I take a lot of heat for expressing my desire to have children at such a young age. People’s eyes widen and their noses wrinkle in disparagement. “How can you say that?” “Your life will be ruined.” “You’ll miss out on so much.”

Now, mind you, I do not want children right now (though the baby fever is contagious). I want to graduate college, travel a bit, get married, and settle down. You know, do it the stereotypically “right way,” I’m just crossing my fingers that I can accomplish everything before I’m 25.

Let’s be real, I know life doesn’t follow my timeline, so it could be sooner or later and I’ll need to accept the natural flow of things, but I don’t understand when it became repulsive to be a young mother?

I want to be the cool, young, hip Mom who always has the best snacks and throws the best birthday parties.

I want to be the Mom my children’s friends feel like they can turn to.

I want to be the Mom who shares clothes with my teenage daughter and can keep up with the lingo, ya know what I mean-o? (I also want to be the Mom who makes lame rhyming jokes, but something tells me that will come to me with ease.)

More importantly, I want to be able to spend a large portion of my life with my children. If I wait to have kids until I’m 35, I’m missing out on 10 years of birthdays, soccer practices, proms and science fair projects. I want to be involved in my children’s lives as much as they’ll let me, and I think sometimes we take for granted the time we get with our families.

I’ve wanted my own family since I could remember, and it’s sad to me that other would discourage me from having that because I’d be “missing out.” Missing out on what, your definition of a good life? What if I’m perfectly content with packing lunches and cruising around in my mini van? What if I’m looking forward to those PTA meetings and Holiday Recitals? Why does my life have to follow your path?

I’m a responsible adult who is more than capable of determining when I am ready and able to have children, thank you, and I will do just that. Those of you who have an issue with it won’t be invited to my Baby Shower in four years because I’m petty.

And when I’m the MILF at graduation and you just got your AARP letter in the mail, remember this article.