I'm 22, I want a kid, but I don't need one.

I am 36 and just had my first one. It is an amazing experience. If you are ready for it, then all the power to you.

Be ready for huge adjustments though to how you manage your time. :-)

Aaron

In the mean time:

Rent a Kid

:-Don

Justin, You could try being a big brother at the YMCA or something similar in your area.

Lot's of kids who are looking for a role model and someone to spend time with them.

Aaron

Kids. Who needs 'em, eh?

the sooner the better. It is too late for us (my wife and I).

See the movie idiocracy. The intro defines us. We just waited and waited... never thinking the moment was right. Now the moment is gone.

@Invert, I feel for you. I really do. This is one reason I am deeply concerned and want to start a family.

I have saved myself until the age of 25.

I know I can adopt and I will love the child just as much, but if I can have a kid around 25 - 27 I'm going for it.

But that of course means I need to find the right spouse.

@Bravo75, How can you call me negative? If anything I'm being positive

By calling someone that, you are bringing negativity into the circle. And in turn, you're being hypocritical.

Justin - if everyone put the time and effort in to thinking out having kids as carefully as you are, there would be no need of big brothers. There would be no life-threatening population explosion. There wouldn't be teens on the street looking for ways to hurt people instead of being helpful in building sustainable communities.

I support people in their wishes to have kids - but only when they use their heads to go about it instead of just relying on hormones. And I support people only having one or two at at the max. If someone needs more than replacement levels of kids, it's time to start adopting one or two of the millions already here that so urgently need homes and someone to care about what happens to them.

For 22, you have an excellent head on your shoulders. It can only be hoped that others your age and younger follow suit so we can clean up the mess made by those who didn't give a rip.

See the world before you settle down.


Andrew

You are all so kind. Thanks for the kudos.

I know I'm not ready right now. But when the time comes, I definitely will be.

I want my children to learn what's right and what's wrong and I want to set a good example for their futures. More than that, I don't want to give them "everything" they want. I want them to learn the same way I did.

If you want to succeed, it takes hard work and dedication. Those that succeed without it, sometimes don't realize how quickly they could fall.

I want my children to learn how to fall and pick themselves back up.

Now isn't my time.. but there will be a time where I will put my all into being a dad

Justin I admire the way you think and plan your future. And I agree with HeySal that it would be nice if everyone had such a good mindset and planned their future instead of so many teenage pregnancies and unwanted pregnancies that happen.

25 to 27 would be a great age for it, but unfortunately sometimes the timing of these things can be beyond our control. Take each day as it comes and when you meet Miss Right you'll know and things will progress in their own time from there.

Good luck!

PS. I have three kids here that you can borrow for a while, just so you can see what it feels like

Children are a lot of work and cost a lot of money. Over 18 years, they cost about as much as a modest house does.

You do have the right mind frame so I say, just keep going, do what you are doing and you will find the right woman to settle down with

Who needs a kid? I guess maybe if this was the 1900's and you needed more free farm labour or something. :p

Wow, Justin. Your mom must be very proud of you.

In fact we need to clone you quick and maybe you all can turn the world around.

So many of us didn't have father's in the picture and then had to raise our kids without them as well. Some didn't have either - they have nobody.

Not sure where I saw a story about the majority of people in prison were fatherless. I can see why because especially for boys, while mom's can do primary stuff (food and shelter) they really need a man around. (both the kid and the mom) to have a real 'family unit'.

Girls really do too and also read where fatherless girls are more likely to be divorced, be promiscuous etc - they don't know how to act around men, and are really looking for that relationship with their father when they get involved with men that can't love them time after time until they figure it out if they ever do.

Another option you seem like you will be big enough to consider is like a group home parent - where you might have 5 or 6 boys that are from 'troubled' families. You would have them 24/7 to create a nurturing environment.

Anyway, God bless you and keep you on your positive path of wisdom...

Thanks for being you.

p.s. I hope you wait to have your own kid until AT LEAST 25 - your life will not be your own really when you have your kid(s). It may seem fine looking at it from the 'outside' but is very different at 3am with screaming etc. lol.

Justin, from what I know of you.... you may not need a kid, but alot of kids need a guy like you.

BTW: Goat Milk can be gotten at Krogers, even cheese... so I agree. I mean why buy a goat when you can get the milk for $2.99?

Since I was 18 I decide to make own family because my relationship with my true family doesnt too good, I create not by finding kid but I finding best friend, now I have new family called fellowship.

I'm 25 this weekend and I'm not ready yet. Like you, I want to be set up in the mind, body and soul (and pocketwise) to allow me provide for the kids best as possible.
Hopefully my band will take off soon!

@Josh, hey since you have a band, you should consider creating websites, a facebook page, youtube channel, autoresponder, meetup (for events), forum, and a couple of other things I know they will definitely help because I organize a large motorcycle community and we help bands out.

And yea, it's not so much age, it's about being 100% ready.

My toddler is a great joy in way more ways than I imagined. That said, he doesn't ever doesn't let me "relax". It's like a having a pet raccoon. He climbs onto things or into things that I didn't know could be climbed or entered. I'm always scrambling around to stop him from trying to do an acrobat stunt on his dino-cart, pull him out of a cupboard, get him off the windowsill or bookshelf.

www(dot)childrental(dot)com is still available...

As for you my fellow warrior justin, I feel for you, mate. May I suggest that ye run a rig and dance them hempen jig on yer Jolly roger's place and blow them man down and give no quarters, eh?

Savvy?

I am about your age. Sometimes I even get the same feeling like yours.
But I know clearly that kid is never an easy piece of cake for young people. The focus on real life has always overwhelmed the feeling to get a baby soon. Life is still hard. I still need keep going on.

OK, this question has been kind of nagging at me. What does "need" a kid mean?

I'm 21 and whenever I saw kids, I always have the feeling that I want to have one or at least adopt a kid. LOL.

Maybe it's a stage where you think you're ready to have kids..

xD

Me too, I'm 22 this year and love helping people..

I always dreamed of helping people and make their life better, preach the gospel to them etc..

In order for me to help others, I think I have to help myself first - if I cannot help myself.. then how can I help others? (make sense?)

Well, on the side line right now I'm only helping others part time.. once I have more experience, knowledge etc.. I'll go into full time soon..

btw I love kids too!!!

God bless you,
Jeremiah