not touching it, then slowly moving to two dollars per day until you have a healthy

5. Make Your House a Home

Where you live doesn’t matter. It’s how you turn that house into a home that means the difference in how your family grows and thrives.

It would be great to have a large, spacious house with a sprawling yard if that’s your goal. But for now, if you’re in a cramped one-bedroom apartment, that’s fine! Do what you can to keep it clean and comfy while you work towards your goals. Remember, there are plenty of mansions that raised families who never connected with each other or felt love. And sometimes, love grows best in small spaces.

With these five lifestyle changes, you can become the family person your spouse and children need you to be to enjoy a healthy, happy future.