# Have you ever thought - I am way too immature to parent? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 10, 2005, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509 "2005-10-10T05:30:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/1 "2005-10-10T05:30:14Z")
I was sleeping soundly the other night when my little girl had a nightmare. Her Daddy climbed out of bed and she was crying at the foot of the bed that she wanted to “cleep with Mommy”. Resigned, he went to the couch. Here’s the kicker though. She climbed into my bed and I, like a good mom said, “Did you have a bad dream sweetheart?” She said, “Yes mommy, monsters in my room.” Now I of course, reassured her that there were no such thing as monsters. But, deep down inside I was thinking - :eek: **Holy S** \*, MONSTERS!\*\* I then realized how can I in any way be an effective parent against nightmares and the like, when I still think about things like, “The boogeyman will surely go for my husband first, then I can run away?” Anyone else have these moments? ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/2 "2005-10-10T05:31:21Z")
Sorry, that would be “too” not “to” :o ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/3 "2005-10-10T05:34:47Z")
Is this mainly aimed at parents who already have the kiddlywinkses? Coz as an un-kiddled married chick, I’m fully cognizant of the fact that I am well too immature to have kids. I’m too materialistic, and I enjoy going out and spending my money too much. Kids would just harsh my style. As unstylish as it is. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/4 "2005-10-10T05:42:23Z")
I thought it was kind of cute, because “Holy S\*\*\*, MONSTERS!” is pretty much what I would think, and I would say to my child, “Get in bed with Mommy so you can protect her.” Uh, I think that should answer your question. 😃 I like kids a lot and hope to be a mother someday, but that won’t be anytime soon, since I’m still far too immature. Occasionally I think I may never be mature enough, no matter how old I get. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/5 "2005-10-10T05:52:01Z")
You sound like one hell of a mature parent compaired to some people I have heard of, **Poysyn**. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/6 "2005-10-10T05:53:26Z")
Heh. It’s kind of a moot point with **supervenusfreak** and me, because we’d have to have either legal or technological help in acquiring rugrats in the first place, but yeah…the first thing that goes through my mind when the idea of having kids pops up is, “Whoa! I wouldn’t be able to play World of Warcraft for four hours a night anymore!” Luckily, I AM mature enough to realize that such is a contraindication to any desire to raise children. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/7 "2005-10-10T08:29:56Z")
By the time I was mature enough, I had decided I didn’t want any. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/8 "2005-10-10T12:00:30Z")
No kids here - when I realized I was mature enough, I was mature enough to realize I didn’t want any. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/9 "2005-10-10T12:10:06Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Sorry, that would be “too” not “to” :o Fixed it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/10 "2005-10-10T16:07:26Z")
Exactly why **Bird Man** and I won’t be having kids any time soon. Just thinking of the fun we would have twisting and warping their little minds is enough to keep me away from them. Also, I don’t think I could go 9 months without getting drunk. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/11 "2005-10-10T16:49:27Z")
im expecting my first in Feb! woot! And yea, im 35 and still dont, by any stretch, consider myself an adult. should be interesting ride for both my child, and me! ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/12 "2005-10-10T16:52:48Z")
Kids are a lot of fun when they’re old enough that you don’t have to watch \*everything \* you say. My 13-year old daughter told me at the dinner table the other day, “dad, you have the sense of humor of a middle-school boy.” She meant it as a compliment, of course. . . ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/13 "2005-10-10T16:55:10Z")
I think this all the time. Of course, we’re hoping for a little one soon, so I should probably get over that. I’m just going to make sure I don’t leave the baby in their carseat on top of the car, and we should be good. E. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/14 "2005-10-10T16:56:55Z")
I spent this weekend setting up the nursery for our first child, expected in another month or so. As I was working, I had the stereo cranked up as I sang along to some Less Than Jake… _Let’s start again, and see where it began, and where we fucked our…where we fucked ourselves again Yeah, we fucked ourselves again We fucked ourselves again Yeah, we fucked ourselves We fuckin’ fucked ourselves Yeah, we fucked ourselves again…_ It occurred to me that there are some things I dearly love that may not be age appropriate quite soon. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/15 "2005-10-10T17:02:05Z")
I often feel that I’m not really an adult, merely playing one for the benefit of my wee audience. It’s sooo hard when they do something that’s clearly wrong, but cute nonetheless - I have to look away as I laugh. ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/16 "2005-10-10T17:04:20Z")
You think that’s immature? Huh. Wait until they come home from school or some social event, and you hide behind the corner of the doorway, and silently step into their path as they near the doorway. 😃 That’ll scare the bejesus out of them. Monsters? Ha, they’re everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/17 "2005-10-10T17:57:48Z")
Yeah, I’m too immature. But I’m nearly 47 and my daughter is a senior in high school. It’s too late now. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/18 "2005-10-10T18:10:43Z")
But you guys are missing the point! When you have kids you have a great excuse to do all those immature things again. I can pretend all the cool toys are for him, you see? And you can go to the zoo and the park and run around like a freak. Play with legos and fly a kite, watch cartoons. 🙂 Sure you can do all those things without kids, but after kids you can be very open about it and people look at you and say, what a great parent, look at how engaged she is with her children. You get praised for it! Seriously, though, I have those “am I mature enough / cut out to be a parent” moments all the time. **Elza** , when I was pregnant I had dreams about leaving the baby on the top of the car all the time! Never did it though…but once I did bundle him up carefully, place him in his car carrier and then when I got to destination, discovered I forgot to actually buckle him in said car seat. But I blame that on sleep deprivation, not immaturity! ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/19 "2005-10-10T18:14:56Z")
Too immature to parent? I have “I am too immature to be living on my own like a real grown-up” moments, usually at least one per day. > [@Elza B](#): > > I’m just going to make sure I don’t leave the baby in their carseat on top of the car, and we should be good. I won’t have to worry about that- I’m too short to put things on top of the car, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Boggette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@Boggette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boggette)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509/20 "2005-10-10T18:18:32Z")
I tell my daughter that she has nothing to worry about! Both her Mommy AND Daddy are Monster Slayers! Those poor monsters don’t stand a chance with us around. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-thought-i-am-way-too-immature-to-parent/325509.md?page=2)