I am a single woman and adopted my darling daughter Natasha from Ukraine in 2000. Recently I was talking to my mom on why I want a second child as a single parent. I actually started the conversation by asking my mother why she wanted three children.

Prior to having this conversation I assumed my brothers and I were all planned and wanted. Oops…. bad assumption

I don’t regret the conversation. It was a fascinating window on motherhood in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

My great-grandmother was married at 15 years of age. My grandmother was married at 17 years of age. My mother was married at 19 years of age. And here I sit at 40 years of age.

I have never married and never felt the societal pressure to marry and have babies. I don’t feel a religious call to be fruitful and multiply. I didn’t feel incomplete without children. I don’t feel called to see a mini-me, so I haven’t tried to get pregnant. My family name doesn’t have to continue. I don’t need a playmate for my first child.

Anyway…. Out of the conversation came my list of reasons to parent a second child

1. Because I want to parent a second child. I really want to do it again. Parenting and helping my darling heal was so hard. But it was so worth it.
2. Natasha is and will continue to make the world a better place. She has a caring heart and loving hands. I want to help another child heal and share their gifts with the world. 
3. I would love for Natasha to have a sibling relationship.
4. Look at the picture above. That is my darling Natasha in a tiger hat at the zoo. We are looking at piranhas. I see the world differently because of this child. And I fully expect my second child to give me a different perspective on the world. I want this.

Over the next couple months I am going to research my various adoption options. I will share my thought process. And hopefully I will be able to make a decision.

Here are some other folks’ reasons on why they are parents.

Why Have Kids?
How many children should you have?

I have a twisted sense of humor so I am including the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement’s (VHEMT) list of reasons not to breed. Look for the "Why Breed?" table.