At what age is a single woman no longer "too young" to be a mother?

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Elizabeth L	Personally, I'd have to say it's not really a number but more when she's mature enough to take care of a child and not treat it like a plaything. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Kelly G	I think 21 is fine but it really depends on the individual person and their maturity level. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

crazychickizback	Depends how much help you get. One of my friends just had a baby at 16 and her mom is going to do anything she can to help, so I think in her particular case she's old enough. However I dont think anyone younger than 25 should try to raise a kid alone Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

just an opinion	In my opinion, a woman should be at least 20 when she has a baby, not because of social reasons, but because of medical reasons. By her 20s, a woman is finished physically maturing and her body is in its prime for child-bearing. Really, women are getting too old by their mid-30s. By that time, her eggs are already aging and that's why once women pass 30 (and especially 40) doctors make sure to test for chromosomal disorders like Down Syndrome. However, I am 20 and don't want to have kids until I'm around 25, by which time I'll be out of school and hopefully have a career started. Really, I think once you have a stable income, residence, and hopefully a husband or committed boyfriend, you're old enough. And even then there are many women who successfully pull off being a mother at younger ages and in worse conditions. Times change and so do morals and standards. Whereas 100 years ago I'd be an old maid for not having a husband and several kids, today I would still be considered by some to be "too young" for parenthood. Judging by more progressive standards, I'd say you're too young if you aren't emotionally and physically mature enough to care for a child. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

sunny	In the US, it seems you can 'hook up' at 12, and no one has a problem with it, but to be a mother to your own child? Oh, gosh, 25 to 30. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

MamaKate	IMO, a woman is old enough to be a mother when she reaches puberty. Nature has pretty specific rules for when women should reproduce. Any woman who is physically able to bear a child can become a mother in the sense that she can create a child. Now QUALITY of parenting is a totally different story and I think depends more on the individual rather than something as arbitrary as physical age. I also agree with the notion that societal pressure for women to wait past their prime childbearing years (consensus is that at 27, a woman's ability to have an uncomplicated and healthy pregnancy begins to drop) is part of what has caused the huge jump in infertility rates. I find it sickly ironic that Western society in its infinite wisdom, has decided that money, education, marital status, job status, etc. trump the natural ability of a woman to healthily carry a baby in importance when thinking of becoming a mother and therefore we have a disproportionate number of women who are infertile simply because they believed they had to wait for some sort of societal approval before they could become parents. And the adoption agencies can make more $$$ off of their pain while simultaniously creating pain for a mother who didn't "wait for approval" by convincing her or perpetuating the idea that she "isn't good enough" to parent a child because she didn't. (Even though nature thought the timing was just dandy.) Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Lola	Well in reality If shes old enough to bleed shes old enough to breed. As messed up as our country is I wouldn't recommend it. Too many bible pushers. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Carol c	I don't feel age should be a deciding factor either. If a mother wants to parent her child at any age - I believe she should be given all the support in the world. Ideally, care should be taken to make sure the mom is made aware of all of her options, resources and any kind of assistence necessary to keep her with her child; IF that's what she wants. It might be challenging initially but in the long run, both the mother and child will benefit. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

raisinette	I would say in the old days or for people who are more skilled in "life", probably about 14-15. But these days it's more about 19-20. I had my first child when I was seventeen. :) The messed up thing is kids are now having sex at the age of 11, and now they feel too young at 24 to have a child. Doesn't make much sense does it? What's even more messed up is if you go in the pregnancy section there are 12 or 13 year olds every five seconds asking if they are pregnant. Lack of education, back then younger people were much more mature, and much more dignified. These days... I think you know about the education in America today. I was shocked when I left my "country" home and found out most of my cousins who were raised in the modern world didn't even know how to bake a cake from scratch. I'm the only one in my family under the age of 25 (im 21) who knows how to use a needle and thread. I tried to teach my identical cousin/best friend how to hem her pants and she immediately got bored and turned on MTV. We lack discipline, ethics, knowledge, ect. Homec isn't much of deal to parents anymore, now it's just raising children with television. No quality time. I'm scared of the future. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

myst1998	Hi Sly... Great question! Personally, I feel it all depends on the person becoming the mother. Their mental/emotional capability and age as opposed to their physical age. There are many 30 odd year old women who have been terrible mothers compared to emotionally mature 16/18 year olds. That said, I have seen emotionally immature 16 year olds become a lot older all of a sudden faced with th prospect of becoming a mother and although you wouldn't think they would make good mothers they have gone on to become a fabulous mother. I don't feel it is something that is black and white. There are girls all over the world having babies at early ages... in some cultures they are expected to marry and bear children as young as 12 which I think is way too young but that is in my western way of thinking. To me that is child abuse... to them, a way of life. People are so judgemental these days... if a young girl wants to mother her child, why shouldn't she? Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

♥♥Rita♥♥	I believe it is a case by case take.... In my grandmother's time, the life expectancy was a bit younger than now, infant mortality was higher, women had more children thus making it necessary to have children younger. She may have twelve children but only see slightly more than half live to adulthood. My grandmother was 17 and had nine children over a 20 year or so span. The way of the land at the time was for young men and young women to have a family. I was raised that way....but did not raise my children that way. I expect them to go to school and become stable in this rocky world before having children although my oldest did not see it quite that way. Some young ladies can manage at 15 y/o with a child and be married, others cannot manage at 25 y/o with an army of support. I would fall over if my 13 y/o came home and said, guess what?? We would manage though...operative word, "we". I think a lot of times, it depends on what kind of support these young ladies (and men) have. I do not believe women, whatever her age, should ever be deemed "too young" to be a mother to her child since obviously she will get older. Great question. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

luckywife	i always said i would have all mine before 30 and i did i don't want to be that old before my kids hit high school and i want to be around when the grand babies are born. i feel sorry for those old people. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

done dealing with BS	I am 27 yrs old and a mom of 2 wonderful children. I was 19 when I had my oldest and 24 with my youngest. I think that 25 is a good age to start your family. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

