How do you guys feel about young adults having children?

Or what about teenagers? I'm really against it, because I think stupidity spreads when people do not know how to properly raise their children. I'm not saying all young adults that are raising children will not know what they're doing, but no one's proved me wrong yet.

Whenever I'm at work, or in public, I'm always seeing a guy and a girl that are most likely around 19-21 with their child. I am often disgusted by the sight of it because I have an intuition that they're not smart enough to raise a child. Children = tough sh`it, man. I don't f`ucking want kids for a long time, just because of the amount of money I would have to spend on my child.

Don't get me wrong though, some of my friends have children too, and yet, I'm still against it. It doesn't annoy me as bad since they're my friends, but I'm sure working at a minimum-wage job full-time, while going to school full-time, AND having a kid isn't exactly easy. I don't know how people do it, but I wouldn't have the time for that.

See, I think stupidity spreads when people don't know how to raise their children, especially since those people that are raising their children aren't probably very knowledgeable in raising kids in the first place.

What are your opinions, SP? Are you against this sh`it?

You're pregnant, aren't you?

But really, if they can handle it, I'm totally fine with it. Otherwise, please, NO.

Let people do what they want, within reason. People in poverty should not have children. People with a history of violent crime should not have children. Cases like these are just 'accidents' waiting to happen. I would not go as far as to suggest legislature though. It would be increadibly difficult to enforce without breaking human rights and really wouldn't accomplish much. That said, I don't discriminate against age. I know 14 year olds more responsible and mature than 18 year olds. You can make generalizations all you want, but I cannot back a blanket statement "anyone with kids under the age of ** is doing something wrong".

I have no intention of having kids any time soon. Children are tough and expensive sh'it, man. But my mom and dad had me at 38 and 47 respectively. If my parents were both in their 30s and 40s now, I might have a different opinion. Now that I think about it, my parents are borderline crazy. "You are not going to date until you're 16" started with 1st grade, and I get an earful of sexism everytime I'm in my car with my dad and he sees a female driver.

tl;dr: Have kids when you think you can / want to take responsibility for them. Plenty of people are bad parents in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. I don't care if you're 17. As long as you can raise your kids properly, go for it. Me? No thanks. I'll wait a while. (read: forever ronery)

If you're below 19 you shouldn't really having kids, unless you both make at least a 60k+ income. Although some choose to take the responsibilty and are fully prepared for it, most teenagers have sex without realizing that it's a responsibility not a game.

No matter what your age, if you do not have the established means of raising a child (including money, a job, proper education etc.) you should not have one.

To me, if they're totally prepared to have kids, then it's fine. My friends (high school sweethearts) got married at 19/20 and had a daughter when they were 21, almost 22. They are a great family. And they worked HARD to get a nice house and made sure they had the money to support themselves and a child. That's just fine with me.

What's NOT fine is someone who's 15 or 16 having a child because they didn't want to wear a condom while having sex. I have no idea why, but if they're a minority race, it's a worse feeling for me. I think it's because they're more prone to living the stereotype about teens having kids before they're out of high school. They try to abort the child or try to miscarry the child (I personally know someone who did this) because they didn't want to have children. I HATE the fact that teens do not realize how concerning it is for them to be doing this.

I can deal with teens having sex and all that, but once a child comes, then that's where I'm a bit against certain aspects of it.

most teenagers have sex without realizing that it's a responsibility not a game.

Except the gay kind. The gay kind is all about fun.

I honestly don't think anyone should consider kids unless they are able to provide a stable living environment, adequate supplies for the child, good food, nutrition, undivided attention, stable jobs, and family support. A baby is not a trifle object, but the biggest responsibility anyone can ever think to take on.

IMHO, it's not about age, and it's not about money. It's about wanting a child and being ready (mentally, not fiscally) to assume responsibility for one.
Nobody should be having a child just because they were too lazy, ignorant, or stupid to use birth-control. Or because their parents were nagging them for grandchildren. Or because "babies are so cute."
People should know what being a parent entails (although you never really know until you are one...), and feel, in their own minds and hearts, that this is what they want. That it's worth it.

