Do young parents make good parents?

Question

When I say young I mean under the age of twenty two.

Regardless what they are "missing out on", do you believe the majority of young parents are good of parents?

Do you think the older the parents--the better the parenting?

--OR--

Do you think age has no relevance?

Please list why or why not. Thank you for your response!

Answer 1

It all depends on the people involved. I've seen good and bad parents at 16, 26, 36, etc. For some people, parenting comes natural to them; while others were definitely not cut out to be fit parents.

There's pros and cons to both. Although I feel all children should have the opportunity to at least finish high school before starting their own family. Someone as young as13 years is definitely way too young, as they're still a child themselves.

However, once they're graduated, fully aware of the responsibilities included, AND mature enough to handle the responsibility, they COULD be great parents.

Answer 2

I think any age can be a good parent. Heck, even a 10 year old can be a good parent, just they may not be able to work, as the Government does not allow this. So, they would HAVE to get money from others sources. Good parenting depends on Maturity and Morals. So, a child that seems more in touch with reality may make a good parent as opposed to a child that wants free money by having a child. When we study History we can see this is true. Heck, there were Kings when they were only a child and some less than 10 years old, they lead Nations! True, most may have had Adult advisers to help them learn and make proper decisions. Which, this would still hold true for a young parent. IF, they truly are good parents then they would seek the advise of older people, use what seems appropriate and discard advise that not seem relevant.

Answer 3

I don't think age is all that relevant. I became a mother at 19, and now I have two kids, and they're doing a lot better than many kids out there. I think that your parenting skills come mainly from the way you were parented. If you have bad instincts stemming from your childhood, then you may learn to overcome those if you are older. But if your instincts are good, you'll be a good parent at any age.
I know a lot of older parents, too--in their 40s and 50s--and I think they can over-think things, if anything. They treat their children too much like adults.

Answer 4

Sometimes. If a young parent has a good support system - such as their parents to help them - they can be AWESOME parents. BUT, if they're "clueless" (for lack of a better term) some important things can be overlooked or missed - especially with the child's health or development.

But on the flip side - older parents tend to be more high-strung. They often need more handholding from doctors because they think every sneeze means the kid has the bubonic plague. However, they're often more aware of things that are "REALLY" wrong with the kid - whereas a younger parent may not be that in tune.

Honestly, I don't think age is as much a factor as willingness to be a parent. You can have a 21 year old who can't wait to be a parent and will be fantastic at it, but you can also have a 31 year old who isn't really interested in being a parent, and therefore might not be great at it.

Answer 5

There are good and bad parents at any age. My younger sister was 16 when she had her first child. She had a lot of help from my parents so she could finish high school, she has been married to the father of her children for 10 years now and both are thriving. Her daughter is 15 now and beautiful. Children are precious and can be a handful. If you give them love and what they need; and remember that every decision you make once that baby is born affects them too you will be fine. All parents can do anyway is show their children the way to interact with the world and other people.

Answer 6

I am 22 and my daughter is 3. I am pregnant with our second child now. :) I am a better parent then people I know that are 25, 30 and 40 something. I also know people that are my age and not the best parents. A girl I know just had her baby about 17 days ago . She is only 18 and a wonderful mother to her child. It does not matter what age the person is. It depends on the person.

Answer 7

the age does not matter.
Often, younger parents had unplanned pregnancies and still have to balance school, the desire to party and to make ends meet. Sometimes they regret having children or decide to go wild in their 40's. The upside is that they tend to be the "cool" parents when the kid is in high school, and tend to be closer.
On the other hand older parents can offer more comfortable life, and their kids are usually planned and wanted, meaning less likely to be neglected. The downside is that they may have less energy for playing, but that's not always true- I know lethargic teens and hyper 50-year-olds.
There is no rule- it's up to the person, age is just a number.

Answer 8

I think all parents, no matter the age, can be good parents and all parents, no matter the age, can be crappy parents. I was 21 years and 8 months when my daughter was born and I think I'm a great parent.

One good thing about being young is I have energy. A lot of my friends who are parents are over 30 and some of them are closer to 40. They don't seem to have has much energy for running and chasing after toddlers.

Answer 9

When I had my oldest daughter I was 20 she is now 5 1/4 years old. Out of my personal opinion age is nothing but a number. I do not regret having my daughter when i was 20. I did not "Miss out" on anything. I love spending that time with my daughter when she was a baby because now she is very independent and caring and respectful of others. So in my opinion I would say that it depends on how you are raised. I had a great loving family but I was very determined that even with there help I was going to do the best things that i knew was right for her. I didn't abandon her with my family like some people think that young moms do and that i have seen be done.

Answer 10

Well Im only 18 and Im 5 weeks pregnant and I believe that I am going to be a great mother and the father will do his best to do the same. It doesnt matter abotu your age because most ofthe time the parents are grown and dont do anything for the baby. Besides Im not like regular teens. Partis and the high life dont appeal to me so I think Ill have enough time for my baby and myslef and with the love of two parents the baby will be fine.