How many people on this forum (50+) with kids in elementary?

[Anonymous]

I’m 46 and DH is 49, we have a kindergartener. It’s really tough.

[Anonymous]

55 with a 13 year old.

[Anonymous]

51 & 5th grader

[Anonymous]

About to turn 55 with a 10-year-old, plus children 14, 19 and 22 - and a mom who turns 92 this year. She lives an hour away, independently, with my help. Only child, virtually no extended family. It’s extremely hard and you are not alone.

[Anonymous]

51 single mom with soon to be kindergartener (adopted as a newborn.)

[Anonymous]

51, rising 1st grader

I’m also old enough to be the mother of some of the other parents in the class.

[Anonymous]

I had my kids at 24 and 26.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I am surprised how much traction this thread has had. I never said my kids' ages: 9 and 4 and we are 50 and 56. I don't feel that raising kids is any more exhausting at my age than if I had had them younger. Kids are exhausting no matter what.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I‘ll be 44 when my child goes to college.

I was 42 when my first when and at 43 my second one went. I don’t regret a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a 54 YO Mom with a just turned 8 DD. She was our miracle surprise baby after 5 rounds of IVF to get her older brother who is 11. I had her when I was 46–I often think how young I was when her brother was born! I remember the parenting class at VHC in Arlington when he was born—I think I was the youngest mom in attendance at 42!

That doesn't sound too bad but then you do the math and you'll be 64 when she graduates high school? I can't fathom it.

Exactly!

You see all the posts on this forum about "sandwich generation," and you are forcing your child into being in that spot!

So, you're saying no one who replied to the OP should have had kids? What age is the cut off in your world for having a child?

FWIW, older parents tend to be better off financially and can help their children with college and other financial hard knocks that might come their way. And people are living longer regardless of when they have kids -- most people will be sandwiched no matter when they have kids.

Exactly...I am the one who just posted than I am 59 with a 5th grader and can confidently say her college fund is fully funded to attend any out of state college. Same with my older DS. One part of me wishes I had started my family earlier, but it didn't happen that way, so I say better late than never!

I had my kids at 24 and 26 and they are in colleges, fully funded. Young parents can fund college too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a hypocrite in that I kind of agree with some of the naysayers I think a much older mom can potentially be sad (not being able to be grandma) BUT my husband is much older than me. We have a 10 year old and he’s 62. I think there is a double standard regarding older fathers. In our specific case his father is 90 and still active. All 4 grandparents lived to their 90s.

That means nothing. All my grandparents lived to their mid 99. My parents died by 70.

[Anonymous]

I was 50 when my youngest was in third grade. Now I am 57.

[Anonymous]

This endless debate about when to have children is tiresome. Just do what is best for you. I didn't find Mr. Right until I was 30, and it took five years to have our first child, then another five years for our second. Life has a way of interfering with plans.

[Anonymous]

^ I agree!

I “waited” because I didn’t get married until 37 (and didn’t meet until 36). First at 37, second at 39.

Kinda wish I was younger, but sometimes the choice isn’t have a kid when younger versus have a kid when older. In my case, the choice was have a kid when older versus not have kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This endless debate about when to have children is tiresome. Just do what is best for you. I didn't find Mr. Right until I was 30, and it took five years to have our first child, then another five years for our second. Life has a way of interfering with plans.

I find that the only people who are critical of other mothers' ages (saying that someone is either too young or too old) are so to justify their own decisions/choices.