5 Reasons Your 20-Something Boyfriend Wants Kids, According To Science
Men have biological clocks too, y'all.
getty For women, it's a common stereotype to believe that their "biological clock is ticking." As women age, their chances of fertility and conceiving a child become less and less. However, other studies have indicated that the best age to have kids is actually after 35.
But men can also be the target of myths about male infertility. As such, it's a common stereotype that guys in their 20s are just interested in sowing their wild oats. Even though you may think all your boyfriend cares about is drinking cheap beer and hanging out with his bros, it actually isn't true.
A study by the Guttmacher Institute revealed that 53 percent of men in the 18-29 range (as opposed to 52 percent of women) would like to have children if circumstances allowed. Among men 25 and older, the number jumps to two-thirds.
Ironically, the study also showed that a surprising number of young men didn't know much about contraception and conception. That's a pretty scary thing to think about, if you ask me.
The male participants were as willing as females to answer the survey questions and spent more time on them than their lady counterparts. So is this a trend? Are young men interested in parenthood?
Yes, they are! And the reasons why men are itching to start a family and become parents aren't so different from our own.
1. Men have biological clocks, too.
Men have hormones and a biological drive to procreate, just like women. According to U.S. New & World Report, young men are more likely to have healthy babies. Plus, younger dads are more physically equipped to handle wee ones and to provide for their long-term care.
2. He's ready to settle down.
Being a wild and crazy 20-something may be fun, but the uncertainty of singledom can be exhausting and anxiety-producing. Some people, mistakenly or not, feel like having a baby will set their priorities straight and create a grounding force in their lives.
3. He wants to be a real man.
In America, the accepted course of life is this: you are born, you grow up, you get married, you have a baby. There's nothing wrong with deviating from that path, but the recognition and benefits that society and the government give parents turns starting a family into the holy grail of adulthood.
Have a kid, become a man, our culture seems to say.
4. Don't underestimate the media.
The total saturation of celebrity news and culture has tweaked our perception of reality a little. Between songs about being a baby daddy for multiple women while hitting the club every night, to images of still-scruffy, 20-something-looking Brad Pitt jetsetting around the globe with his gorgeous tribe of hip kids and glamorous Sexiest Woman Alive domestic partner Angelina Jolie, fatherhood looks as footloose and fancy-free as being a frat boy.
5. He's in love with you.
The absolute best manifestation of your union? A baby. Kids represent a completely new life that you made and will love together forever. If that isn't a sweet idea, we don't know what is.
Gwendolyn Bond-Upson is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to YourTango.