Partner (M22) isn't sure whether he will want kids in the future

[OnionOver]

Hey all,
So my boyfriend and I are both 22, happy together and can see a future together (yes I am aware we are both very young!). However, he isn't sure whether or not he wants children. He isn't opposed to children by any means, he just has no idea how he will feel when the time rolls around.
This is concerning for us, because I do want children. It worries me because I might stay with him and then he decides he doesn't want kids, meaning I am faced with the decision of breaking up with him or choosing to be childless. However, he may well choose that he does want children, and he's very much hoping that he will because he doesn't want to break up either.
Part of me feels like maybe that's normal for a 22 year old to not be sure? He's still at university and hasn't got a job or a house yet. I don't want to break up with someone I love deeply on the chance that they might not want children in 8 years time. But, I have told him that at some point in the future I will need some more certainty on this, which he understands. It's really hard. Has anyone been through anything similar and can give me any support?

Why not decide to put this issue to one side and discuss it again in say 4 years if you are still together? Your relationship may well run its course for other reasons and you will have spent all this time and angst on something that is academic anyway.
I think you should respect that he has given you an honest answer and stop worrying about it for now

I was in your position in final year of uni - we stayed together but by the time we were mid 20's I wanted some clarity - he still didn't know and so we broke up.
I had a nightmare for the next 10 years - hooking up with what turned out to be arseholes and often regretted giving up my 'nice' boyfriend for idiots I was never going to have children with either.
In the end I did meet someone good at 35 and it was quite a rush to get baby making.
It worked out, but it was pretty stressful... With hindsight I wish I had been mature enough to have good communication at an earlier age and probably dump the nice guy sooner and not be such an idiot at picking attractive/flash men who were complete nightmares...

@Casmama

Why not decide to put this issue to one side and discuss it again in say 4 years if you are still together? Your relationship may well run its course for other reasons and you will have spent all this time and angst on something that is academic anyway. I think you should respect that he has given you an honest answer and stop worrying about it for now

Yeah I think that's what we've decided to do

@jillandhersprite

I was in your position in final year of uni - we stayed together but by the time we were mid 20's I wanted some clarity - he still didn't know and so we broke up. I had a nightmare for the next 10 years - hooking up with what turned out to be arseholes and often regretted giving up my 'nice' boyfriend for idiots I was never going to have children with either. In the end I did meet someone good at 35 and it was quite a rush to get baby making. It worked out, but it was pretty stressful... With hindsight I wish I had been mature enough to have good communication at an earlier age and probably dump the nice guy sooner and not be such an idiot at picking attractive/flash men who were complete nightmares...

I'm glad everything worked out for you. I've made it very clear that I will need a clear answer by my mid 20s and he knows that.

He doesn't feel too worried as he thinks it's probably fairly normal to feel a bit unsure at his age, and reckons he will probably end up wanting kids as the majority of people do (no disrespect to anyone who chooses to be child free). Just his personality type means he is very unlikely to say something in case he then goes back on it. So that all reassures me a bit.
But if by my mid 20s I still don't have a clear enough answer he knows that will have to be the end - hope it doesn't come to that!