Motherhood is funny because so much of it is completely adorable and completely ridiculous at the exact same time. One minute you are kissing chubby cheeks, picking out tiny outfits, and watching your toddler discover the joy of bubbles. The next minute you are standing in the kitchen wondering why there is a sock in the refrigerator and whether anyone has actually eaten lunch.
When you have little kids, your entire world revolves around taking care of them. You think about what they eat, where they sleep, whether their shoes still fit, what preschool they might go to, and approximately 900 other things before you’ve even finished your first cup of coffee. Somewhere in the middle of all that, you may also find yourself thinking about term life insurance and how you would protect your family financially if something unexpected happened to you. Not exactly the most exciting mom topic, but definitely one worth thinking about.
I know. Nobody puts “research life insurance” on their list of fun things to do after the kids are finally asleep. Personally, I can think of approximately 47 things I’d rather do. I would rather fold laundry. I would rather clean fingerprints off the refrigerator. I might even rather assemble another toy with 37 tiny pieces and instructions written by someone who clearly hates parents.
But this is one of those grown up things that becomes a little more important once you have children depending on you.
When your kids are little, you are in the thick of it. There are diapers and daycare, groceries and doctor appointments, car payments and mortgages, birthday parties and somehow a constant need for new shoes. Children are expensive little people, and the expenses do not exactly disappear if life throws your family an unexpected curveball.
That is why I think it is worth understanding what term life insurance costs and what kind of coverage might make sense for your family. Term life insurance provides coverage for a specific period of time, and the death benefit can help loved ones cover everyday expenses, bills, housing costs, and the care and future needs of children. Gerber Life currently offers term lengths ranging from 10 to 30 years, with coverage amounts from $100,000 to $5 million.
And honestly, the timing makes sense when you think about it. When your children are tiny, you are often in one of the busiest and most financially demanding seasons of family life. You may have a mortgage, childcare expenses, one income while someone stays home with the kids, or a long list of future expenses that seem to multiply every time your child outgrows another pair of pajamas.
You are building a life while simultaneously trying to keep a toddler from coloring the dog.
Planning for the future does not mean sitting around being gloomy about everything that could possibly go wrong. I actually think it is the opposite. It is about loving your family enough to think ahead. It is about looking at your finances, understanding your options, and deciding what kind of protection makes sense for the people who rely on you.
And if you are wondering what determines term life insurance cost, there is no single number that applies to every family. Factors can include age, health, family history, lifestyle, coverage amount, and the length of the policy. Gerber Life notes that these factors are considered during underwriting when determining the monthly premium.
That is also why I would rather actually look at the numbers than make assumptions. We moms spend enough time worrying about imaginary scenarios. “What if my toddler refuses to wear pants tomorrow?” “What if the baby skips her nap?” “What if everyone suddenly hates the dinner I just spent an hour making?” We do not need to add financial guesswork to the list.
There is something reassuring about having the practical stuff handled.
It is the same reason I love having a stocked medicine cabinet, clothes in the next size ready to go, snacks in the diaper bag, and an emergency stash of wipes in approximately every room of the house. You may not need those things today, but when you do need them, you will be very glad Future You was thinking ahead.
Motherhood is full of those little acts of preparation. We pack the extra outfit because someone will inevitably spill something. We keep snacks in our purse because apparently children can go from “I’m not hungry” to “I am literally starving to death” in twelve seconds. We put sunscreen on everyone before heading outside because we know that five minutes of preparation can save us from a much bigger problem later.
Thinking about financial protection is really just another version of that.
It may not be as cute as choosing your baby’s Halloween costume or as exciting as filling the playroom with new toys, but taking care of the boring grown up stuff is part of taking care of our families too.
And then, once you’ve handled it, you can go back to the fun stuff.
The messy crafts. The bedtime stories. The tiny sneakers by the front door. The baby giggles. The endless snacks. The drawings that absolutely must be displayed on the refrigerator even though you have no idea what they are supposed to be.
Because that is the good stuff.
We do the practical things so we can spend more time enjoying the beautiful, chaotic, sticky little life we are working so hard to build.