Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"For me, 50+ will be all about taking things at a slower more leisurely pace, not shuttling kids to sports practices and school events. I would, however, love attending these and/or doing these things for any grandchildren. "
Did you spend your 20s raising kids? I didn't, I had my first child when I was 31. I had plenty of vacations and time alone with DH before we had kids. My youngest child will be at home until I'm 55, and I'm very happy to be shuttling him/them to practices and events in the first half of my 50s.
Yes, I did, but you're wrong if you assume I didn't "live". I have an incredibly supportive family closeby and my parents and siblings have always been available when DH and I wanted to travel alone. I finished college. We had good careers. I was never interested in living wild and crazy in my 20s and while I had a brief spell of bar hopping and enjoy being single, getting drunk and having one-night stands was never my thing. I guess that's why so many Moms post here about longing for their old single days and generally not being happy that "this is now my life".
I enjoy the benefits of having children in my 20's and look forward to nurturing a relationship with them in adulthood as well. I have no longing to go wild in my 40's (I'll be an empty nester at 45). I just look forward to ushering my children into the world and reaping the benefits of doing things at my pace and without a thought to what my minor children need.
Living in your 20s can definitely be fun (I've experienced it) and I look forward to a different kind of adult fun with my DH when I'm 45.![]()
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"For me, 50+ will be all about taking things at a slower more leisurely pace, not shuttling kids to sports practices and school events. I would, however, love attending these and/or doing these things for any grandchildren. "
Did you spend your 20s raising kids? I didn't, I had my first child when I was 31. I had plenty of vacations and time alone with DH before we had kids. My youngest child will be at home until I'm 55, and I'm very happy to be shuttling him/them to practices and events in the first half of my 50s.
Yes, I did, but you're wrong if you assume I didn't "live". I have an incredibly supportive family closeby and my parents and siblings have always been available when DH and I wanted to travel alone. I finished college. We had good careers. I was never interested in living wild and crazy in my 20s and while I had a brief spell of bar hopping and enjoy being single, getting drunk and having one-night stands was never my thing. I guess that's why so many Moms post here about longing for their old single days and generally not being happy that "this is now my life".
I enjoy the benefits of having children in my 20's and look forward to nurturing a relationship with them in adulthood as well. I have no longing to go wild in my 40's (I'll be an empty nester at 45). I just look forward to ushering my children into the world and reaping the benefits of doing things at my pace and without a thought to what my minor children need.
Living in your 20s can definitely be fun (I've experienced it) and I look forward to a different kind of adult fun with my DH when I'm 45.![]()
Closeby. Ha. Is that kind of like nearby?
Are you sure you finished college? Maybe just barely?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"For me, 50+ will be all about taking things at a slower more leisurely pace, not shuttling kids to sports practices and school events. I would, however, love attending these and/or doing these things for any grandchildren. "
Did you spend your 20s raising kids? I didn't, I had my first child when I was 31. I had plenty of vacations and time alone with DH before we had kids. My youngest child will be at home until I'm 55, and I'm very happy to be shuttling him/them to practices and events in the first half of my 50s.
Yes, I did, but you're wrong if you assume I didn't "live". I have an incredibly supportive family closeby and my parents and siblings have always been available when DH and I wanted to travel alone. I finished college. We had good careers. I was never interested in living wild and crazy in my 20s and while I had a brief spell of bar hopping and enjoy being single, getting drunk and having one-night stands was never my thing. I guess that's why so many Moms post here about longing for their old single days and generally not being happy that "this is now my life".
I enjoy the benefits of having children in my 20's and look forward to nurturing a relationship with them in adulthood as well. I have no longing to go wild in my 40's (I'll be an empty nester at 45). I just look forward to ushering my children into the world and reaping the benefits of doing things at my pace and without a thought to what my minor children need.
Living in your 20s can definitely be fun (I've experienced it) and I look forward to a different kind of adult fun with my DH when I'm 45.![]()
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's one thing to have a child at 41 and quite another dealing with that same child at 50+. Sounds hellish.
