For parents, like myself, who had kids in their 20s, there are a number of questions that come to mind. When you're deciding what your future will look like, you'll likely consider what this means for your health, career, and more down the line. Thinking about ways having kids in your 20s affects you later in life is daunting, but don't get too stressed because the bottom line is that having kids at any age has a long-term effect of some kind. Your 20s are going to pose some of the same changes as any other age, along with a unique approach to parenting in the long run, beginning as a young mom.
Whether it be your health, social life, or career, there's quite a lot to take into consideration when it comes to how having kids in your 20s affects you later in life. Overall, it's not negative or discouraging, and while your health shouldn't take a huge hit, your social path may be different from your peers, and your career could get off the ground later. To find out more on exactly what having kids in your 20s means for you, read on.
1Health
When it comes to your health, you can take a big sigh of relief. Co-medical director of CCRM Boston Dr. Aaron Styer shares that although there's no specific "prime age" to have children, "risks to the mother and baby can increase as a woman gets older," so having kids in your 20s could actually be more stress-free. Additionally, considering your energy levels are generally much more abundant in your 20s, it'll be easier to pull those all nighters with the baby and there than it will be a few years down the road, which means you'll be able to get some much-deserved rest later in life without kids around.
2Social Life
Another aspect to consider about having kids in your 20s is how it will affect your life socially both now and down the road. Popsugar shared, "You'll probably be one of the only people in your group of friends to have a baby, so yours will be a bit of a novelty, which often means being spoiled with visits and gifts!" On the flip side, however, this also means that it can require a little more work to find other moms your age to connect with and create a network of relatability both now and later in life.
Raising kids young often means you're entering a different chapter down the road, while many of your friends will be elbow deep in diapers. It's not always easy for those friends without kids to understand what the new life of a mom is like, especially if they haven't been there before, but on the flip side, it gives you the opportunity to be there for your friends when they're just starting their mom journey and you're far into yours.
3Family
When it comes to family, there's a huge advantage to having kids in your 20s — it often means your parents and even grandparents will be around longer to create more memories with your babies. Bonus if you live close to family, because they make great built-in babysitters every once in a while. Later in life, this can set your family up to be extremely close-knit and your children will likely be grateful to have experienced the presence of their grandparents at graduations and marriages. Your parents' presence can offer a great amount of comfort and support for you during these big milestones, too.
4Career
Perhaps one of the biggest topics when it comes to moms in their 20s is how kids affect your career or your ability to travel, explore, and more later in life. As a mom who had kids at 22 and 24, I can tell you it can make the career and self-exploration journey a little more difficult. It sometimes means that your career doesn't get off the ground until later in life, but that doesn't mean it never will. Take comfort in knowing that no matter what age you decide to start your family, it will still create a unique list of challenges but also advantages.
5Freedom
As a mom in your 20s, it's also likely that you'll be faced with having to grow up quickly. But the sooner you raise your children until they're self-sufficient, the sooner you'll be able to let loose a bit in your later life.
The bottom line is that having kids in your 20s can, quite honestly, mean there's some give and take. You'll likely experience life in a little bit of a different order than your peers who choose to have kids later in life. But there are a ton of advantages as well. In the end, parenthood is an amazing adventure, and you'll have that much longer to enjoy it.
Check out Romper's new video series, Bearing The Motherload, where disagreeing parents from different sides of an issue sit down with a mediator and talk about how to support (and not judge) each other’s parenting perspectives. New episodes air Mondays on Facebook.
