What age would you like to have children?

Tebley

What age do you think would suit you best to have children, and what age would you want to be when you had your last. Assuming of course you want children.

Had first at 40. Happy with that. Had my fill of late nights, partying and the like, whole new chapter now.

speedboatchase

The age isn't important to me (I'm 30), it's more about where I'm at in terms of finances. A few years ago it would've been the end of the world if I had a kid, because there's no way I'd be able to support them properly. But now I'm in a better state financially, so I think it'd be fine.

As for nightclubs etc, got bored of them after a couple of years.

uck51js9zml2yt

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Had first at 40. Happy with that. Had my fill of late nights, partying and the like, whole new chapter now.

So you still had late nights and no sleep

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Tebley wrote: »

What age do you think would suit you best to have children, and what age would you want to be when you had your last. Assuming of course you want children.

What do you feel yourself?

Galwayguy35

I'm 40 and ideally would have liked to have them in my 30s but it didn't happen.

If it doesn't happen in the next few years I would consider myself too old, the old man was 57 when I was born and it wasn't an ideal situation having a father who was a pensioner by the time I was 9 years old.

Tebley

Jessa Acidic Sonar wrote: »

What do you feel yourself?

The question doesn't apply to me as I don't want children.

Into The Blue

we were 34 having the first child.

Tebley

Tebley wrote: »

The question doesn't apply to me as I don't want children.

A perfectly legitimate choice.

What age were you when you figured out you don't want children and what age are you now?

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

corks finest

Tebley wrote: »

What age do you think would suit you best to have children, and what age would you want to be when you had your last. Assuming of course you want children.

Hi,I had my children whilst v young,19/20,had 6 by the time I was 25, ,startling at 1981,great joy,but great hardship,when things were v tight,had to leave for UK etc,for bobs,too much financial strain on a young couple, hindsight I should have got my mickey Joe cut off,,,any at 56 and now with a 12 ,nearly 13 year old,I've a more mature outlook,we get on fine,moneys still tight,but I cut back,,, so for me a perfect time to have kids would be 40,,,

Sunnyisland

It's a bit of a catch 22 situation , If you have your children to young you loose for the most part some of the best days potentially in your life, if you have them to old it's the same situation, Suppose 27 to 30 be the best age ? I myself had our first child when I was 22, I have no regrets as it has worked out fine.

monkeysnapper

We had ours in our mid Thirty's and I'm happy with that choice . we had our wild days and had house set up . we now have 3 children , 1 over what we planned ...... Whoops ..... But 40 now and happy out .. .. Ages 6/3/1 and its a mad house......exactly the way I like it !!! Plus 2 dogs :0)

pow wow

In number terms probably around 30 though around then I wasn't in the right place in my life to have a child. Now I'm ever so slightly beyond 30 and the clock is ticking I just need to find a nice guy and oversome some reproductive issues Much like most things in life what you'd like to happen and what actually happens are two different things!

Gongoozler

[Deleted User] wrote: »

A perfectly legitimate choice.

What age were you when you figured out you don't want children and what age are you now?

I also have decided I don't want children. There was no exact time where i decided this, it started with a realisation, around 14 I suppose that I don't have to just because people do. Then in my early twenties it grew into wondering if I would like to, but that idea never really took hold, as I just really don't understand why anybody would want to. Then around 25 / 26 I thought nah I really don't think I want to, like really actively don't want to. So by around 29 / 30 I pretty much made up my mind.

Boards, magazines, media, television etc have all made me worry that as I get older I'm going to suddenly develop an urge to have to have them, as if my ovaries are going to be pulsating with the need for children. So I'm afraid I'm going to have my mind changed by some biological urge that will appear from nowhere, but logically at least I won't change my mind.

Agricola

Ideally before 40 but I think for a guy up to late 40s is ok. My father was 47 when I came along. He was fit and healthy while I was growing up and I never really thought of him as much older than other people parents.

One of my friends got married and started a family at 24. I couldn't get my head around that at the time but seeing him now with his 10 year old shows you how great it is for all involved when the parents are young.

RedXIV

I had planned to be very financially stable before I had kids but I had also planned to be a millionaire by the time I was 30

Ended up with 3 kids by the time I was 24, but wouldn't change anything. I don't think I'd be where I am today financially if it wasn't for the panic of "oh Crap, I'm gonna be a dad and this self employment Crap isn't working" I do like the thoughts of being in my early 40s and all my kids being over 18 though

Turtyturd

First was born when I was 27 second when I was 31, and if we have any more it'll be in the next year or two. Personally wouldn't like to be heading into my 40's starting/restarting the whole fatherhood process.

