So many people ask us why. Why would we get married so young. And why would we choose to start a family so young.

Simply put: Children are a blessing from the Lord. But of course there is more to it than that. Update: Our Twin boys were born on December 26, 2012. Say hello to our little guys HERE.

Please note: This post is written because so many people are so negative about young couples starting families. It has become common for many couples to put off having babies until well into their 30’s for various reasons and now many look down on the couple who gets married young and start a young family. My goal in this post is to give hope to the other young couples that you are not alone and that God has it planned that some will start families when they are young. Of course, God also has plans for others to start families later and I celebrate God’s time in each individuals life. I simply want to make a case that young families can be good and well within God’s perfect timing. Moving on…

Why we are choosing to start a family at 22 and 24

In so much as it is within our power to plan and dream, we decided to start our family young. We prayed about this and decided there was no reason to put it off and God has been so gracious to bless us with a double blessing! Here is why we arrived at that decision (still knowing that our plans and our future is totally in God’s perfect hands):

1) We will have the energy

As we prepare our home for our twin baby boys, I am already trying to mentally prepare for the long sleepless nights of feeding, burping, and changing. Then I think of them as 2-year-olds and I imagine having to run down two rambunctious toddlers who tear off running in two different directions while we are at the store. Then add in the fact that we want more children in the future and I start getting tired just thinking about it.

Children can be exhausting (a blessing but a tiring blessing all the same). And yet, I will have much more energy in my 20’s to chase down toddlers than I will in my 40’s. I know parents who have had toddlers in their 20’s and also their 40’s and they can’t believe the difference in their energy levels. They remember have the energy to keep up with junior tearing around the living room. But as time progresses, your energy fades and it becomes harder to keep up.

2) God designed us to have babies in our 20’s

You reach your peak baby-making years in your 20’s. Not only do your energy levels hold up much better as a 20 something to little kids, your body does better as well. Optimum fertility is reached in your 20’s and starts to decline as you reach 30 and beyond.

But now thankfully with modern medicine, we have more options than ever. It used to be that it was very dangerous for a 40 something to have babies but thankfully now it is much safer with our modern medicine. Praise the Lord for that but it still remains that our 20’s will always be the peak time for energy, fertility, and your bodies ability to conceive and carry a child.

3) We will be young grandparents

Lord willing, we will be young grandparents. We will be young when our children graduate high school, go to college, and start getting married and having kids. We will have time together to enjoy retirement while we enjoy the blessings of our family. We will get to enjoy that wonderful phase of being young grandparents and getting to spoil our young grand kids.

4) Money isn’t everything

Sure, if we waited until we were 35 to have kids we might be better off financially  We might have that minivan I have been drooling over. Or that huge house with the white picket fence. But you know what? We don’t need a huge house, fancy cars, or lots and lots of toys. We are content with what the Lord has given us now and we don’t need to raise our kids to be spoiled. The Lord provides for our needs. We have a roof over our head, a 2 bedroom apartment, 2 adorable kittens, and food to fill our fridge with. We are so blessed and we don’t need anything else to raise our children up in the Lord.

5) My career is at home

I’m not spending years building up a career outside the home and thus have to put off having kids. My focus, attention, and heart is in my home and that won’t change a year, 10 years, or 20 years from now. Most of the world cannot imagine having kids at 22 because that would destroy their plans for their career. They are busy working many long and hard hours climbing the corporate ladder and can’t simply think about children for at least another 10 years.

This has never been my focus. Yes, I went to college and got my bachelor’s degree. I am a total bookworm geek and loved every minute of it. I am thankful to the Lord and to my husband that I was able to do that but my focus from day 1 of our marriage is that I would stay home with our kids. I always knew this was our plan. My heart and our plans always revolved around that outcome and thank the Lord that he provides.

6) We are excited!

A huge part of wanting to have kids now rather than putting it off another 10 years is that we are excited!! We can’t wait to take our kids to the park, throw the Frisbee around and ride bikes. We are delighted thinking about teaching them about the Lord and taking them to Awana each week. We are dreaming of our first vacation with our kids to Disneyland and seeing their excitement. We want a large family and are so excited to be able to invest these early years in our kids!

We can’t wait to watch our children grow in the Lord and can’t wait to walk that journey alongside them. Children are such a blessing and a joy to their parents hearts and we can’t wait to experience that. Yes, parenthood has it’s really tough moments and not all trips to the park end happy but ultimately the Lord promises that children are a blessing from Him and we know that to be true.

7) And last of course, is that children are a blessing from the Lord

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” ~Psalm 127:3 {ESV}

Many today act like children are a drudgery. Children are pure work and you must wait until your mid thirties and only have 1 or 2 children. Then maybe you won’t go crazy. Children scream. And disobey. And sin. And make your life miserable sometimes. Some of that is true of course but God promises that children are a blessing from Him. So if you are diligent to raise them according to God’s word and standards then you will be blessed by them.

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” ~ Ephesians 6:4

We can eagerly look forward to parenthood (knowing that certain parts will be very tough), because God has shown us that it is a reward. A blessing that we eagerly embrace, look forward too, and by the grace of God we will experience at a young age.

I would love to hear from you who had kids young and your kids are older now. What blessings did you experience by having them young? And if you are currently young and starting a family, let me know! I love meeting other young marrieds and families!!

This post is part of my Natural Pregnancy & Beyond Series. Catch up on all the posts in this series:

1. Introduction
2. Young, In Love, and Pregnant: Our Journey To Parenthood
3. Our Maternity Photo Shoot
4. 7 Reasons We Are Starting a Family Young
5. My Dream of Becoming a Stay at Home Mom: How We Made it a Reality
6. Crowning Him in Worship: Reflections on Redeeming Childbirth
7. 10 Steps Towards a Natural Pregnancy & Birth