How old were you when you had your first child?

Everyone I talk to says they want to wait to have children until they're in their mid 30s. That seems a bit late to me. My mom was 20 when she had my oldest brother. I'm the youngest, and she still was 26 when she had me. I see my parents now, in their mid fourties, and I can't imagine what it would be like for them if they were taking care of kids into their fifties.

How old were you when you had your first child? If you could go back, would you have waited, or started having kids earlier, or will you keep things the way they are.

 

23

 

28
________

 

mid 30s do seem a bit late to me too
and i would not change when i had my
daughter but i would change the circumstances.

 

I don't have children yet, but I definately don't even want to wait until I am 30!


My mom got me when she was 23, and now she's in her mid fourties, and she was always a very kool mom, I doubt that it would have been so if she was in her 50s now....

 

I was 20 and 24 when I had my kids. I like being a younger mom. I feel like that I have more energy to actually go out and play with the girls instead of sitting down and watching them. I'm the only mom at the park that will actually climb up into the equipment, go down the slides, etc. with their kids. The others just sit and watch. My way is more fun!

 

I was 18 when I had my first kid and 33 by the time I had my 7th kid.

 

i was 30 its good to get your most wild days out of the way.....kids dont need to see there dad and mom partying.....

 

well, i'm an older mom, first son at 27, second son at 29 and now starting all over again with joey, and i'm 39 now (what was i thinking!!!) - and I'M the only mom i see playing at the playground on the equipment, chasing my kids, rolling down the hill... i don't think it's an age factor.

imo, young girls shouldn't have babies too soon, you need to make sure you are in the right place mentally and prepared to support your family. you need time to have fun, and get LOTS of education - school and otherwise.

 

I had my first kid when I was 25.
The kid was about 12.

 

I was 18 when I got pregnant, 19 when I gave birth. I'm glad that I'm a young mama for the most part, but I wish that I had finished high school first. On the plus side, I can still remember what it's like to be my daughter's age, so I'm very empathetic and understanding. Also, I'll only be 38 by the time my daughter is an adult, so I'll have lots of time and energy to travel, etc. when she's grown up.

 

i was 20 when i had my first. he'll be 8 at the end of next month. he's already almost as tall as me

and my third right before i turned 25.
i had always said i wanted at least one child before 25.. and i was DONE before 25

 

Obviously I don't have children yet.

But my mother was 24 and ten months when she had me. Then my brother was born three years later.

 

I was 17 when I had my first and 18 when I had my second. The only problems I had was I had to do my senior year pregnant and with a young baby. I love them though and I'm happy I have them in my life because they are wonderful and I can't picture life any other way. So I can't say I wish I waited because I would not have them now.

 

oh wow...I'm 21 and honestly can't imagine having a child right now...I want one eventually but Definetly not until I'm done with school and have a job and am in the "real world" cause it sure seems to me that college isn't the real world! to me, I'm still somewhat like a child...

 

18 when he was born. =)

 

haha, i have to agree with Gr8fulyDeadicated! i'm 33 and i'm always climbing all over the equipment. being involved with your kids has nothing to do with age.

i was 29 when i gave birth. we had been trying for a couple of years though, i would have liked to have had my baby earlier.

i wouldnt have waited til my mid 30's to start having kids. that's when chromosomal abberations start happening more frequently. nice young eggs have less of a chance of something going wrong with them. if i wanted to have another baby in my mid 30's i'd go for it anyways though! maybe even early 40's.

i can see benefits of having kids while you're young. if a woman has kids before she gets her education, then she wouldnt necessarily have to interrupt a career in the same way that having kids later on in life does. i know that i wanted to be a stay at home mom for the first three years of any of my kids lives, so that definitely has had effects on my career. but i wouldnt have had it any other way.

 

I must apologize. I thought this was the kinky thread. Sorry folks.

 

i was 22 when i had my daughter. my mom was 21 when she had me. i don't think it is an age factor about playing on the playground either. i just think most of the women i saw at the park who just sat around were really boring people.

 

I guess I did do it all over again. I was 19 years and 3 weeks when I gave birth to my first. I was almost 30 when I gave birth to my fifth. Then when I was 52 I adopted a five month old baby boy. So I started early and I haven't quit yet. I think there are advantages either way. It was certainly easier when I was 21 with a 2 year old then it is now. But I feel a bit more stable now than when I was 21. So it balances.

Kathi