is 17 too young 4 a baby?

Question

please help me i love kids i have a lot nieces and nephews and i love to take care of them

Answer 1

If you are not in a serious marriage, yes. Taking care of children you can send home or care for at your leisure is so much different than having one of your own. As well, not having a spouse that helps care for that child when you are to exhausted is also a must. My wife just had our second child. Our first was born almost 8 years ago. It has been quite a refresher, the diapers, the feedings at midnight, 3 AM, 6 AM etc. I help out my wife as much as I can. If she has pumped and has milk in a bottle, I try to take some of those early morning feedings off her hand so she can get some rest. In my opinion, you should be a well adjusted, married individual before thinking about having children. I know there are plenty of people that will disagree with the married part. But those are my beliefs. Hope this helps. God Bless

Answer 2

Yes. Get a clue. Just because you have nieces and nephews and love kids do not mean a darn thing. A child is not a playmate it is a 24 hour responsibility. Do you have a job? A place to live? A husband? When you can get all 3 then think about having a baby but right now you need to take care you first and enjoy life because once that baby comes into play there is no ripping and running with your friends like you do now. What a stupid question.

Answer 3

Yes it's too early to have a child. If you love being around children, then you should look into being a teacher for preschoolers or elementary kids or even look into child care. Get a degree in that. It's really hard to have a child by yourself. You will need to make sure that you will be able to take care of the child financially and mentally. You also need to make sure that you have a strong support group. When you have a child that young, most of your friends that don't have children, won't stick around.

Seriously, if you love the kids like that, then there are definitely a huge need out there for loving and caring people for the kids in the school systems. Alot of them may not have someone to help them or support them w/ their dreams or even care if they have any. You could change several children's lives just by being a part of it whether it be during that one school year or keep in touch thoroughout their years in school.

I think that you should finish school. If you plan on going to college, then do that first.

As far as the 12 year old saying no they don't think that it's too young. LOOK AT WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM!!!

They aren't able to get a job let alone raise a baby. They probably want to have one because they want someone to love and love them back. They probably aren't getting it from both parents or only one but desperately want it from the other.

Answer 4

If you have tons of support and your parents are fine with it then I don't see why it wouldn't be okay. But really why? Your 17, your supposed to be out at party's and going on road trips with friends, not sitting at home with a fussy baby who won't stop crying. Taking care of your nieces and nephews is way different then having your own baby. With nieces and nephews you can send them home to their parents when you get tired of them but with your own baby you are the parent it gets sent home too. Having a baby means giving up alot of your social life and having a baby this young can sometimes mean that the baby has medical problems which then means that you will be spending alot of time in doctors offices and hospitals. Do you really want that? How are you going to pay for all of it things? Medical bills, clothes, diapers, even food. Plan everything out before you make this giant leap into motherhood cause if you don't, you just might realize that you got more than you bargained for.

Answer 5

OMG yes! I had a baby at 19 and one at 21 (I was married even) and I love my kids, but I regret everyday that I had them so young and everything I missed out on! Baby-sitting and taking care of relative's kids is SO much different than having one of your own. You can give those kids back to their parents (and you don't have to pay for them). Even if you like taking care of kids, having the responsibility of one 24 hours a day/7 days a week for years on end is harder than I can even begin to explain! Also, you need to think about what the child needs (not what you want)--and chances are you can't give that to them at 17 y/o--no matter how much money your family has and how mature you feel you are! You also don't want to have to rely on the government or your parents to support you all the time (which is extremely selfish).

Please, if you value your quality of life, wait for at least a few more years (and preferably until you are married)!

TO TAYE328: Twelve years old!!!! It's not what YOU want, it's what the baby NEEDS!!! Think about what your parents will have to do for you and a new baby at this age---how selfish!

Answer 6

I'm really glad that you asked before you blindly lept. that shows maturity on your part. but, i do agree with most of the answers so far. yes, 17 is too young. i had my first child right after i turned 20. i had just gotten married, and was trying to adjust to two new life roles. i had my second daughter when i was 23. i still to this day think i was too young then. {although i wouldn't trade them for anything in the world, i would go back and do things differently if i could and plan a little better} (i postponed finishing college, and am still trying to make it back--8 years later) what i tell the young girls that i counsel is to get a puppy. (of course, with their parents' permission) they have to be 100% responsible for this puppy 100% of the time. if they feel that it in any way interferes with the kind of life they want to lead at this time, then they will know that they are not yet ready for a child. they have to take it out in the middle of the night, rain or shine, hot or cold. they have to walk it, give it exercise, unconditional love, and clean up after it's messes. just like you can't up and go away for the weekend without someone to take care of your new puppy, you can't get up and go away for the weekend with a newborn at home. and if you have to make a tough decision about what brand of blue jeans to buy (if you're used to buying designer clothes, but have to cut back to bargin store brands because they're cheaper), just so you'll have the money to buy your puppy the good puppy food with the right nutrients in it, then you may want to rethink whether or not you'll really have that extra $30 a week for formula (if you choose not to breastfeed) and the extra $20 a week for diapers. (and this is playing to the senerio that the baby is healthy, and just has regular well-baby check ups, and no serious health issues that they have to be treated for at the doctor's office very often) this doesn't even start to delve into the emotional stress and fatigue you feel when you have a new baby. the baby blues and post partum depression get to you and they hit younger mothers worse. then there's the fact that once the novelty wears off, all your friends stop coming around. to feel the fatigue, you could try to stay awake for about 36 hours straight with no sleep or no caffine, but i wouldn't recommend that ;) ! babies and children are the most precious gifts God gives to families. they should be cherished, loved, and well taken care of. they should be allowed to be children for as long as they can. this includes not becoming parents too soon. so if you want to have children someday, have them. but please, wait until the time is right, when you and your husband can love and care for them properly. this is your time. enjoy it. their time will come, when it does, make sure you are in a position that you can enjoy it.

Answer 7

Yes when the door of fun is just opening for you. Your almost 18 have fun, go to college, party, and then find a great man to marry. Then you can have kids. Nieces and nephews are nice but then you get to leave them and say bye I am going out. When they are yours that option is gone for at least the next 18 years.
Just keep helping watch them and then in a few years when the time is right...go for it.

Answer 8

Think first how much you can sacrifice. When one has a child, you give up many things....your freedoms...basically your lifestyle. When my son was born, it changed my life as I no longer had the leisure of skiing, backpacking etc. It is not an age problem but whether you can accept a radical change in your own life. Think also about the financial responsibility and the future of the child...can you and your mate afford college for the baby, health insurance, etc. These are vital issues to you. They make a big difference. I would highly suggest waiting until you are secure in a job and your partner is also, then planning for the arrival of your child.

Answer 9

Yes, it's too young. Taking care of someone elses children is ALOT different than having your own. With your own you have to provide financial support for them, you have to be with them 24/7, you have to wake up with them at night when they cry, you have to forgo all of the stuff that you want to do to give them your time. It's just not the right time at 17, you have to finish school, get married and be financially and emotionally stable before you have a child.

Answer 10

Yeah, 17 is too young...I was 17 when I had my first one, and it was VERY hard for me...you get a lot of negative feedback from people around you, and it's just hard to make it, you know?? Granted, I made it work, am 24 now, and doing really well for myself, but I had to work my butt off. I would advise to wait until you are graduated from high school, college, get married....you are young...live your life, and find out who you are before you make the commitment of being a parent...I hope this helped.