How old were you when you had kids?

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  • jodycoady
    jodycoady Posts: 598 Member
    I was 28, and a party animal....Didn't think I was gonna be ready...but boy did he change me! (I had no choice but to grow up)

    I totally support people who don't want kids....but I love my life much better now...and I still get to have fun sometimes too.

    Everything is "funner" now with a child...camping, outdoors, snow days, fishing, it's all better with a 7 year old tagging along!
  • BigenFluffy
    BigenFluffy Posts: 56 Member
    I got married at 23 and we had our first when I was 25 and he was 30. If I could do it over, I would have waited longer. We both had good jobs and nothing holding us down. We could have traveled the world. Now, the best we can hope for is a trip to Disney.
  • cherbapp
    cherbapp Posts: 322
    I was 20 (married for 2 years already)...21 and 26 for my three.

    When I was in my 20's I wished I had waited longer, but only for financial reasons...it was a really tight budget for a while there with deciding to be a stay at home mom. However now...I am 37...still a stay at home mom but with a lot more things going on....and I am really looking forward to being young and healthy enough to enjoy life with my husband when the kids are all gone.
  • emanna11
    emanna11 Posts: 57
    I got married young (20), stopped trying to prevent kids at 21-22, started really trying to have a kid at 25, and finally had a baby at 27. Do I think we were ready at 21-25? Probably not. Am I glad we have Little Miss now? Definitely. I think 27/30 (DH's age) was a good time for us to have our one and only child. Of course, knowing what I know now I would have spent my 20s enjoying myself instead of agonizing over not having a little one.
  • beach_please
    beach_please Posts: 533 Member
    I had my first son when I was 24 :) If you are unsure, just wait. Things get really serious when you have kids. You'll never feel completely carefree again. What's the rush? Just enjoy being young for awhile.
  • livinfitanfun
    livinfitanfun Posts: 122
    I was 20 with my daughter and 23 with my son. I was married for a little over 2 years before we had our first so we did get to do a lot and have fun but I could have waited until I was older. I would wait!
  • murf19
    murf19 Posts: 453 Member
    37, 39
  • molly_grue
    molly_grue Posts: 215 Member
    I was 27 when my daughter was born and 30 when my son was born.
  • Shannon2714
    Shannon2714 Posts: 843 Member
    I was 23 and 28. I would have waited longer, in hindsight. I agree with one of the other posters...if you're unsure you should definitely wait...
  • harleygaljojo
    harleygaljojo Posts: 111 Member
    I was 20 when we had our first child and 24 when we had the second.
  • Shannon2714
    Shannon2714 Posts: 843 Member
    Of course, knowing what I know now I would have spent my 20s enjoying myself instead of agonizing over not having a little one.

    ME TOO!!!!
  • sl1ngsh0t
    sl1ngsh0t Posts: 326 Member
    Mom age: 23. My son is almost 14 now. I would have changed his father so I wouldn't have had to raise him alone his whole lifetime. Boys lie. Even ones old enough to supposedly know better.
  • MargotAllen
    MargotAllen Posts: 63
    I was 20. Got pregnant at 19. I wish I hadn't had a child so young, but it's cool. Whatever. :ohwell:
  • amerr
    amerr Posts: 190
    22, 24 and 26. I did notice that I had more patience with my last than my first, but I wouldn't change anything. I'm looking forward to only be 44 when my youngest graduates from high school.
  • runbyme
    runbyme Posts: 522 Member
    I was 16 when I had my son. 21 when I had my daughter. Enjoy your youth and wait to have kids!
  • MonicaT1972
    MonicaT1972 Posts: 512
    My compliments to the op for knowing she's not ready to have a child yet. That shows some great maturity on your part! Just because all your friends are sure isn't a good enough reason.

    I was 23 when I had my first son. We'd been married 2 years.

