Lately, I have noticed that quite a few people that I know – either I went to junior or secondary school with, and therefore are about my age, 21 or 22, have had children of their own. And I find this both curious and slightly… for lack of a better word, disturbing.
I seem to be of the opinion that it’s a little bit of a stupendous decision for people so young to have made, and I’m curious, more than anything, why this has happened.
I just find it a little odd and strange that people my age, people I know and knew are parents. Not that this is entirely unnatural, per-se, as it is our biological goal once physically equipped to do so, to have children. I just feel, deep inside, that it’s a life-changing decision and course of action that’s being made too soon.
That’s right, I think 21 is too young to have kids. We’ve all read the horror stories in the Daily Mail of 13 and 14-year olds having kids; Kids having kids is a phrase banded about a lot. That still applies, I think, when you’re a young adult, just embarking on the adventure of life. You’re maybe not emotionally or mentally ready for such a lifelong and irrevocable commitment. And it’s fine to admit that at 21! It’s perfectly alright to be able to say you may be physically equipped but you’re not mentally ready. It takes time for everyone.
That’s my view. I don’t want children. I don’t like children, generally. I find it very hard to relate to children at all. However I’m not going to blanket every young parent with the same prejudice; maybe their lives are enriched by having children so young, and maybe it makes them better people. I can’t make that call. Personally, I’d rather enjoy life as much as possible, and become emotionally secure and mature before creating any life of my own.
That’s not to say these children that have come about are all unwanted, waste of spaces that have no future – that’s for destiny to decide. They can be all but guided by their young new parents, and I wish them all well. And I’m not saying, shock horror, that they should have all been gotten rid of at the earliest opportunity. What right do I have to say that? Such statements would be silly and crass and insensitive.
There’s no actual “deadline” or anything to having kids. I’m not religious, I don’t have an arbitrary set of conditions (ie: marriage) that must exist before any child borne would not be born “in sin”, whatever that actually means.
Yeah, I might have many, many concerns and confuzzlements about youth life today and whatnot, but I am extremely curious to know why some of my peers have decided to become parents of their own children now. Is it through carelessness or pre-planned and known? Is it to have some bizarre and deluded “fashion accessory” of a child, or anything similarly sinister?
This… for want of a better word, social acceptance of children to young (maybe overly young) parents is something that I find hard to reconcile in my mind right now.
What do you think, readers?
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