These days, at least in the “developed” world, having a baby in your 20s is not nearly as commonplace as it was, say, 50+ years ago.
Nevertheless, it does, of course, still happen – sometimes it’s planned, other times not so planned.
There are some benefits afforded to you if you have a baby in your 20s. There are some disadvantages, too.
Each to their own, though. And everyone has their own set of life circumstances to deal with.
Let’s consider at least some of the advantages and disadvantages of having a baby in your 20s…
Advantages of Having a Baby in Your 20s
1 Energy galore
When you’re in your 20s, you have a ton of physical and mental energy that seems to start to diminish once you get to your 30s and has all but vanished once you hit your 50s.
Much of that physical and mental energy can be devoted to your baby and a whole lot more besides.
2 Babysitters galore
When you’re in your 20s, oftentimes, depending on your personal circumstances, your support network of family and/ or friends is sizable.
Again, as you begin to age, that support network tends to diminish.
Friends vanish. Family can also begin to “vanish” – perhaps through moving away or because of death.
So, when you’re in your 20s, chances are good that you’ll have a whole support network of family and friends around you, many of whom will be more than happy to do some babysitting free of charge – at least from time to time.
3 It’s exciting
Life seems to be more exciting when you’re young. New things are more exciting when you’re in your teens and your 20s. Arguably, this is because of a certain level of naivety. That’s certainly not always a bad thing.
It’s the same when you have a baby. It’s all new, and a lot of what you experience together with your baby is exciting.
This touches on the first point – you’re excited so your energy is high.
4 Social expectation still plays a part
Social norms expect that you go to college. You then get a job after graduation. You then meet a good guy. You then buy a home together. You then have kids.
Those social norms are not as “standard” as they once were. We live in a changing world these days.
Nevertheless, there is still a lot of old-school thinking around. And, if you have a child when you’re in your 20s, you’ll be praised for doing so.
Disadvantages of Having a Baby in Your 20s
1 Huge responsibility
Once a baby comes along, all of those previous responsibilities that you had prior to “baby world” take an almighty shift in a totally different direction.
Life shifts around, priorities shift around.
You’re now not only responsible for your own world, you’re responsible for the world of your baby, too.
2 Social life? What social life?
You may have had a very buoyant social life throughout your teens and into your early 20s. But as soon as a baby comes along, that social life is going to evaporate, big time.
There’s no getting away from it, having a baby in your 20s is going to ensure that your buoyant social life takes a slap in the face.
3 Some folks will tell you you’ve ruined your life
While some folks will congratulate you on having a child in your 20s, there will be many others, including your friends, and perhaps some family members also, that will tell you that you’ve messed up.
They’ll say you’ve messed up your career.
They’ll say you’ve messed up your social life.
They’ll say that all the fun things you could have been doing you no longer can do.
Can’t win ’em all, can you?
It’s your call. Simply ignore the negatives and embrace the positives in life instead.
Fact is, if you have a baby in your 20s, you’ll be well ahead of all your friends who wait until their 30s before having a baby.
You can rekindle your social life etc. etc. long before they will ever have the chance because your baby, while he or she will always be YOUR baby, will no longer be a baby.
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