late in life parents, Young children

[edz]

Ok I break the half ton next week and the wife is  four years junior to me and our youngest child is five oldest is 20...
Out and about at the local shopping center today, not once twice but three times got the "its disgusting people of your age having young children " type of comment from complete strangers, when they overheard our little one call us mum or dad.. all three were women in their mid 30's I guess..
I know Im no young dazzler but Im not exactly an old fart either and well the missus, lets just say the dealers wouldnt give me much off a trade in on a new one ..
Apart from giving them the old "youd do better to shut your mouth and keep your nose out of others bussiness, before I shut it and bust it for you " responce it kinder got me thinking , just wondering how many other late in life parents there are out there and have you copped similar, this isnt the only time its happened over the past five years either.

[cruisindub]

37 years old, no kids yet.

Probably a while before we do.

When, (if we can) we do have kids, after a couple, the youngest will be the same age and we'll be about the same age also.

Were also young at heart, so wont be 'old' parents.

No doubt your kids love you as much as you love your kids, so stuff them. They dont know crap.

Walk tall with head held high.

[Bird]

Ok I break the half ton next week and the wife is  four years junior to me and our youngest child is five oldest is 20...
Out and about at the local shopping center today, not once twice but three times got the "its disgusting people of your age having young children " type of comment from complete strangers, when they overheard our little one call us mum or dad.. all three were women in their mid 30's I guess

I would have opened with 'just cause you cant even get a test tube to breed with you' ' you CSGS'..

they would havfe died from a verbal abuse session to make a max security prison sound like church.. hang on, sound like somewhere people dont swear.
what the **** does it have to do with them.

[Kris]

Dave copped it when he was a young tacker- his parents 'couldn't have kids', so adopted 2....and then somehow along came Dave when his Mum was 42 and his Dad 48.  I have a good friend who has 23yrs between their 2 kids, as they too couldn't conceive again (apparently).  People need to think before they speak!

[Bill]

  People need to think before they speak!

I agree.
And if it does not concern them then they need not speak at all as far as I am concerned.
I have 0 patience for people who stick their nose where it doesn't concern them. In fact I have been known to " go off the deep end on them" as my wife puts it...
Bill
And my oldest brother was 32 when my Dad remarried and had his last child. Talk about an age gap.

[fuji]

I'm 57 with a 6 y.o.  Not once have I heard anyone say that.  None of their *****ing business anyway. My brother is 62 and they just had a little boy. Now that's old lol

[nbd73]

Some people never grow out of the school yard mentality, happens all the time with juvenile minds where anything out of the ordinary is condemned.
As long as older parents keep themselves healthy and up to date with modern society there should be no issue. And older parents just have to accept that the likelihood of them being grandparents one day is reduced. But yeah, everyone's circumstances in life are different, we should never judge others full stop whether they be older parents or whatever. Easier said than done.
I did read somewhere once that there is more chance of birth complications or defects for "older" mothers, maybe some people get over opinionated after reading/hearing this sort of thing, but in this case hey you've already popped them out and they are going great guns (I assume) so all good. What is most important is the kids are shown love and kindness and are raised to be responsible members of society.

[Brucer]

I'm 46, wife 36. We have a 7yo boy and just had a baby girl in July. A little late to be starting a family but it's my second time around (2 others 16 and 12 from previous marriage). The new baby comes as a result of my first wife moving away, depriving our boy of his brother and sister and essentially leaving him an only child. This wasn't our desire for him so now he has a little sister which he adores.
I was surprised to hear about strangers passing comment. If anyone is saying that about me then it's certainly not within earshot.
Having a young family does give me cause to look seriously at my fitness (diet, exercise,etc). They need a Dad that not only is alive for many years to come, but also healthy enough to participate!

[GS]

I'm an "age challenged" parent, 44yo with a 5 and 8 YO.

It's not until I started dropping kids off at kindy that I started realising that I was not on my own.