You know the child ages as well, right? There's nothing all that hard about having a 10 yr old when you're 50 or a 20 yr old when you're 60. Unless you don't want to, then don't, of course.
One woman's hell is another's heaven. I'm in heaven.
Good for y'all, but when I'm 50+ I want my days of dealing with teenhood well behind me and look forward to being in a place where it's just about me and DH and spending time together. Different strokes, I guess.
Yup! And yours sounds pretty boring.
Sounds boring? Really? I think it sounds great. I'll be able to vacation with just hubby and spend well-earned alone time with him. I'll hopefully watch my children marry and have children. I'll babysit and they'll hopefully take family vacations with us.
For me, 50+ will be all about taking things at a slower more leisurely pace, not shuttling kids to sports practices and school events. I would, however, love attending these and/or doing these things for any grandchildren.
See, some of us had our 20s when we were in our 20s. If you missed being a carefree 20-something in your 20s, it's all good, you can try to fill that in when you are in your 50s. For others, though, it seems entirely reasonable to be raising kids in our 50s, because we've sown our oats and enjoy having kids around now.
Anonymous wrote:I'm not looking forward to retirement because, like a PP said, I've done it all before hand. I did all my running around and traveling the world and dating before I had kids. I now look very forward to having my young kids and one on the way. I love to work, I love having a family and I get a terrible sense of dread thinking about "retiring". Nothing worse in my mind than loafing around with a bunch of old fogies when I could be taking my kids snowboarding or to lacrosse games.
Anonymous wrote:"For me, 50+ will be all about taking things at a slower more leisurely pace, not shuttling kids to sports practices and school events. I would, however, love attending these and/or doing these things for any grandchildren. "
Did you spend your 20s raising kids? I didn't, I had my first child when I was 31. I had plenty of vacations and time alone with DH before we had kids. My youngest child will be at home until I'm 55, and I'm very happy to be shuttling him/them to practices and events in the first half of my 50s.
Anonymous wrote:I'm not looking forward to retirement because, like a PP said, I've done it all before hand. I did all my running around and traveling the world and dating before I had kids. I now look very forward to having my young kids and one on the way. I love to work, I love having a family and I get a terrible sense of dread thinking about "retiring". Nothing worse in my mind than loafing around with a bunch of old fogies when I could be taking my kids snowboarding or to lacrosse games.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's one thing to have a child at 41 and quite another dealing with that same child at 50+. Sounds hellish.
You know the child ages as well, right? There's nothing all that hard about having a 10 yr old when you're 50 or a 20 yr old when you're 60. Unless you don't want to, then don't, of course.
One woman's hell is another's heaven. I'm in heaven.
Good for y'all, but when I'm 50+ I want my days of dealing with teenhood well behind me and look forward to being in a place where it's just about me and DH and spending time together. Different strokes, I guess.
Yup! And yours sounds pretty boring.
Sounds boring? Really? I think it sounds great. I'll be able to vacation with just hubby and spend well-earned alone time with him. I'll hopefully watch my children marry and have children. I'll babysit and they'll hopefully take family vacations with us.
For me, 50+ will be all about taking things at a slower more leisurely pace, not shuttling kids to sports practices and school events. I would, however, love attending these and/or doing these things for any grandchildren.
See, some of us had our 20s when we were in our 20s. If you missed being a carefree 20-something in your 20s, it's all good, you can try to fill that in when you are in your 50s. For others, though, it seems entirely reasonable to be raising kids in our 50s, because we've sown our oats and enjoy having kids around now.
Anonymous wrote:"For me, 50+ will be all about taking things at a slower more leisurely pace, not shuttling kids to sports practices and school events. I would, however, love attending these and/or doing these things for any grandchildren. "
Did you spend your 20s raising kids? I didn't, I had my first child when I was 31. I had plenty of vacations and time alone with DH before we had kids. My youngest child will be at home until I'm 55, and I'm very happy to be shuttling him/them to practices and events in the first half of my 50s.
Anonymous wrote:The rate for Downs is really big -- do you want a downs baby op or would you be ok with an abortion?