Michelle’s use of the phrase “in vogue” is being misinterpretted. She’s talking about a societal trend, not a fad. She’s referring to the fact that, although our mothers had us around ages 21 to 25, my generation (Gen X) has tended to wait until their 30′s and some even their 40′s. With the advent of the women’s movement in the 1970′s, I know for a fact that in school, we were taught to look down on a woman who chose to be a young mother at the expense of a career. Not blatently taught it; it was the subtext and attitude (and perhaps an unintended consequence, although I believe it was deliberate) that I and many of my generation picked up on. As a result of the subtle pressure of a society that seemed against any woman who held a more traditional role, I felt very ashamed that my own mother had chosen to be a mere homemaker, and I told her so. This has affected our choices, not only mine, but the majority of my high school and college friends, all of us waiting until our 30′s to have children, and some of us finding it to be too late. Finally now, in our late 30′s, we are saying, “How do we have time to find someone, date them and get to know them, marry them, and have a child before we can no longer do so?”

I believe that what Michelle is saying is that just maybe, now younger women no longer feel the pressure to focus on career first. Maybe now they will stop putting off children until later. Maybe the societal TREND has swung back the other way, and younger women in their early and mid-20′s will begin being mothers again.

Her statement is actually not irresponsible at all. But a statement on a change in the social attitude of the previous generation.

well I think people will have hids even older, why? Firstly because people’s living expectancy is getty longer. And secondly because people start working later, because they study during a longer time, and they want to have a first career than a baby.
I actually think that people shouldn’t be parents too young(especially men…and I’m not telling this in a mean or bad way), because I think people must have some responsability and a good perception of life before having kids.
Anyway, just my point of view.

Michelle is what, 26? I guess it’s all a perception thing, because in my opinion, young mother means like 21, 22. I was 21 when I had my son. Personally, I agree with Christina’s comment. I’m not sure having babies is necessarily a trend thing. I would imagine for a lot of people it’s more about whether you’ve met the right person, are done with school, have the money, or even if you can become pregnant when you plan to. And these days, with more women working and having successful careers, I think that might possibly delay when a couple starts a family. We don’t all have nannies and hired help at our disposable. So, no, I don’t agree that “having kids young is going to come back in vogue.”

Perhaps Michelle means young motherhood might come back in vogue within the context of Hollywood, where motherhood in one’s 30s and 40s seems to have been more the trend. Michelle becoming a mom at 26 or Katie Holmes at 27 or Maggie Gyllenhaal at 28 don’t seem particularly young–except in the context of Hollywood parenting, they do.

Zwizda I think Michelle referred to sleeping until noon as something she did before she had her baby.

Anyway yeah having a career as an actor is obviously much different than most career most young adults have. (Yeah once an actor can get into the millions range they have the luxury of picking how much they work, and most projects last only a few months at a time…so the rest of the year can be spent as you wish.)

However being a mother has brought her back to a more “normal” schedule in a way, which is good.

I think Michelle is envisioning babies/motherhood as the tool to bring some young women her age (ie. the party “actress/heiress” crew) back to a more responsible life (plus Michelle just wants her friends to have babies too, so that she can have someone to discuss poopie diapers with, who aren’t grossed out by the topic)…however Britney Spears’ recent actions seem to prove that theory wrong.

Personally I wish Michelle the best with her family and friends. And even if some of her friends don’t have kids for a few more yrs yet, it will just be another lesson she’ll get to learn about life then.

i’m also 25 and just gave birth to my first child. i think that more and more celebrities are starting to have families in their mid 20s.

i am 25 and i have 3 children aged 5,2,1 and a loving husband, i love my life now more than ever, i never planned to have kids so young but i would not be without them now. each to there own

I think some people here are getting a little too touchy about the young mother thing. You have to look at it from the other side too… Young moms get criticized all the time by older moms. Most of the women in my family started having children in their early 20′s, but it just happened to work out that way for them. And just because you go to college, that doesn’t mean you can’t be a young mother. I was fortunate enough to meet my future husband during my freshman year of college, we graduated on the same day, we’re getting married next year, and we look forward to having our first child in the next couple of years (I’ll probably be around 26 years old which I consider young). Things happen at different stages in each person’s life. That’s no reason to get defensive and criticize anyone’s choices (as long as they are being responsible).

Michelle sounds so grounded and so down to earth and real. She probably makes an excellent mother! I hope she and Heath marry and have two or three more babies!

The quote about young motherhood coming back in vogue really struck me as an irresponsible thing to say. It’s easy for someone of means and in a loving relationship to say, “Oh, it’s so IN to have kids maybe I should have one.”, but that is not the reality of every day life for a lot of people who will read the interview. While it may be “fashionable” to have a baby, a lot of people are not in the position to have one and should not think that a child is like maxxing out your credit card on a new Marc Jacobs bag. I know quotes can be taken out of context and I am not passing judgement on Michelle for her thoughts, just adding my opinion about the blurb.