Waiting too long has its disadvantages, too. The longer you wait, the greater the risk of requiring painful, risky, and expensive fertility treatments. Women's fertility declines greatly starting around age 30, and takes a real nosedive at 35.

and it's not about money.

Yes it is. If you cannot afford to give the child a proper life, DO. NOT. HAVE. IT.

Yes it is. If you cannot afford to give the child a proper life, DO. NOT. HAVE. IT.

My parents had me and my three siblings between ages 22 and 31. For most of that time they were poor students working part time jobs. (My youngest sister was born during Dad's post-doc).
We turned out fine, all of us.

I waited until I had a stable job and my own home and car before I had my kids, but that was more due to my own laziness than because I thought being unable to provide a child with a roomful of "educational" toys would somehow put them at a disadvantage. I just preferred to have less things to worry about. But "a proper life" has very little to do with money. I hate sounding like a cliche, but I've seen screwed-up kids who never lacked for anything money can buy, and well-adjusted kids whose families were just barely scraping by.
Not that I recommend having children if you don't feel you can afford to give them what you think you should, but I am not going to automatically assume anyone who is "poor" (by whatever criteria) will ruin their children's lives.

I'm not saying it's a good idea for young adults or teenagers to have children. However, I had my first child at 19. Was I mentally, financially and emotionally prepared at that point in my life to have a child? Probably not. Though I'm sure if you were to ask my daughter, who is 19 now, she had a very good life growing up. I worked my ass off to make sure she (and my other 3), never really wanted for much. (And I'm proud to say I've never lived a single day on welfare.....I refuse to be "that" person.) They also learned that things aren't handed to you on a silver platter.....you have to work hard for the things you want in life. They have all watched me do it and I know my two teenage daughters have a lot of respect for me for that reason. In turn, my 19 year old is now off to college on her own, living on her own, working a full time job and paying her own bills. I wouldn't encourage teenagers or young adults to have children at that age, but I definitely think it depends on the person. I've also seen many people in their late 20's or 30's who probably shouldn't have children.

If they can afford to take good care of their kids, there is no problem. When all you have is a whiny peach of a kid that you can't control and you just get high all the time, then clearly having kids is a bad idea.

Let it be known that those who are not financially secure shouldn't have kids unless they're on a subsistence farm, in which case any pair of hands works out. In the old days women were supposed to have babies at 16 + just to continue the cycle of life and death, but we're much mroe capable of surviving for longer now. When you've made a steady income and have a good and set life, then have kids. Being there for your kid is the most important thing in the world.

acceptable/best marriage age is probably 21. I really have nothing against it but it risks having other children to do the same.

I personally dont think age should be the determining factor to whether people should have kids or not. As many have stated in this thread, being financially ready is more important than the age, as the parents should be able to support the child. However, I feel what is even more important is the wisdom to raise the child properly. I teach kids piano, and I teach kids at church, and play for a children's choir, and its appalling how many of the kids are so poorly behaved that I wonder whether the parents made any efforts into teaching them anything at all.

While I'm in no position to decide whether people are fit to have kids or not, if the parents are prepared to teach their kids and support them financially, emotionally, etc. then they can be 15 for all I care (of course, no 15 year old I know is capable of that, but hypothetically speaking...)

Being in Mississippi, it's usually the stereotypical "black chick" that gets pregnant in Mississippi. I know a couple that had a beautiful daughter, and they moved somewhere they can raise here her and continue their schooling. It was mature on their end to move away from their friends, and the things they loved to do showed maturity. I don't hate when people get pregnant at that age, but if they know what their doing, and they try to prevent the chain of things to happen again (their children following the same cycle as mother/father).

Except the gay kind. The gay kind is all about fun.

lol'd