text: All over social media, I see people having kids, getting pregnant, or talking about how many kids they want to have.
  For as long as I can remember, I have always said I was never going to have kids. When someone older than me asks when I am going to have kids or how many I want, I tell them I don't want them.
  They always respond with, "You're still young. You'll grow out of it."
  To be honest, I don't think I will ever "grow out of it." I'm at the point in my life now where I should be thinking about what I want in my life and start planning for the future. This is mostly directed towards my career, however, I've spent a lot of time thinking about my future and kids have never been something I've imagined having in my life.
  I plan to stay in school until I receive my PhD, and I don't want to be in school and have kids.
  If I were to have kids, I feel like I wouldn't be able to give my full attention to them or school. My hypothetical child deserves more than that. I will also be in my late 20's/early 30's by the time I graduate, and I do not want to start having children that late in my life.
  While a part of me thinks it would be cool to have a "mini me," the other part of me knows it isn't what is best for me or my life, nor do I think I would be a good parent because I am fairly selfish and don't want to give up part of my life for a child.
  So, yes, I may be young, but I am old enough to start thinking about my future and know what I want in my life.
  Maybe my mind will change one day, but I highly doubt it.