BOTZ	13 or puberty...whichever comes first. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Flying Monkey #073177	In my opinion a woman is no longer too young to parent the second that zygote implants itself in her uterine lining. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Shelly P. Tofu, E.M.T.	I DO think it's best that women wait until their mid 20's when they're married and have finished college and have a stable home, before having children. It makes things alot easier, and statistics show that the lack of a father does effect the chld. HOWEVER, that does NOT in ANY way shape or form mean that singleness or youth is a justifiable reason to tell a woman she cannot parent the child she is pregnant with/given birth to. Engourage young girls to wait to get pregnant? Absolutely. Tell them to abort or relinquish a child already conceived or born? NO no no.. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Randy B	I don't think that "rules" can come into play in situations like this and that every situation is different. I know some great young mothers and some, what I would consider to be "bad" young mothers. Married or not, it doesn't matter. At the same time I know some older mothers who have done wonderful jobs and some that have done not so wonderful jobs. Education, desire, ability, family support, community support and many other issues come into play and each situation is different. IMHO anyway. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

grapesgum	Wow 24-27? Then most of my nieces and nephews had parents who were "too young" to have children. I guess they sure missed the boat by keeping their children and raising them while they were "too young" and not taking the opportunity to bless a couple who was older. All are college grads with good jobs and nice homes and in happy relationships. Yep - those "too young" parents really screwed up. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

MOMof(3)	im 22 and about to have my 3rd mom of 3 yr old 1 yr old and due in feb :) i got married at 18 - my husband is older then me 32 we wanted to start haveing kids soon as we got married and we did :) Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

SJM	Two of my (adopted) great grandmothers married at 15. My best friend married at 16. I married at 17. I suppose the change in perspective may be partially due to the fact that families are no longer composed of twelve or thirteen kids over a twenty year span. People have two kids who are never delegated responsibility over younger siblings or nieces and nephews. Raising children is a foreign concept to them. I'm sure it also has to do with children being generally more spoiled than they were years ago. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

LaraSue	It really depends on the individual. I have 3 daughters, 22, 19 and 12. The only one I would consider not too young is my 19 year old, she is just the most responsible. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Felicita1	In the early 20th century, when many mothers were in their late teens and early 20s, the stigma was against unwed mothers. When women were having babies mainly in their 20's, a stigma arose against teen mothers. Now moms have began mainly having babies in their late 20s and early 30s and the stigma has creeped further up to include all women in their early 20s. This of course ignores the fact that a woman's biological function differs from a man's. A man can sire a child well into his 50s or even 60s. A woman's fertility begins going downhill at age 27. Why wait until you cannot conceive any longer? It is no coincidence that as the stigma against teen moms arose during the late 20th century, infertility rates rose as many women who would have reproduced earlier postponed childbearing, in part to avoid the stigma. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

I Love A Child With Autism!!!	I would say that if you are old enough to make a child, then if you choose to, you are old enough to parent your child. People mature at varying stages and no one is better to gage ones ability to parent than ones self. I am a 31 year old woman and many people have told me I am too young to have 3 children. Imagine that! I just look at them like they are one fire and they tend to let it drop! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

monkeykitty83	It depends on her personal maturity, support system, and level of commitment to her child. I don't think age is the deciding factor. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Independ"ant"	Well according to Nature there isn't a set age....it varies with each female. As far as society.....there has been a push for waiting until you're in your late 20/30's thats why infertility is on the rise. Society knows best,huh?. I would like for someone to tell me why its "medically" wrong for any healthy girl that has reached puberty to give birth. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Heather Leigh	I have a friend that got pregnant at 14. She is one of the best Mom's I know. I know a woman that did not have her first child until she was in her mid 30's. She could have been a better parent in my opinion. He child sacrificed because he career came first. I don't think there is a set age limit on when someone will be a good parent. So, when people are encouraged to give their baby to someone who is older, it is not a guarantee that the older parent will be a better parent. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

DevonChaos	I can in no way judge that in someone other than myself. I had my first child at 21, and I wasn't ready, but I became ready fast. I had my second at 22, then my twins at 25, and my last at 28. I am fully able to cut out my social activities and focus 100% on my life with my children. My husband is a couple of years older, and he was very ready by the time the kids came. I can't fathom what it is in a person that makes them "ready". For me it was realizing that my children were THE utmost important things in my life. It meant working 2 jobs to support them. It meant giving up hanging out with friends. It meant dedicating every part of my life to them. It might mean something different to someone else though. I try to not judge this in others. It is a difficult road, but its not unattainable if you want it enough. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

IDK!!	I had a friend who became a single mom at 12 (baby's dad was 28 and went to prison) she did the best she could with what she had. she thrived once they got out of foster care and she was allowed to make the decisions. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Dreamweaver ILF posse 2009	lol...i was too young at 17 when I had my son. Hell I was too young at 30 and had 4 kids! lol Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Not Adopted	There is no ideal age at which a mother is "not too young" to be a mother. It all depends on the woman in question. Women have always given birth at youthful ages. The problem is modern society has decided that there is a laundry list of accomplishments to check off before one considers motherhood. This is both unrealistic and unnatural. Mother nature makes it easy for young woman to get pregnant and give birth to healthy babies. Waiting for the perfect moment after achieving everything on the list may lead to a barren womb. Simple fact of biology. I have a similar question: when is a woman "too old" to be a mother? Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Lori A	Well lets see, if 40 is the new 30 and 50 is the new 40,(counting fngers scratching head) 75? Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No