Anything younger than old enough to get married and live on your own. Everyone is different, but babies are HUGE responsibility, 24/7.

Biologically: before puberty is too young

For the mother or for the child? There is a maturity level that is needed for the mother, as having a baby and raising it is a huge emotional and financial resposibility. If the girl is unmarried, she is at an even greater disadvantage, and that goes doubly for the child. There are also cultural issues to consider. 2000 years ago, it was not uncommon for women to marry as early as 12 to 15 years old. (In fact, this was normal, though most people did not live much past their thirties and early forties.) Today we wait longer, and a girl should probably have more of an education in order to have access to real jobs, since she may not be able to be a stay at home mother. If you are having a baby and do not feel ready, please consider adoption. There are millions of parents who are ready and waiting for kids and will treat them like gold. At the most basic level, motherhood is about love. If you cannot love a child as much or more than you love yourself, you are not ready. Best advice: Get married first, spend at least a little time with your husband before you have kids to build a strong foundation for your relationship, and work out the when and where and how with him and God. Then do things like eating together as a family and family nights to keep the relationship together.

You are too young if you haven't the maturity and the wisdom needed to take care of a child, when you don't have the skills to keep up with it, training it, teaching it. When you don't have a husband who is also mature enough, to share it with hopefully. When you don't have the place or wherewithal to keep it safe and loved. When you are too young to know the difference between want and need, love and lust, forever and permanent.

The answer to this is simple. Ask yourself this: "Can you afford to pay $120,000 over the next 18 years?" If not, you're not ready. $120,000 is roughly the cost of food, clothes, diapers, carseats, etc for the 18 years you're responsible for your child. Richard Shines

If you have to ask, you're too young.