So I’m not even 25 and I have 3 kids. Some people might read that and be like, “Okay, so what?” Other people are flabbergasted. It really depends on your circle and your own personal beliefs on whether being a young mom is the norm or not.
My oldest was born when I was 14, so I’ve had comments all over the place about that, because most people just assume I’m the one who birthed him and that I was got pregnant at 14. Not that, even if that were true, that gives them anymore right to their sometimes rude comments and assumptions.
Being a young parent can be crazy, but definitely has its perks.
1. I’ll be a young grandparent.
Unless all 3 of my kids wait a
really long to have kids, I’ll have grandkids by my early to mid 40s, if not sooner. I think it’ll be great to be that young and, most likely, still have my health and the energy that I currently know it takes to interact with little ones! I’ll be able to play with them and babysit them and all around enjoy them in a way that I might not be able to if I was older. This is probably even more true for great-grandchildren, which I’ll probably have a few of by 60 to 65. Basically, it’s great to know I’ll likely see several generations of my family in my lifetime!
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2. I have the energy now!
Kids are exhausting regardless of if you have one when your 19 or when you’re 40. I get that. I just can’t help but think about all the effects of aging on the body I keep learning about in my pre-nursing classes, though. The truth is, I’m young now and taking advantage of the perks of youth by pouring my life and energy into motherhood
and other things (marriage, college, etc); instead of taking it one life step at a time.
3. We grow and learn together.
I have the opportunity to grow and learn with my kids. All parents change from the people they were before children, but I mean this in a different sense. I’m still in school and can relate to my children in that aspect and I’m still developing as a person and I’m not so set in my way. I feel like my children have a lot of opportunity to see me mold into the person I will eventually be, and I hope it can be comforting to them as they grow and learn about themselves and who they are.
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4. I can relate to them!
It hasn’t been
that long since I was a kid, even if some days it feels like an eternity. I feel like I can more closely relate to my children, their experiences, and how they’re feeling because there really isn’t a huge time gap between my childhood and theirs. Heck, sometimes I still get called a “baby” by coworkers or others that are part of similar life experiences as me but older.
I’ll be a young empty nester.
So when my youngest turns twenty-one, I’ll only be forty-three years-old! That’s so young! Now who knows if my nest will be totally empty by then, because kids don’t just magically disappear at the age of 18 and phase into adult life and their adult homes. I’m just imagining that my husband and I will both be able to enjoy each other and just whatever
stuff we want to to do still because we’ll be pretty young!
5. I have time to return to my career.
If I want to take time off to dedicate to moming or just to have a break from pursuing my career goals, I’m still young enough where, theoretically, returning to the workforce shouldn’t be as challenging as if I were older; if for no other reason than I have plenty of time to rebuild momentum.
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6. I’m still kind of cool, right?
I’m not totally out of sync with what’s currently trending. And even if I am, it’s probably because that’s how I’ve always been without caring much for what’s currently “cool.” So, this one is more of a joke than anything, because I’m a mom now, so I’m sure I’m definitely not “cool” and haven’t been for a long time.
I’m not sure if there is a perfect time to conceive, socially or biologically. There are all kinds of studies that have produced varying data and come to all kinds of conclusions. So, basically, do whatever works for you, right?
Are you a young mom or did you wait to have kids? What prompted you to be one or the other?