I think there is far less people having kids in their 20s than there were when my parents spat me out.

[Brucer]

I'm often reminded of Australia's last surviving Gallipoli veteran, Alec Campbell of Hobart Tas.  (passed away 2002 aged 103). He had a large family fathering his last of his 9 children at age 69! I saw his youngest daughter interviewed on TV and she told of how she'd say in school that "my father was at Gallipoli". "No dear, you mean grandfather" the teacher would say, and she'd have to explain that it really was her father.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/05/17/1021544071207.html
69! what a legend. His daughter was nothing but proud of her Dad and felt not at all disadvantaged by having a parent so old.

[deepop]

I'm in the same boat!

Give them a 'look', a contemptuous snort and move on!

[D4D]

This is something that is on my mind at the moment as we're thinking about #2. We had our first when I was 40 and the missus was 35. We're thinking a 3-4 year gap but I am worried about being 'too' old. Sounds like there are a lot older new dads than me...

[achjimmy]

None of anybodies business and they deserve to be told that. I reckon your children and a lot of others from older parents will be a lot better off than the more recent trend of teenage (children ) parents.

[dazzler]

We had our fourth when I was 44 with a spread of 17, 10, 5 and 2.

Age makes no real difference.  The lack of sleep was a bigger killer was all.

[Mr Ploppy]

Mate maybe you just look really old . I  wouldn't be concerned about others views. There is no doubt in my mind that I am a better parent now then I would have been  in my 20s or 30s. It is the quality of parenting that matters, age is irrelevant.

[Nomad]

This is something that is on my mind at the moment as we're thinking about #2. We had our first when I was 40 and the missus was 35. We're thinking a 3-4 year gap but I am worried about being 'too' old. Sounds like there are a lot older new dads than me...

Just do it.

As for the age of parents nothing like a bit of life experience. F#ck the knockers.

Cheers Nomad.
 

[edz]

It seems as though there are a hell of a lot of us older parent types around.
As to keeping you young the little rats do that, the fit part needs a bit more attention by the end of the working week LOL.
The jibes from sensless sticky beaks gets up the nose at times, but the look on their face when you give them a burst is worth it, talk about shrinking viorlets ....

[gramps]

.. all three were women in their mid 30's I guess..

Say no more   

Just ignore them.

[HerGU]

Its just means you are older and wiser and can teach your kids more about life first hand. A Lady i work with just had and unexpected suprise a few months ago, creating a 13 year gap between kidlets. A friend of the family also had an unexpected suprise at 49 with 25 years between 2nd child and 3rd child.

The cheeky answer...... just means you are the "traditional" age when you do/if become a grand parent too 

I think its more common than you think, maybe just not "spoken" about as its still a little "taboo" but it is becoming more and more common.

Same as anything but, if you let it worry you, it will. If you get on with life, you will have a life.

[Bird]

This is something that is on my mind at the moment as we're thinking about #2

just keep practising.

[fabulous]

I'd tell them where to go.

No one elses business.

I could go on, but seem to feel that we have the same opinions as most on the forum.

[Tim - Stratford]

When I informed the oldies they were about to be grandparents we were told we were too young!!! I was 25 at the time....that was almost 17 years ago.

My dad was 39 when I came along - I suppose that was 'old' in 1970.

It's all relative to how you feel - enjoy it.

[singo-26]

I wouldn't worry about others opinion. I've 4 kids aged 21, 11, 6 and 4 and I'm 43 now. I reckon I'm a much better parent to my younger ones than I was to my eldest.
I'm also about to become a granddad at 43, is that too young?

[Mace]

My parents were 52 and 50 respectively when l was bornded!

Only drawback was that l didn't have a drink in a pub with my father until he was 70. It was his first beer in a bar also:-)

[bigbluemav]

I'm 46, wife is 44. Our oldest (adopted) is 23 and our youngest (foster child) is 19mths with 5 in between.

You're only as old as you feel and the world needs more GOOD people in about 20 years time.

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