Not as old you are, and certainly not as old as your stale old nonsense.  I’m a young gramma, toots.  And I’m proud of my grandchildren.

Oh yes it does.  It matters TREMENDOUSLY what EVERYONE thinks!  Everytime somebody says something bad and TRUTHFUL about her another angle loses a feather out of its wings!  And the Devil scores another notch in his pitchfork for every awful terrible thing that is spoken or written about the little dear!  AUGH!!  Whatevah shall we do? 

Since when do YOU, of all people, care about sources? 

 This whole thing is just TOO funny, and Mr. Wow has pretty much summed it up in terms of how important it really is.  That wicked ol’ Devil!  I’ll bet he’s the one who made that wind blow her top away.  And I’m suprised that Mr. Wow didn’t pick up on the amazing courage it must take to keep on walking around outside, when Satan could whip up another wind and blow ALL her clothes off this time! 

I agree with Maggie.  Everybody has the right to make their own decisions. 

I agree with you totally.  I understand the need to have the company of other adults and do adult things, and spending all your time with little kids can numb you after a while.  On the whole thing of whether it’s better to have them when you are younger or older, I can’t decide.  I miss my children being children sometimes, and at those times my grandson is such a comfort to me.  On the one hand, it was really good that as I was hitting my 30’s and entering college, my kids were hitting their teens and entering high school.  I got my bachelor’s degree a year before my son finished high school.  One thing that worked out well, was that at the same time they were getting into some difficult mathematics, so was I, so I could help them and vice versa!  And being in your 40’s and footloose and fancy free is OK, too!  On the other hand, I realize that my maturity makes me a calmer, more rational parent figure to my grandson, and that being older gives you a whole different perspective on what things matter, and what things don’t.  For instance, my grandson is not and probably never will be an "A" student.  He works hard for his grades and sometimes he falls flat on his butt.  But that’s okay, what matters to me is that he tries.  I just don’t fret about things anymore, the way I used to.  I don’t yell anymore.  There just isn’t that much to yell about!  I guess there are upsides and downsides to whatever age you are when (if) you have children.  To me the important thing to remember is they won’t be children for long, and nobody knows what the future will bring, so don’t feel like you HAVE to jump right now, today.  You can take it a step at a time, and you’ll still get there.

Messy, I don’t think anyone PLANS to abandon their children.  Having been a working mother and being a working custodial grandmother myself, nobody has to explain to me that I didn’t stop loving and caring for my children and/or my grandchild because I have a job.  It also doesn’t negate what I have seen happen, and what I would always caution against; beware of becoming so engrossed in the quest for "self" that it overrides and ends up shutting out the family.  It has nothing to do with being "smart enough" to know that their is life beyond babies and beyond children (and having now raised 3 of my own and 3 step children, I know that quite well!).  It has to do with good intentions that can go awry.  With no skills and no idea of what avenue she wants to pursue, her job options are limited to start with.  I know that volunteering worked for me, when mine were too little for me to feel comfortable sending them off to daycare.  I got a break from the house, I got to spend time with other adults, and eventually I made it back to college and a degree.  So I know how easy it is to get overwhelmed, and how important it is to make sure the kids stay at the top of the priority list.