As a 17 year old human being, I do not feel that I am mature enough to raise a child, nor is my life stable enough. That is not to say that some people do not adjust to certain situations and rise to the challenge but personally, I do not see myself having the strengh. I think it is generally viewed by society that people my age are too young to have children and in some cases they are completely correct. However, I think it is wrong for people to say you are ready to have a baby when you are "X" years old. From what I witnessed today, it is impossible to say that once you reach a certain age you are ready to be a parent.
As I was driving down 610 I looked over to the red minivan to my right. I saw a child who looked to be no more than 2 years old, sitting on (who I presume to be) his father's lap. IN THE DRIVERS SEAT! As I looked back to make sure that I was not hallucinating, I noticed a female, appearing to be about the same age as the man, sitting in the middle seat of the middle row of the car, poking her head to the front and making faces at the baby. You know, the baby in the drivers seat.
After witnessing hands down the most unsafe driving situation of my life, I realized that age has nothing to do with being ready to be a parent. Young people make stupid mistakes, and so do old people. But just because you have reached a certain age does not mean that you are exempt from making any kind of mistake that would be typically categorized as one made by a young and inexperienced person.
For that baby's sake, I hope someone knocks some sense into his parents. And for those who take anything that I have said personally, I do not mean to offend anyone I am just voicing my opinion.
Well, there are fine lines. Not all parents are perfect, but obviously this dangerous situation began innocently. The parents have no intention of hurting the child, but what they perceive as cute or convenient is both illegal and borderline neglectful. Of course, they might be the best parents ever outside of that car, but they left a bad impression and therefore will be persecuted by passersby. I think 80% of people who have children are not quite ready yet, and that includes people who are having another. Each new child is a new experience, and it's hard to know exactly what to do, especially the first time. But also, some people never fully grow up to that level of responsibility. Good post!
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