I like sex. In fact, I like it a lot. But somehow, I have managed to make it 36 years with no kids. And I’m very glad that I did. While I realize that some 18-25 year olds really are adults who are responsible and have their minds in the correct place, I think most are not. And they are having children.
Call me old school, call me a fuddy-duddy, call me boring, but I have a real hard time believing that the average 21 year old kid is ready to be a parent. I really do. Yes, a big portion of that belief comes from knowing how I acted and thought at 21 years of age, but also of course by talking to other 21 year old kids. In my opinion, someone who has only been allowed in bars for a matter of months shouldn’t become a parent. What can they possibly teach their kids?
At 36 life has slowed down considerably, and I have gained extremely important life lessons just in the past few years. When I was 21 I wanted to screw everything that walked, I wanted to drink a ton of beer and my priorities were my car, my friends, parties and work. In that order. Does that sound like an environment fit for a toddler? It didn’t to me then, and it doesn’t to me now.
As I mentioned, I realize that not everyone spends most of their early 20s in a drunken haze, getting fired from job after job and rebelling against society in general. However, I still believe that the area between our late teens to mid-twenties should be a period of learning, not teaching. We need to gather up all the life-lessons and experiences we can before we are able to effectively teach another human being about life.
1 comment:
Well... I have to disagree with you. There's a lot a young parent can teach a kid. I was 16 when my daughter was born, and she is an amazing person today. I admit that when my son was born, I was 24, and that I was much more financially stable, but my son turned out with a sense of entitlement that my daughter doesn't have because she and I had to struggle to make ends meet.
While I don't ever think it's ideal to have children when one is super young, I don't think a married, responsible, educated person of 19-25 is a bad choice to be a parent, or that their age alone is a bad thing.
Teenagers having babies? I wish it weren't that way, for the teenagers more than the babies though. Some of them will be great moms and some will not, but that's true of a 30 year old, you know? But teenagers should be out there being teenagers--not just unbaked adults.
I actually am agreeing with you, but for different reasons! LOL
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