Mostly just posting this to see people's opinions on this part, but is it better to have kids before or after getting married? My girlfriend and I know we want to be together and have children together, but with us both being female the whole having kids part will be pretty hard in itself, and she informed me last night that she knows I've been thinking a lot about marriage but she just isn't ready, which i understand and definitely wouldn't want to push on her or make her do it just because she feels bad that I want it so bad. She's 22 and I'm 18 (yes I know, relatively young to have kids or get married) and I'm not really sure when we're going to start the "baby-making process".. she's talked about fostering children for a while, which I'm definitely interested in but not too educated on... I've read in the state of Illinois you have to be 21+, which she is but I'm not so would that be a problem? Anyways, my parents were 16 & 18 when they had me and have been very active in my life as to her parents weren't always able as they were older and couldn't do as much with her (not saying that's how it always is just in our case)

So I guess my main questions are

1.) kids before marriage or after?

2.) how do you deal with wanting to get married sooo bad but your s/o just isn't ready (I get that we're together either way and literally all the difference is is that I'll have a ring and a piece of paper)

3.) do both foster parents have to be 21+//could she be the legal foster parent and me still be involved?

**we both have steady jobs and our household income atm is about $3500 so its not like I just came out of high school and have no source of income or anything... I graduated @15 and got my CNA and will be going to nursing school soon (:

Sorry for the long post but thank you in advance (: