Men having kids in their 20's

[cloudywater]

I'm asking purely because I'm curious and being a bit nosy but from your experience would you say in today's world is it not that common for men to have children when they are in their 20s. I'm asking because I've noticed a lot of footballers seem to have children when they are young. I'm just wondering from your social circles how common is it for men to have kids before the age of 30?

all the men in my family have started in their 20s. My husband will be 3 months short of his 30th birthday when we have our first baby. I am the older partner though (31 this year), so we didn't want to leave it later - together 11 years so we have waited a long time already.

In the 1970s / 80s I would say it was usual but now I don't. I think most 20 year olds don't have the money and or inclination.

Husband was settled and desperately wanted to start a family at 25.

For me it is common. Usually around 25.
I'm around a lot of religious people so that may be why.

Dh was 26 when I had our first and 34 when I had our last. Fairly average I think. I am 3 years younger than dh and when my eldest started school I was 28. Most of the other mums were aged between 25 and 30 so I was in the middle but the upper end. When my youngest started school I was 36 and most of the other mums were aged 25-30. There are 2 other mums in his class the same age as me but I think dh is the only dad over 40. When I was in hospital having my youngest dh and I were the oldest parents by several years. The next youngest couple were having their 3rd after a big age gap due to secondary infertility. Most of the first time parents were in their late teens.

It’s not common in my social circle. All of my make friends had babies in their 30s (a lot of them in their late 30s). DH was 30 when we had DS1.

I know some of DS1’s friends’ parents are still in their 20s. The only man I know who had a child in their 20s was married to an older woman. I think it was a mixture of being settled but also being aware that her ‘biological clock was ticking’ type of situation. He has since divorced and had children with other women, but he was over 30 with these ones.

Most people I know have children in their 20s - both men and women.

The only men I know who haven't had children til their 30s seem to vary between immature 'lad' types who didn't want to settle down and solicitor types who didn't marry til their late 30s and wouldn't have dreamed of starting a family without marriage.

Isn’t bogan a derogatory work for indigenous Australian people?

@SimonJT no its more like chav. I usually think of white people when I hear it but I don't know if it can also apply to other ethnicities in Australia, if they are chav-like.

I mean individuals of other ethnicities who act chavvy, not applying to whole races!

Fairly common amongst my family and friends. DH and I were living together at 21, married by 25, and had DC1 at 27 without family complete by 35. We certainly won't the only ones and went to many weddings, baby showers, and christenings thrown by our friends, cousins and siblings during that time period.

Common with my family/friends - each to their own.

@SimonJT It's like the equivalent of a red neck and I think in the UK it's chav? Correct me if I'm wrong.

It's just a word used to describe someone that's a bit rough, drinks a lot, gets around in ugg boots... that kind of thing. Usually white people. As far as I know it has nothing do to with aboriginal people.

Is this not a tiny bit disingenuous? The more highly educated/middle class you are, the older you are starting a family. If you are uneducated and/working class, you start younger. So the opening question is kind of more “are you and your friends middle class or not?”

Completely normal. Both myself and my then husband were in our twenties when both our children were born.

And I am highly educated.

@astoundedgoat

Is this not a tiny bit disingenuous? The more highly educated/middle class you are, the older you are starting a family. If you are uneducated and/working class, you start younger. So the opening question is kind of more “are you and your friends middle class or not?”

Absolutely this.

@80sMum I think bogan means chavvy

I think there is a huge class component to this - the more middle class you are, the later you have kids on the whole.

Late 20s seems to be the ‘average’ amongst my circle and people I went to school with. My 2 closest friends from school both both met husband at uni, married at 27ish then had first baby at 28/29.

I’d say from Facebook this is a common trend, suddenly lots of people getting married and expecting first baby around the 26-29 mark.

Most people that I know have started families in their 20s. I had my first at 21 and second at 25, my partner is 4 years older. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be 30+ before having my first.
Doesn't make us "bogan". We're homeowners, have been to university and both have good jobs.

DH was 28 when we had our first but he'd have been younger if it was up to him - I was the one dragging my heels about starting a family. Our good friends had children around the same time. But that was 24 years ago and we had long left home and had our own place for a good few years. It is different for a lot of young people now, with rent and property prices so exorbitant they stay at home for longer. Also - both DH and I had nightmare parents we couldn't wait to get away from, but are so lovely ourselves the children have no reason to want to leave home

My 3 brothers all married early 20's and had one or two children before they were 30.

most of the fathers I know had their children in their 20s

the only ones in my friendship circles who dont are actually with women who already have kids.

Common with people I know.

Completely unheard of here.