    I am glad I had my children in my mid-20's because now at almost 40 I have a lot of freedom that all my friends who waited till their 30's don't have. I can go out whenever I want now and not worry about babysitters etc. It just works well for me as now I have the $ to do the things I couldn't in my 20's when my kids were small. Even if I hadn't had them we didn't have any money to do anything anyhow.
  • kiwigal41
    kiwigal41 Posts: 1,059
    I have one child.....I had her when I was 37.....She will be 5 next month!!! Love her to bits!!!!!
  • ChaseAlder
    ChaseAlder Posts: 804 Member
    I turned 25 two days before I had my oldest. I had my second little guy when I was 28.
  • jarredondo
    jarredondo Posts: 284 Member
    My plan: start when I was 30. 2 kids, 2 1/2 - 3 years apart.
    My Actual: had my oldest 30 days before I turned 30. had my second 2 years 8 months later.....
    then SURPRISE. I had my 3 son 6 years after that. I was 38 when I had my youngest. I wouldn't have done it any other way.
  • BlessedMomX2
    BlessedMomX2 Posts: 241 Member
    I had my first when I was 20 and My second at 24
  • alfpalmer
    alfpalmer Posts: 150 Member
    41
    she is the light of my life.
    certainly not a mistake. many miscarriages and tears later, she was the most planned for and anticipated baby EVER
  • jipsybird
    jipsybird Posts: 878 Member
    I was 23 when I had my first. I got pregnant just a few months after getting married. I now have 2, and they will be turning 1 and 3 respectively by the end of summer.

    Although I'm certainly glad I may be an empty nester in my early forties, I sometimes miss the freedom of not having kids. As the kids are getting older, it is getting easier to be able to take the occasional break. If I were to do it all again, I might have waited maybe a year so that we could have a more cemented marriage before introducing a child. But, we will be married 4 years by the end of August and we are doing great. Honestly, I wouldn't change anything.

    There is no harm in waiting if you feel you aren't ready.
  • kgs0201
    kgs0201 Posts: 459 Member
    I have a job that I really love and it's my main focus.....I just feel like I'm kind of old fashioned and want to wait until we own a home, have a nicer car, make good money, settled down somewhere permanent, gone on vacations and partied without a kid....I feel like we just haven't lived enough yet, and having a kid would throw it all away....am I wrong??

    ^^^ This! I did all of this before getting pregnant and am sooo happy I did! We bought a house three years ago, got married 1 year ago (yes a little out of order... lol), we both have jobs we love and are making enough money to have a safety fund, and we just got our family car a few months ago (bbeeautiful 2013 Ford Explorer with leather interior... lovvee) and our other car is totally paid off (2008 Honda Accord EX-L)... pretty much have everything I dreamed of having and now we're expecting our first child! We are able to enjoy and look forward to it because we are financially ready (no debt other than the house and the explorer)! Annnnddd I'm only 25! So a lot can happen in your early 20's if you are working towards a goal! and it sounds like you know what you want, so make it happen! Before you know it you'll be ready for a kid and you and your man will have developed a stronger relationship to prepare for the ups and downs that having a kid will put you through!
  • jocelynna
    jocelynna Posts: 137 Member
    I was 27 when I had my now 2-1/2 year old son. I would have probably waited another couple of years, but his father is 11 years older than I am, and wanted to get started before he felt too old. We both make decent money and bought our first home shortly after our son was born. I'm glad I didn't wait though, I absolutely love being his mama.
  • Pea4jjab
    Pea4jjab Posts: 216 Member
    We have 9 children. I was 21 when I had my first and 42 with our last. Only God knows if we'll be blessed with more, but I would be THRILLED :)
  • udallmom101
    udallmom101 Posts: 564 Member
    I was 18 when I had my first. Then 22, 23, and 29. I am done, although the thought has crossed my mind for another.
  • CdnPgnMom
    CdnPgnMom Posts: 172 Member
    I was 25 when I had my first one. :)
  • agriffitts85
    agriffitts85 Posts: 38 Member
    well everyone is totally different. a lot of people would say wait and enjoy your youth, be a kid party it up and what not. but i had my first at 20, and every two years after that for my other children. i have four children and i am only 27 years old, yes financially it is a little bit of a struggle, but i would not changed it at all...
  • dandelion39
    dandelion39 Posts: 514 Member
    I was 29 when I had my first son--great age, imho, because my hub and I had been together for a long time by then, so our relationship was stable (and we'd had plenty of time to just have fun)...we'd gotten our careers/finances to a good place...and we were relatively mature.

    Where I live, most people don't start having kids until well into their thirties or even early 40s, so we're still the youngest parents of our group of friends. I like that, too.
  • emmysmommy0627
    emmysmommy0627 Posts: 3
    I had my daughter when I was 18. It has its rewards BUT it's a lot of work and tiring and it's something you have to want and put your whole heart into. I would say to wait. You only get to be young once! There are so many things you would wish you could do, but can't because you have a child that is your number one priority always. So just be free and enjoy being young! :)

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