Redbishop

Wife and I had our first when still at college, both 21 at the time and not married at the time and it was an accident.
Anyway we managed it and have had 6 in total but lost 1. We still talk of him regularly and wonder how he might have turned out.
If we had our choice we probably wouldn't have had 1 so early but having said that we never regretted 1 minute of it.
Good luck to all and hope you all get your choices in family planning, but no matter what happens remember the health, happiness and love of the child is the most important thing in all this, cause while we have choices in this, they don't.

goz83

RedXIV wrote: »

I had planned to be very financially stable before I had kids but I had also planned to be a millionaire by the time I was 30

Ended up with 3 kids by the time I was 24, but wouldn't change anything. I don't think I'd be where I am today financially if it wasn't for the panic of "oh Crap, I'm gonna be a dad and this self employment Crap isn't working" I do like the thoughts of being in my early 40s and all my kids being over 18 though

I could have almost written this.

I was 19 when my first was born. Then number 2 at 23 and was married and all. It made me get myself motivated and we bought a house just before baby 2 was born. Then number 3 and number 4 came along. There was talk of snipping the hulk, but alas, baby number 5 is due next week

Age is irrelevant for the most part If you're mature enough and can support your children, then go ahead and let it flow. That said, I am of the opinion that tipping over 40 and then getting pregnant is a bit too risky. We never planned any of ours, but we are thrilled to have more little personalities in the home.

BattleReady

Had our kid when I was 31, which was a perfect age for me. Had done all my travelling and partying. My partner was younger and sometimes feels she might have missed out on on some of the fun stuff

Angry bird

Late 20's early 30's ideally. A mix between being more mature, better finances while being young enough to cope with the huge demands children bring.

Rachiee

Medically speaking before 35 ids better but I'm 31 now and can't see myself having the money up in time never mind being done with nights out and boozy weekend away I really want kids might try put it off til I'm 37 or 38 but I know it would be taking a risk

Samsgirl

I'm 42 with a four year old and soon to be three year old. Am tired all the time, just varying degrees of tiredness. Dreading the hour change this month as they are up by 7 every morning.

Saying that, I wouldn't change it. I did all my going out & travelling in my 20's and 30's. I'm quite happy now to be in my pj's by 8pm and just relaxing.

weemcd

27 and nowhere near close.

At a guess around 34~35, I'm still a kid myself ffs!

NachoBusiness

50, when I'm a multimillionaire and can pay for a maid, nanny, chauffeur, private schools.

I'd take them out on my yachts and stuff though. Wouldn't want anyone saying I was an absentee father.

eviltwin

First at 19, second and last at 32. It wasn't what I'd planned but it was the best timing for us and I still had a life, went travelling, had a social life etc. I had a lot of friends who told me I was mad at the time, some of those friends are not facing child free futures so looking at their struggles I feel blessed that having babies was easy for me. I think whatever age you are there are positives and negatives, things you gain and things you miss out on.

Faith+1

Wtf want's kids? Little animals

wakka12

jacksie66 wrote: »

Dont want kids. Dont want to bring more people onto this overcrowded, messed up planet..

Irelands not overcrowded. If you don't want children for humanitarian reasons i.e.. concerning overpopulation then why not adopt a child or two?

wakka12

I wont be finished with college until 25.. then you need to establish some kind of a career..buy a house..meet somebody you'd want to have a family with..then the fact that Im gay just makes things even harder and the process of having children even lengthier, and in some cases not possible. :pac: Wouldnt be surprised if it was in my late thirties or later if it even happens..

Azalea

Don't know if I would at all, but if it happened, my preference would be late 30s/early 40s. I know that's risky but it would be the right time in life for me personally. It is on the increase to be fair, with the babies being fine (doesn't change the risk though, I know).
Sigh, if only the biological and the socio-cultural were in tandem with each other.

Shenshen

I would have liked it to have been in my late 30s.
I'm in my early 40s now, and I don't think it'll happen any more. Not a big thing, at the end of the day, as I originally (before meeting my now-husband) never wanted children at all.

Tebley

Tebley wrote: »

What age do you think would suit you best to have children, and what age would you want to be when you had your last. Assuming of course you want children.

Have two already - age 5 years, and 18 months. And I am 36 now. Planning two more but not for another 2 or 3 years yet.

Diamond Doll

I'm 30 now, had my first child at 28.

The relationship has since split up, and in hindsight, it was a terrible idea for us to be lax with contraception when we weren't in a particularly long relationship and had no savings etc. I think it's possible to regret the circumstances without regretting the child, if that makes any sense! I wouldn't change him for the world, I just wish I could have had him in a different relationship with a different person. But then of course he wouldn't be the same child, obviously.

I want to have maybe another three or four children, but I don't want to still be having them into my forties. So I guess I'd want to start trying to get pregnant in my mid thirties, at the latest, ideally even before then. Just need to find a father for them first!! One thing I've learned from the past though, is that I'll definitely want to wait until I'm in a very happy, strong, well-established relationship before even thinking about getting pregnant. I couldn't go through the same heartache again.

