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geomark | 1 year ago

Have kids later. After early retirement if you can.

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paulryanrogers|1 year ago

I don't recommend having kids in ones mid 30s or later. It's been quite difficult for us. YMMV.

pchristensen|1 year ago

There are definite, unambiguous downsides to having kids when you're older.

bitfilped|1 year ago

Same for having them when you're younger, the downsides are just different.

anon291|1 year ago

I honestly completely disagree. We had kids young and honestly it was so much easier in our 20s than it is now with a baby in our 30s. Despite having more money, babies are just harder as you get older. It's the moderate things. With our first, I was so active and nimble. Now I have slight back pain and stuff but it makes me noticeably less active with my third.

By the time my oldest is an adult, I will be in my early 40s. That's still young enough to do whatever you want to do. I encourage people to have kids young. Honestly, we should normalize having kids in college (free daycare, etc). This would be great for young women especially. Yes, it might stretch out how long it takes them to get a degree. But if dad completes it in four years and starts working, by the time dad starts working, the child is school aged and now doesn't need daycare. Then mom can complete her degree while dad works full time, and graduate with a six year old and job prospects. Kind of jealous of all my mormon friends at BYU who did this lol. By the time their kids are grown they'll be 40 year olds with professional careers, ready to do whatever they want, with the bonus of money.

On the other hand, the first-time parents I know in their mid 30s are struggling. It's harder. You're more tired. Also, by the time you're done you're getting ready to retire.

geomark|1 year ago

Most of my friends had kids young. They were busy working and hardly saw them grow up. A few were fortunate that the mothers could and wanted to stay home. The others all had their kids raised by daycare workers. When they found out what was happening in schools all they could do was scream about it. When covid hit and the schools shut those parents were buried and their kids suffered setbacks in their education. That's the standard routine. No thanks.