Miss Universe 1st Runner-Up Yendi Phillipps shared a strongly worded opinion on parenting and timing, responding to a prompt asking for an unpopular view. In her post, Yendi wrote:
“People shouldn’t have children before age 30. Live uninhibited in your 20’s, learn yourself, explore the world, earn and stack. It allows you to be a better partner & parent in your 30’s.”
The statement quickly circulated online, drawing both support and criticism, particularly around the idea that children restrict freedom and self-development during one’s twenties.
Reggae artist Chronixx entered the discussion with a brief but pointed reaction. Quoting Yendi’s post, he wrote:
“Children are little inhibitors it seems?. 🥶
My my”
Though short, the comment reframed the conversation by questioning the assumption that children are primarily obstacles to personal growth rather than sources of fulfillment.
The discussion intensified when another user responded to Chronixx, defending Yendi’s position and emphasizing the realities of early parenthood. The user stated:
“Yes they are actually. Because I have a child many things I used to do I can’t do anymore because I have to dedicate my time and resources to raise my child. If you have a child and don’t recognize this maybe you aren’t doing something correctly especially in the early years.”
Chronixx replied again, this time expanding his position and directly challenging the framing of sacrifice as failure. In his follow-up post, he wrote:
“Maybe I am doing something right? Why would the parent who feel his/her life children actually make them better and more fulfilled are the ones doing something wrong?
Are there young parents reading this feel happy, accomplished and dignified about having a family? Any?”
The online debate comes as Jamaica’s total fertility rate (TFR)—the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime—has declined sharply over recent decades. In the early 1970s it was about 4.5 births per woman, but by 2021 it had fallen to 1.9 according to a Reproductive Health Survey Jamaica (RHS).
“Age specific fertility rates fell in all age groups except 25-29 years and probably reflects a delayed start to childbearing into their late 20s, while women completed their education,” said Sexual and Reproductive Health and Epidemiology Expert, Professor Affette McCaw-Binns.
Meanwhile, the average age for first-time mothers in the U.S. has been increasing steadily according to a a new Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention study. From 2016 to 2023, the mean age at first birth rose from 26.6 years to 27.5 years
This continues a long-term shift that began decades ago, with the average age at first birth rising from 21.4 years in 1970, accelerating most notably after 2009.
The trend varies by location and demographics. Women in large metropolitan areas typically have their first child at 28.5 years, compared with 24.8 years in rural areas. Across racial and ethnic groups, the age of first-time motherhood has increased, with Asian women averaging the highest age at 31.5 years, followed by White women at 28.3, and Black and Hispanic women at about 26 years in 2023.
Age-group data highlights the shift clearly: first births among women 35 and older rose by 25% between 2016 and 2023, while births to women under 25 fell by 26%. Birth rates for women aged 25–29 remained relatively stable.
Experts attribute the trend to a mix of factors, including financial planning, career goals, relationship stability, and greater access to reproductive technologies, which allow people more control over when they choose to start families.
