Plenty of married men run off after their wives get pregnant. Changing one's name or finding other ways to disappear can protect them from having to pay child support. On the other hand, plenty of domestic partners could very well be committed to raising their children. Remember, being married is more expensive than living together w/o marriage b/c of the extra taxes, so it's quite beneficial to raising the children if you keep that money for yourself.

I think you are only ready for a baby after marriage when you are most sure your husband won't run off because you are pregnant.

umm...well, I think that first of all you should be an adult, who has a stable job, a place to live and who has the time in there hands to raise a child. I don't know what age exactly, but those are the four primary things I think one should have before thinking of having a child.

sweet day.

an age where you are
happily married, and have a roof over your head and a steady source of income
yeah your sis made a mistake
at least she didn't get an abortion
its nice when people are strong enough to have and care for the baby

strange... Anyway, the time to have a child is after you
1)finish your education
2)have a stable relationship with your partner.
If you can accomplish both of those at a young age, you can be a young parent. If you're too old to have kids by the time you meet these 2 criteria, your genes are probably undesirable anyway so do us a favor and get out of the pool.

you are old enough to have a baby when you are old enough to take care of it... but now a days it's not the easiest thing to be 13 and a parent because societies aren't geared towards you. it's no longer a time period where it might have been ok because females were expected to start families young. and from what i know statistically many young parents don't finish school because they need to drop out to have the baby then get work, etc but they're getting more and more programs to help young parents with things like daycare in or near the schools, the academic and vocational classes, parenting classes, etc. but please don't any of you 14 year olds go out and get pregnant now! so nmany girls get pregnant by accident (and a lot do on purpose). i've wanted to be a mom since i was 12 but i got pets instead lol i'll be 25 soon and i still don't have kids yet. one day i will when i'm ready and my fiance tells my i'll know when that is.

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Never. Mandatory birth control for everyone!

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Not too bad of an idea.

11!? coool!!!!!! I donno, thats a little young... I'd say 13

- Eskimoe Nicole

The ripe old age of 11 sounds good to me.

Never. Mandatory birth control for everyone!

somewhere around 75 is my perfect age to have a baby

i think ppl should wait till they're married, around 24 or 25.

In general, I'd say it's best to wait till you're in a committed relationship to have a baby (not necessarily married. My parents never got married but it wasn't because they didn't love each other or weren't committed to each other, they just didn't see the point/couldn't be bothered etc. They are completely committed to each other, marriage makes no difference to them). Mind you my parents had only been together about three months when I was conceived. It was an accident but they still coped once I was born… So I guess it is a matter of chance sometimes. Having triplets (yep I'm one of three) so early in their relationship could have easily broken them apart but it didn't because it was true lurve (awww). So whatever works for you I guess.

I don't think teen pregnancy is a good idea though. Some girls see it like getting a puppy or something… a girl in one of my classes said 'I don't want to have a baby this year, I'd like one next year though'. Yeah, you know, it won't be a baby all that long, it won't always be small and cute… it'll grow up and you'll be responsible for shaping a whole human being, whether they're a good person or a bad person, their ability to cope with life and the way they treat others. A baby's for life, not just for Christmas!

I think the best age to have a baby and not let it affect your youth is when you are not a youth. I think when girls get pregnant too young their are emotional problems, financial problems, but physical problems as well. Girls who have baby's when they are in their teens have a much higher risk of losing their baby as well as having birth defects. It is difficult enough having a baby when you are an adult but teens who are not yet fully developed physically go through twice as many problems. I don't think a specific age limit should be put on getting pregnant or having a baby but I do think the woman should be able to support the baby financially, be able to give it the attention it deserves, and to provide it with a good family life. Not necessarily a "mom" and a "dad" but the kind of family who will love the baby the way it should be loved. Afterall, the baby did not make the decision to come into this world, it was the parents decision, and a helpless child should not be blamed for something their parents did.

In most situations I'm very liberal, but in this case I suppose my views are a bit more conservative . . . I do think that it's ridiculous when couples try to conceive and want a baby but aren't ready for the commitment of marriage. Having a baby is a commitment. To your child, to your partner. People shouldn't have children with people they aren't ready to make a commitment to. If the baby was a mistake, that's another matter. Gay couples adopting also goes in a separate category. I do think that all children should have positive male and female role models that are always there for them, if at all possible. I do not think that most teenagers are ready to be parents. In many cases, teenagers who want babies want them because they want somebody to love them unconditionally because in the past, nobody has. They often come from abusive homes. A baby won't fix any of their problems.

I don't have an exact age. People should have children when both parents are emotionally and financially ready to provide for them

I don't think there is a certain age u should have a baby at. It all depends on you and when you're ready. Don't rush things but if you feel ready, go for it! It all depends on you and your beliefs and morals.

Why does it have to been an age thing? AGe has nothing to do with haveing a baby. The only thing that matters is is the baby gonna be takin care of and is it gonna get love. the mother's age has nothing to do with it, when u become a mother thats what you are and losing your youth is your prob and should not be worried about when u become a parent!!!
BABY

Well, I know I'm not planning on having any children (if any at all) until I'm over 25, married, established, and healthy.
Of course, there are people who can and will have children younger, and without that security, but that IS there choice.

I think that the girl spoken of in the original post has to be going through the toughest time of her life.
My mother had me around the same age too, so I know what she must be experiencing. It's sad.

I think there is no given age of when it's a good time to have a baby. Every person matures differently. If a woman feels that she has what it takes ( emotionally, mentally, and finiancially) to support a baby then she should go for it.

I think that the good age is 25 or older and the mother has to be able to support her baby economically and emotionally.