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Comment by samstave | Hacker News Reader

Gap years are awesome - especially if you travel.

As a parent, I hope to instill the following to my two daughters:

Take a gap year or two (at most) Do not get married earlier than 25 Do not have kids earlier than 30

You really really need to enjoy a gap year and enjoy your 20s, but do so in a way that sets you up to be comfortable and happy for the rest of your life.

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So there's no need for a woman to have children at all, but saying "do not have kids earlier than 30 isn't great advice. There's a measured correlation between maternal age and the incidence of Down's Syndrome and other trisomies - the longer a woman waits to have children, the higher the odds there will be a problem. Which is not to say that all women should have children as young as possible - it's just that there's no one blanket piece of advice that's universally good.

>There's a measured correlation between maternal age and the incidence of Down's Syndrome and other trisomies - the longer a woman waits to have children, the higher the odds there will be a problem.

The odds of which are still insignificant.

1/50 at age 43 is insignificant?

http://www.pregnancy-info.net/chromosomal_downsyndrome.html

(however, it's a gradual thing and not much different at 32 versus 28, for example)

>1/50 at age 43 is insignificant?

43 is quite far from 30.

>however, it's a gradual thing and not much different at 32 versus 28, for example

Exactly.

You'd be surprised at how fast the 40's sneak up on you.

What if your kids don't want to live your adventure dreams for you?

I don't think you guys have much reading comprehension: "Hope to instill" does not equal "Behavioral edict"

These are the things, I as a parent, of MY children HOPE to instill in them,

I am not trying to force them in any direction - but I'll be damned sure to have more than a hands-off approach.

Too many kids have horrible lack of parenting.

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