Kirsty Allsopp says ditch university and have baby by 27

[Prettyinbeige]

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/jun/02/kirstie-allsop-young-women-ditch-university-baby-by-27

I know it's different for everyone but I completely agree with this article.

For me having my son at 22 was the best thing I ever did. It made me a much stronger and more confident person, which then in turn has helped me in pursuing a career and building a life for us.
I think I would have found things a lot harder if I had built a career and a life to then have to sacrifice it in order to have a baby.

I also understand in some cases it isn't possible for people to have children before a certain age. But I guess what I'm saying is I see some sense in what Kirsty is saying

Has she no idea how priveleged she is? I think not.

I used to be a fan of Kirsty. Sigh.

I do agree with the points in the article that people shouldn't feel pressured to fit everything into this short space of time and that it's fine to choose having a home or a baby over going to uni or to have a baby first and think about your career later. I still don't believe in telling everyone what they should and shouldn't be doing though

I had two DC before I reached 27, I also didn't go to uni and regret having the DC so young. I have missed out on a lot, not least a decent chance of having a well paid job or any job.

Education is so important and it's not a case to just have children or get a degree. It's ridiculously simplistic.

The best biological age (health wise for mum and baby) to have a child is 19.

Female fertility declines from age 25

But almost no women know this!

This isn't about KA.

I prefer the way this issue is discussed by Sylvia Ann Hewlett in her books esp 'baby hunger'.

Most women intend to have DCs.

Most women intend to take maternity leave, with a significant number wanting an extended career break.

The traditional career path (for mc people like KA at least) is:
Complete school
Go to Uni
Possible postgrad qualifications/training/internship
Build career
Gain promotions

This is a male model.

Mothers (ie the majority of women) will only be on an equal footing if either this system changes or if the role of fathers significantly changes.

ouryve I am 25 so not old at all but actually like Kirstie's style - I have a similar shape and colouring, and love full skirts. I hadn't noticed the moustache thing but I am a similar pale-and-dark-haired, hairy woman so I do like that. I like her until she opens her mouth

weatherall is there also an issue of it taking longer to meet an SO, and more out LGBT women who obviously have other issues in having children? Traditionally LGBT women would just stay in the closet and everyone would marry someone they knew from their local area, rather than searching for 'the one' from a bigger pool. It's definitely tricky to have kids by 25 if you've not found anyone to have kids with!

I think it's a lie to say no degree = no job.

I've worked for managers with no degree. It's not uncommon - I live in a county with no university and there are loads of successful working adults here without degrees. It's also common in housing associations or charities where you can still 'work your way up'.

Oops sorry - I refreshed the page and posted an earlier post...

On newsnight now.

She has melasma. She's made comments on this on her twitter in the past. It's not a moustache fgs.

Auntie I don't follow her twitter and had no idea, sorry.

Myrtle - not if you use donor sperm.

according to one study, women age 19 to 26, sex on their most fertile had a 50% chance of leading to pregnancy. For women age 35 to 39, the odds were 29%. Decline, but not exactly "you will be infertile the minute you turn 30!!!" like DailyFail would like us to believe.

I think shes right, I know of lots of people who are struggling with infertility because of their age. I think there is another message to take from it though - that education can wait.
The person you were when you left school is often completely different to the person you are later and lots of people opt for a change of career and find themselves going back to college etc later if life.
If you had your children and family first, got to know your adult self a bit better, then embarked on a career choice it might help overcome certain challenges you would have otherwise encountered.
Though I do accept that this may not actually be possible if you live or wish to live in London.

Never mind what women want.

Most m/c educated men don't want a family until they're well over 30.

Maybe she also feels women should marry a man 10 years their senior.

If the press is to be believed, KA's partner is a millionaire property developer. It would be fair to assume that, if they had a daughter, they could help her onto the property ladder and through university. Just as they will, no doubt, help their two sons do both.

sillylass - the problem with that model is that tou have to start at the beginning with kids to look after. Hard to do those real invest the time and effort years with kids and a partners career to consider.

The thing about people in the media is - that they are only in work and in the media if they say things which gets them noticed. So a calm reasoned comment will probably be ignored by the papers so anything has to be a bit provocative to be noticed.

Being noticed leads to more attention and thus more media work.

15 years seems like quite a long time to me. I had my children at 28 and 29 having been to university, worked for quite a few years and getting a masters degree. I was very fortunate to get a large leg up on buying a house, and expect to do the same for my children (thanks to my father's generosity). I like that now I'm in my early 40s my children are pretty independent and in a few years will be off to university giving dh and I freedom to do our own thing again. It's all worked out very well so far.

My room mate at university has just had her second child and appears to be blissfully happy. Different choices, no bad thing. Neither of us sacrificed our lives to have children as parenthood was a conscious choice.

The people I know who had children much earlier are generally not in very good financial positions, but that's because neither parent is well educated or has a good job. Those that have done degrees later in life have not found it easy to get entry level jobs because of competing with young graduates. It's definitely not a route I have recommended to my children (dd and ds).

Oh and I think finding a partner and having children before you know yourself is a hell of a lot more risky than going to university (which is after all an ideal place to grow up/find yourself). Education is life long though I agree.

The massive advantage of being an older mother is that you have had lots of time to do as you please, discover the world and find yourself. Older parents are more skilled and much more fun!

the thing that pisses me off is that the home ownership is seen as the be all and end all. Why isn't education more important then owning a house? Why shouldn't women choose to learn rather then saving to buy a house? I just don't think the worth of them is same.

Oh and I didn't go to uni straight away, I still had a baby latish and i still don't own a house.

I'm 29 and did things all the wrong way round. Had baby at 23 then another at 26. Doing the last yr of my degree now with a 3 and 6yr old in tow is NOT EASY and not something I'd recommend to anyone. Then again I feel I'm done with the having babys stage and its not something I wish to revisit, I'm ready to move on. I know lots of people that have done things the right and wrong way round and most seem to manage, I think women are incredibly adaptable these days.