Does the parents' age matter in the quality of a child's upbringing?

There are two types of "age" - the physical, real age and the emotional/mental age. Having a child is a responsibility that most of us take so serious that we end up worrying every step of the way. Worrying about what our age means when it comes to quality upbringing on top of that is probably unnecessary hassle. It's not something that you can change after all, at least not the physical age. If you are truly worried you might be younger or older than you'd want to be to offer the perfect mix, how about you think about what you feel the perfect age would be and act accordingly. You might be well into your 40s and decide that you want to be a modern and friendly parent, and I believe this is achievable. Although some don't see it that way, children can shave a few years from your emotional age and keep you young and energetic. On the other hand, you might be younger and you could feel overwhelmed by the experience, but who isn't, right? Having a child helps you grow into a responsible person and, whether you want it or not, it puts you on the spot. I think that you can just think about your age as "how long have I had this baby" and calculate it according to their age. If they are 5 or 6, you're in the age of playing, whether you're 20 or 40, and so on and so forth. Good luck, enjoy your bundle of joy, give it love and understand that there's no recipe for raising a baby aside for loving it and having its best interest in mind. You will make mistakes and they will get to an age when they will understand that what mattered most was that you were there for them.

No, a parent's age does not matter in the quality of a child's upbringing. As long as the child is being cared for, loved, and being taught important core values, the age doesn't matter at all; all that matters is the love for that child.

I myself, am a young parent of one, soon to be two, and i do not think that age matters. It is the mental state and motivation to be the best parent to your child that you can possibly be that matters. Love and compassion can be shown no matter what the age of the parent. That is what a child wants the most.

I think "the right age to raise children" is as much a myth as "the perfect mom/dad". Plain and simple: it doesn't exist. Unique to each couple or individual will be their circumstances, their emotional readiness, financial stability, career development, personal goals etc., all factors that will need to be taken into account. Some people will put more weight on certain factors and others will hold different factors as important to their decision to become a parent. Even then, with the best planning and intentions, sometimes fate takes care of things and voila! you're a parent, no matter your age. I don't think age should be an issue at all, but rather the quality time, attention and love you bring your children up with. Good luck to all the parents out there and don't let anybody ever make you feel guilty about parenthood because of your age.

Not at all! Parenting is all about love, support and trying your best. It doesn't matter your age, if you commit to be a good parent, therefore, you'll be.

In a sense, one could argue that the older someone is, in hindsight, the more experience they have and the more adept that are in terms of raising children. However, I wouldn't necessarily bank on that because good parenting is based more on knowledge and understanding rather than age -- age doesn't ensure those qualities -- but awareness does. I would say reach out in a collective sense, if possible, and involve both families when plausible. With collectiveness and family-interaction, well, age is only important as working together with those around you to truly benefit your children.

While it'd be best not to have a child at a very young age, things do happen and they shouldn't be judged for it. If the parents are responsible, mature, and give their child a good, happy life it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

I don't think so. I believe that it's all about the nourishment and love towards the child. Any person no matter what their age can have great quality as a parent.

I was 21 and my partner was 19 when she became pregnant with our child. We were both mature and financially stable enough to support our little girl. I don't believe it's age that matters, rather what emotional intelligence level the parents are at and their ability to provide. I have seen 17 year olds be great, loving parents.

Yes a parent need to be old enough to have the knowledge to raise a child. A child cannot raise a child without school and street smarts

I mean, I don't think its a big deal at becoming pregnant when your a teenager, its only a big deal if you don't treat and take care of the baby like it deserves. Age is sort of a big deal, but then its not.

This is one of those "loaded questions". People of varying ages can, and do have varying degrees of maturity and experience. It is entirely possible for someone who is in their early teens to end up being much better equipped for parenthood both intellectually and emotionally than someone twice their age. Just as there are young people who have matured early, there are older people who have yet to reach that point. Age isn't really a factor in determining the quality of care a person will bring to a child. More importantly are things like experience, support, and emotional capabilities. I have seen fifteen and sixteen year old mothers be absolutely brilliant parents. I've also, sadly, seen mothers in their 30's who are neglectful, selfish, and emotionally unavailable to the children they've brought into the world. The short answer is: no, the age of a child's parents does not factor into the quality of a child's upbringing.

I was 21 when I had my first child, and 41 when I had my 7th. While I would say their upbringings were different, I wouldn't say the quality was significantly different. When you are young, you can be more actively engaged, but when you are older, you have much more life experience under your belt. It is not worth agonizing over. There is no "perfect" age for parenting.

no. as long as you are mature enough to handle the responsibility of a child, and you feel as though you are ready to take that step in your life, age shouldn't really matter

I don't think it's the age, necessarily but the situations the child goes through. I had a baby at 16, and I had a baby at 22. I notice a VAST difference between the two kids, but mostly because I believe the second child's life is more stable (has a father around) and my first child unfortunately, went through some pretty rough ups and downs with me. At one point we lived under a bridge for three days...then we both went into Child Family Service care. I think the more stable a child is, the better the upbringing. It's jus what I have seen from around and personal experience.

There is an affect but it determines more on the actions of the parent.

No, age doesn't matter. Its all about how much they know on how to bring up a child and what they should do as parents.

If a parent is too young to emotionally support a child, then yes, that will affect the quality of that child's upbringing. No doubt there are many teenagers and young adults who have enough love to offer, but they might not have the life experience necessary to help a child through certain phases of life. If a teenager or young person wants to parent, I think it would be very important for that young person to have a solid support system in place. Family, friends, social workers, therapists, teachers, mentors, neighbors-- anyone who will be able and willing to offer assistance and advice when it's needed. Without a support system, it doesn't matter what your age is-- being a parent can be really tough! If you haven't had much experience with infants or good role models for parenting, though, you might have an even tougher time.

The parents' age will affect a child's upbringing, but there is no "best age" for parenting - parents of any age can be loving, supportive guides for a child. Older parents may be more limited in the physical activities they can participate in, and younger parents may be more uncertain about their lifestyle and goals, but neither of those means more or less quality in a child's life, just differences.

Depends. There are bad parents who are in their mid-forties; there are good parents who started as teen parents. It's more so about the maturity level and skill of the parents. While yes, much wisdom comes with age, young people can have more wisdom than older people give them credit for. The age doesn't usually matter, but typically older parents may be a bit better at parenting just because they have a bit more experience. But again, teen parents can be perfectly good parents; it's all about maturity level, responsibility, and skill.

It does, but it shouldn't. The older you are, the more life experience you probably have (but that doesn't mean you're mature and it doesn't mean you should have a kid). Some young people are fantastic parents, some older people are awful parents. It really depends on the person, their own upbringing, and the experiences they've had during their life (however long that has been thus far). I personally think the older the better as it will give one more time to create a stable environment (financially, emotionally, etc.) but every home and family is different and beatuiful.