Sam Kade

Tebley wrote: »

What age do you think would suit you best to have children, and what age would you want to be when you had your last. Assuming of course you want children.

Last time I checked it takes two people to have children so it's a joint decision

garrixfan

NEVER

I don't know. I would have said around 30. I'm 33 now. Single. The way my life is now is really not suited to being a mam and the idea does scare me. Then so does the idea of never having children. I've been thinking lately about what a little me would be like. I imagine a little curly headed person who laughs a lot, gives hugs and challenges me Perhaps by the time I am 36.

It's lonely sometimes. No doubt about that.

whatismyname

Into The Blue wrote: »

we were 34 having the first child.

How many people are you?

paleoperson

I think OP is a little exclusionary against people who either never want children or are really too old to have children. Don't assume people want to have children, the world is overpopulated as it is and more is not what we want.

wakka12

paleoperson wrote: »

I think OP is a little exclusionary against people who either never want children or are really too old to have children. Don't assume people want to have children, the world is overpopulated as it is and more is not what we want.

Ireland is not. Europes population is ageing and declining, having children is certainly no harm here. Indians need to worry about having less children, not us.

paleoperson

wakka12 wrote: »

[/B]
Ireland is not. Europes population is ageing and declining, having children is certainly no harm here. Indians need to worry about having less children, not us.

Everywhere is overpopulated. Until food and water are free and ready to pick off the ground/from the trees we're overpopulated. Overpopulation pushes cost up, we're massively overpopulated to breaking point.

wakka12

paleoperson wrote: »

Everywhere is overpopulated. Until food and water are free and ready to pick off the ground/from the trees we're overpopulated. Overpopulation pushes cost up, we're massively overpopulated to breaking point.

So what world population size do you suggest then? Whats ideal? Hundreds of years ago when the world population was one seventh the size it is now everyone on average was poorer, less safe and less healthy on average. So what gives?

meeeeh

paleoperson wrote: »

I think OP is a little exclusionary against people who either never want children or are really too old to have children. Don't assume people want to have children, the world is overpopulated as it is and more is not what we want.

So if someone starts a thread about gaa, they are exclusionary and should also post questions about other sports because not all of us a are gaa fans?

I had first one at thirty. It was not exactly planned but we weren't fussed about contraception either. About six months later would be better because we were in the middle of house built. the second one was a bit later than intended, she was born at 35. I have a feeling my partner wouldn't mind another one, but I am happy with two and I also think the last pregnancy and miscarriages tired me out. I'm fairly fit but I still think my body was telling me I am getting too old for this child bearing stuff.

paleoperson

wakka12 wrote: »

So what world population size do you suggest then? Whats ideal? Hundreds of years ago when the world population was one seventh the size it is now everyone on average was poorer, less safe and less healthy on average. So what gives?

That's a myth. Thousands of years ago when there was about 100,000 people in the world and humans were still in Africa the human population was the safest it's ever been. Fruit was abundant everywhere and ripe at all times of the year. The idea that man had it tough in those times is a fabricated myth. I am not interested in arguing this with someone on after hours, I am stating it for your information.

100,000 people would seem like a good number of humans to shoot for, allowing for plenty genetic diversity while not overreaching our natural environment.

sadie06

I had my first when I was 29, and second when I was 33 and I wouldn't change a thing. We have two independent pre-teens now and are glad to be a little further along in parenting than all of our friends.

That said, it was lonely being the only one with children at that age, and now all my friends are at the baby/toddler stage but I'm back to having a life/career to talk about. :-)

There is no perfect time, but I'm glad I did it relatively young.

I'm 30 now and don't feel like the commitment of it now, enjoying life and doing stuff, lots of nights out and doing other things etc. I think it will be another few years before I will want kids, getting married would be first anyway.

That said I refuse to be one of them people who basically give up on life and let the word revolve around kids when they have them. I've no intention of not having regular nights out and other stuff I like to do when I have kids obviously it's no as easy but I'll be making the time.

Duff

27 now, I'm good for another 10 years or so.

cajonlardo

Deleted User wrote: »

Had first at 40. Happy with that. Had my fill of late nights

Yeah.

Good luck with that

Starscream25

I'm 30, would have em tomorrow, only problem is finding a women to bear my seed.
Realistically and hopefully around 33-34 as I'm not financially ready

Sunflower 27

Never. I knew around my mid-20s I did not want them and am almost 43 now. Delighted with my choice. My partner is 40 and never wanted them either so that's handy Motherhood was never going to be for me.

Lia_lia

When I'm about 29 or 30. Would prefer to be relatively young! But sure I don't know what will happen..