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I think it has a lot to do with the education levels in DC. Arlington is the most educated county in the country, so it would be a logical conclusion that more people wait to have babies as they are busy with graduate school (and then want to actually use the degree that they worked so hard for!!!)
I agree though, 27-28 is the youngest I've seen anyone around me have children. Most don't even have kids on their radar until early 30s.
That's true, most of the people I'm thinking of live in, or are from, cities (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York, Chicago, Miami, LA).
Quote:
Originally Posted by jersgrl1969
Most of my friends had their first child at 19.
I am the only one out of all of us who has a baby. They all have kids in high school or college.
I had my first child when I was 24. My last was born when I was 39, which is still considered "old" by OBs, despite women having kids later these days.
This waiting until your 30s to have kids is a newfangled thing, especially having kids after 40. In previous generations, that was mostly unheard of. Back in the day, women got married right out of high school and immediately started a family. There were no tests like there are today to determine if a fetus had Down's Syndrome, so if woman had a baby in her late 30s, she was taking a big risk.
I think part of it is a cultural thing, like CaliTerp mentioned. It also doesn't help that my family sort of bucked the trend. My grandmother wasn't interested in marriage and had to be begged to do so in her mid-twenties. She also wanted to work and didn't have her first child until she was about 30. My mom also had me in her 30s, which is around the age my aunt adopted her first child, and then you have my cousins which I mentioned.
I was just surprised, while I know it does happen and is "possible", it's not something that I've ever really known.
As you all know, CD is an OPEN forum, therefore, EVERYONE is free to post in ANY thread that is open. If this is not satisfactory to some, feel free to open up your own Childfree Social Group that is by invitation only...that's why we offer them here. Until then, this thread is open for ALL to post.
I could never get with a woman who doesn't want children. Who doesn't want children?! They seem to be the only innocent thing left on Earth. I think women who don't want children are very selfish and self absorbed individuals. They either don't want to ruin their figure, or they are cold and depressed. And to make this gender-friendly, I think men who don't want children are immature and childish as well. They don't want children because most likely they are one themselves.
I'm 23. Don't want kids now, won't want kids in 10 years, won't want them in 20 years. No offense to anyone but the idea of being pregnant and giving birth disgusts me (yes, I'm aware that I'm here because of that process, and no, my mum didn't have to do it if she didn't want to). I told my parents that they're going to have canine grandchildren, and that's that.
People always claim that I'm going to change my mind, or try to crucify me and call me "selfish". It's jealousy and resentment, mostly. I think minority child-free women get it a bit worse, for some reason we're not just expected to breed, we're REQUIRED. Screw that.
I could never get with a woman who doesn't want children. Who doesn't want children?! They seem to be the only innocent thing left on Earth. I think women who don't want children are very selfish and self absorbed individuals. They either don't want to ruin their figure, or they are cold and depressed. And to make this gender-friendly, I think men who don't want children are immature and childish as well. They don't want children because most likely they are one themselves.
I was wondering where those who hate us who hate kids were. There ya are. Who doesn't want kids you wonder? Well as of now we have 8 pages of them. Children innocent? Well maybe but when they hit those teenage years they get their revenge on you.
Ruin our figures and depressed? Man ain't you judging others a little harsh? I can assure you that I am way over the top in IQ and maturity and I steer clear of any place where kids are. Selfish? Yea, I will swallow that one. My life and lifestyle is more important to me then to sacrifice my one and only life to take care of a kid I don't want.
You obviously love kids. That's great and that don't make you bad. That makes you a great and probably loving person. But don't ever put others down for making choices that are different then yours.
Closed. There are already several threads on this topic that have gone nowhere but down a slippery slope.
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