Anonymous wrote:I shared this thread with my husband to get his opinions. His father was 40 when husband was born and died when husband was only 32. He misses his dad tremendously and would love it if he were still around. Your kids don’t care if you “traveled, and really got well established in your career” before you decided to have them. They would prefer that you be alive.

The “old parent” movement is just wrong. You people spend thousands and thousands on fertility treatments, drop the kids at daycare, pat yourself on the back for “having it all”, then drop dead when your kids are in their 20s.

Rant over.

If I got married to the guy I was dating in my 20s, almost certain knowing what I know now, we would be divorced. Our kids would have spent years shuffling back and forth to houses and have a broken home.

I had my daughter when I was 42. A 1000 percent better arrangement.

Rant over.

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.

I'm an older parent who had older parents. My dad was 50 when I was born, my mom was 46. I was a "surprise" addition to their large family. When my dad was 90, he told me: "Thanks for always making me feel young." When you have older parents, you don't think it's weird because it's your life. It's what you know. I loved my parents' perspective. They were never rattled, they were unflappable, they had seen it all. They had a wisdom and a quiet confidence that the younger parents could never have. I feel very lucky to have had older parents.

I'm 51 and my youngest is in fifth grade. I don't sweat the small stuff. I'm a 1970s kid! I climbed 60-foot-tall trees to our fort when I was eight. I'm not going to care if my kid is four feet off the ground at age 10. It's all perspective. Other kids tell me I'm fun because I let them have an extra cookie. Live it up, kid!

Anonymous wrote:Supposedly this area is full of women who had kids later in life (I am one of them) but I don't really see them or know where to find them. Or maybe they are so well maintained through procedures and salons and gyms that it's hard to tell who is over 50. If you are late 40s or older and have kids in elementary (or younger) state your age and kids' ages. Tell me I'm not alone.

I am 53 and have a fifth-grader

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.

DH and I are both 47, turning 48, with a 5 year old in kindergarten. I’m a teacher and some of my colleagues are old enough to be my daughters. I live and work in Fairfax and plenty of moms are also in their 40’s, though I’m definitely among the oldest.

I'm currently 54 and my youngest is 13. I was 36, 38 and 41 when I had my children. I have a few friends that are my age with similar aged children. At my kids' schools, I have noticed that the highly educated parents are older whereas the parents who don't have high powered jobs are all much younger.. Most of my friends all had their first child around 30 and their last when they were 35 or 36. I've always had a very young looking face, I'm in good shape and have almost no gray hair so I can currently pass for late 40's.

My husband and I both had/have older parents. My mom was 30 and my dad was 40 when I was born - I was their oldest child. None of my friends had parents the same age as my parents unless they were the youngest sibling. I always felt a little weird when I was growing up that my parents were so old. My mom passed away at 81 from self induced lung cancer (she smoked for 50 years) so I was 51. My dad is still alive - he's 94. My husband's parents were both 40 when he was born, but he was the youngest child (10 years younger than his closest sibling.) His mother is still alive but his dad passed away when he was 81 as well. So if my husband and I both live until our mid 80's, our children will be close to 50 years old.

Anonymous wrote:My BIL is 57 and have two kids 4 and 5 y.o. He is always confused for a grandfather, even though he is super slim and fit, but has a lot of grey hair.

How old is your sister?

My BIL is 57 and have two kids 4 and 5 y.o. He is always confused for a grandfather, even though he is super slim and fit, but has a lot of grey hair.

Anonymous wrote:I used to think these people were the kids' grandparents......

Nope not anymore... at least not among the UMC in metro areas.

I am 51, husband is 58. Two kids 12 and 10. I got pregnant quickly both times. I feel like I'm average in the Chevy Chase area. People think we're younger though.

I used to think these people were the kids' grandparents......

Just turned 50. My youngest is 11 (5th grade). In her class, parents are a miix- -some are 10 years younger, some are about our age (DH is 51).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both DH and I are 53 and we have 9 yr old twins. My son found out how old I am and now calls me old lady and quite frankly it hurts especially since I'm not aging as well as I'd hoped to be.

9 year olds call anyone over 25 old. Don't let it bother you.

So true! I am 42 with kids in college and high school and I can't tell you how many times I was called an old lady by my kids (and I am size 2 and fit). Don't let it bother you!

Anonymous wrote:We have an (adopted) 21 month old. We are 50 and 52.

Wow, that's awesome. It sounds very tiring but completely awesome. I'm 54 and our youngest is 8. He completely changed the trajectory of our lives but I don't know what we would do without him. At some point you'll be able to sleep again, I promise!