Kevin Costner is the father of seven children, but he wasn’t always sure he wanted more after having three with his first wife.

Kevin Costner set a deadline. Either he wanted children with Christine Baumgartner or he wanted to move on and stop wasting both of their time.

When it comes to relationships, everyone has their non-negotiables. For some, it’s honesty, while for others, it’s religion. And then there’s the issue of children. Some people may know exactly what they want, but others may be undecided.

Couples might be torn apart by uncertainty or disagreements. It strained Kevin Costner’s relationship with his then-girlfriend, Christine Baumgartner, since the two couldn’t agree on whether or not they should have children together.

It wasn’t until Baumgartner issued an ultimatum to Costner that he changed his mind about having additional children.

Costner and his first wife, Cindy Silva, met in college in 1975.

“She was gorgeous, charming, and smarter than I was,” Costner said of his first wife in an interview with Closer Weekly.

Three years after meeting, the couple married.

In 1984, Silva gave birth to the couple’s first child, Annie. They welcomed Lily in 1986, and the family expanded again in 1988 when Silva gave birth to a baby boy named Joe.

Costner relished his role as a father. “Being a dad is the most important thing in my life,” he remarked.

As their children grew older, Costner continued to work while Silva stayed at home to care for them.

His absence, however, put a strain on his marriage as allegations began to circulate that he was having an affair.

Silva endured Costner’s “sexy roles” and speculations, but the pair declared in 1994, “After 16 years together, we are terminating our marriage.”

Following his divorce, Costner began dating Bridget Rooney. In November 1996, the couple gave birth to a boy.

He met Christine Baumgartner, a handbag designer, for the second time two years later; they initially met a decade earlier while golfing. They started dating in 1998.

“We swapped numbers, and I told her I’d contact her in two weeks if she didn’t mind. “I had no idea that was an insult to a lady,” he told People in 2003.

With the exception of children, the couple got along despite their 20-year age difference.Baumgartner desired children, but Costner, who was in his forties when he met her, did not.

“Fear hindered me from marrying Christine,” he told Closer Weekly exclusively in June 2018. “[She] desired a kid, but I was concerned I wouldn’t be a good parent.”

Baumgartner allegedly handed Costner an ultimatum.

“I’ll wait for you, but not for long.” “Come back to me when you’ve recovered.”

The pair momentarily separated while Costner pondered his future.

The pair eventually reconciled.

“I woke up thinking, “Am I going to lose a beautiful woman who is eager to stay with me till my last breath because I am frightened to say yes to a child?” he explained at the time. “All it took was that. “Sometimes the thing you’re most terrified of turns out to be the thing that will save your life.”

In 2004, the couple married at their home in Aspen, Colorado.

They had their first child together three years later. They expanded their family by welcoming a boy in 2009 and a daughter in 2010.

Despite his reservations about having additional children, Costner has grown to enjoy being a father to his seven children.

“You get to play heroes in the movies, but there’s a period in time where you’re simply a father and you get to go home.” “I’ve had two jobs in my life: one I get paid to do, which is acting, and the other is being a parent, for which I’ll be rewarded for the rest of my life.”

I believe it is critical that both people agree on whether they want to have children.

It’s fantastic that Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner took some time to reflect, and it appears like Costner made the correct decision!