What's a good age to have children? (marry, single, young)
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I hate the argument "There's never a perfect time to have a kid, so have it whenever you want". There may not be a "perfect" time, but there sure as heck are better times than others. I don't think that because you might lose your job tomorrow, you should throw away "have a stable job" as criteria to be ready for a child.
I think 27-35 is an idea age for the first baby. My friends and coworkers are some of the most responsible people I know--we all had job offers or grad school acceptances straight out of undergrad at 22, went straight into our careers when we finished schooling, weren't huge party people...and I still don't see how having a child before 27-28 would have benefited the kid. My friends are just starting to have their first babies at 30-32. They have 7+ years experience in their field (meaning if a job is lost, they have contacts and a solid resume to get a new one!), stable jobs and salaries that afford college savings accounts and day care or a stay-at-home parent, and they had time to just be married for at least 3-4 years before becoming mom & dad.
Had any of these new parents become parents at 25, neither parent would have an established career path, they'd have to have put off grad school, they couldn't save for their kids' college because they'd be busy still paying off their own, etc.
I did some research and found that the average woman has her first baby when she's 25 years old. More women have their first baby between the ages of 20-24 than at any other age.
This data also varies from state to state. Women in Mississippi have babies the youngest, at 22 years and Massachusetts, the latest (I think either 27 or 28).
The age shown is where 50% of the women were younger or older. For instance, Mississippi is 22, that means half the women having their first baby are 22 or younger and 50% are 23 or older.
Blacks and Hispanics have babies the youngest and Asians the latest. Whites are in between Asians and Hispanics. People in the south, the Midwest and in the NW area (Idaho, Montana, Utah, etc.) have babies the youngest. Women in the NE, the latest.
Currently, late 20s to mid 30s for both men and women. The levels of energy are still high, reproductive health is (usually) good at this point and both parents are probably mature enough to make the decision and carry on with it.
I think the 30's is the best time. People change more between the ages of 20-30 than at any other time of their lives. Your 20's should be a time for you to discover yourself, have fun and evolve.
I'm surprised so many posts cut off the age to have kids at 35. Why? I think a healthy 40 year old woman is far more ideal to have a child than a 19 year old girl. Who cares if she'll be 58 when her kid graduates HS? My parents were in their early 40's when they had me and I didn't suffer one bit, in fact I think older parents are the best parents. They bring wisdom and experience to the table.
There are a lot more health risks to a woman and the baby if she is in her 40's, I'm guessing that's why people are using that age cut-off.
Of course there is never a guarantee at any age that you will have a healthy pregnancy and delivery but the risks increase the older you get.
I hate the argument "There's never a perfect time to have a kid, so have it whenever you want". There may not be a "perfect" time, but there sure as heck are better times than others. I don't think that because you might lose your job tomorrow, you should throw away "have a stable job" as criteria to be ready for a child.
I think 27-35 is an idea age for the first baby. My friends and coworkers are some of the most responsible people I know--we all had job offers or grad school acceptances straight out of undergrad at 22, went straight into our careers when we finished schooling, weren't huge party people...and I still don't see how having a child before 27-28 would have benefited the kid. My friends are just starting to have their first babies at 30-32. They have 7+ years experience in their field (meaning if a job is lost, they have contacts and a solid resume to get a new one!), stable jobs and salaries that afford college savings accounts and day care or a stay-at-home parent, and they had time to just be married for at least 3-4 years before becoming mom & dad.
Had any of these new parents become parents at 25, neither parent would have an established career path, they'd have to have put off grad school, they couldn't save for their kids' college because they'd be busy still paying off their own, etc.
We may be the exception but we became parents at 25, my husband has a very solid career and makes good money (mine is on hold now while I stay home with the kids but I do have a BS degree), he has an advanced degree, our school loans have all been paid off (didn't have much there to begin with) and we have savings for both college and retirement (and more than most people our current age, 37)
They aren't going completely on our dime however, they are going to carry a loan so they can pay it off in good faith and establish their own credit rating. Nothing wrong with teaching a little responsibility along with their education.
Having our children early may not have been a benefit but there were no drawbacks either. They are all very intelligent, all in advanced placement classes or receiving services for more challenging academics and they are all healthy and very athletic.
My point being...the only person that knows if it's a good time to start a family is the couple considering the life change. There are so many factors to consider and it's difficult to say across the board "this is the best age". It will vary for every couple.
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