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The Perks Of Young Motherhood
Parenting

The Perks Of Young Motherhood

I got pregnant right after my 22nd birthday. It didn't take long at all to realize there is a ton of negativity associated with becoming a mother young. Despite the fact that having kids in your early 20's was the norm just decades ago, society has switched up so much that it's shocking and not all that respected to have babies young.

There's an expectation that women need to get highly educated, find career success, and then have a baby. Essentially, there's an emphasis on the idea that you need to be 100% personally fulfilled before starting a family (obviously no consideration is given to the fact that for many women, motherhood IS personal fulfillment.)

I decided to take some time to celebrate young moms. It's a different lifestyle choice but a beautiful one that comes with many wonderful benefits that people often overlook. Please keep in mind, I'm not intending to disrespect anyone else's choices, just offering some support to young moms who don't always get much of it.

Energy

So being a parent is exhausting. It's going to be exhausting no matter when you decide to take the plunge. Sleepless nights, long days, no time to recharge. It's overwhelming at best. But my body is young and I know it's an advantage. Even though I feel completely and totally drained most days, I can't imagine navigating that in my 40's. As tired as I am, I can get through the days and I have the energy to play and engage with my son and I feel really blessed.

Time

Now, not to be dramatic but I do have to disclaimer that life is fragile and obviously none of us can know how long we have. However, assuming you have a long life, having a child at age 20 vs age 40 is a huge difference in how much time you'll have together. I don't necessarily believe thinking concerns about death should be a huge factor in deciding when to have kids but as a young parent it's nice to think "I met you sooner so I get to love you longer."

Grandkids!

I know, I know.. WAY far off but hear me out. I've done that math on it and I figure if you have your child at 40 and then they do the same, you won't have much opportunity to get to be the fun grandma. Having kids young means you have more of a chance to enjoy your grandchildren one day and after all that mom-ing, we've earned that!

The Journey

This is the biggest perk for me. Having my son so early means that he's part of my journey. Of course all our children are part of our life's journey no matter when they join us but I love that he gets to be part of so much of mine. I truthfully haven't done much yet at this point in my life but having my son doesn't mean I won't do other things and I consider it a gift that he will be part of that and get to see it. He's not just a piece of my puzzle I add in later, he's part of the beautiful picture (and life) I'm building.

I can't stress enough that this isn't meant to offend older moms or invalidate their choices. For every benefit to young motherhood, there's a benefit to waiting, too. I think my point is, we should celebrate motherhood at any stage of life. It's a beautiful gift and there is no perfect time for your whole life to change. Embrace your motherhood and savor every moment of your babies, because one thing that's true for all of us is that it flies by far too quickly.


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Gillian W

Gillian is a 20-something Canadian blogger/writer, wife, and mother of one. Her work can be found on various publications including; Elite Daily, Unwritten, Huffington Post, Her Track, MissHeard Magazine, and of course, MomsBeyond. When it comes to "Mom-Blogging", her philosophy is simple: be authentic. Her ability to fearlessly "tell it like it is" makes her work a must-read for any mom or mom-to-be.

gillianwatts.wordpress.com
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