Parenthood can be a double-aged sword for first-time parents in their 40s or 50s...
George Clooney recently became a father at 56 years old and while his wife Amal Clooney is 39 some would consider George crazy for having kids so late in life. However, George isn’t the only person in the world to have children later in life and he is in good company. Simon Cowell notoriously known for years as being an eternal bachelor and one that would never have kids surprised the world by welcoming son Erin into the world 3 years ago when he was 54 years old. While it isn’t for everyone there are many pros and cons for both sides of the argument but it is vital to remember that regardless of these that having a child at any age is never easy nor is always planned but what matters is being the best parent you can be.
And it's not just about conceiving. What’s more important is how you parent your children. Many parents decide, for whatever reason, perhaps career advancement or later marriage, to have children later in life.
Parenthood can be a double-aged sword for first-time parents in their 40s or 50s...
Pros
- Mature and happy- Most parents who are older are not only more mature than younger parents but they are happier too as they have worked are more settled in their personal life.
- Calmer and wiser- Older parents may be calmer and incredibly wiser as they have had more life experiences.
- Financially stable- After years of working on their careers older parents are usually in a better place financially. This means they may be able to take more time off to spend with their kids and support their family better.
- More relaxed- A person who is older will have seen it all by the time they hit their 50’s nothing will faze them and they will relish the road ahead having fulfilled their career and want to take on a parenting challenge
Cons
- Tiredness can be an issue- The inevitable drain on your energy - the hallmark of parenting. Older parents can be more tired than younger ones.
- Less energy to play with the kids- They may not be able to run for miles or chase down the kids but in some cases, they will. I'm not so fit and I had my kids in my early thirties?
- Not as trendy or cool- As their kids grow older they may notice that their parents are older compared to their classmate’s parents. They may not be the hip, cool parents but their kids will love them all the same. Although George and Simon are fairly sound!
- May have less family support and not as many parent friends- Older parents may have less parent friends or parent friends that have already raised their own families. They may not be able to connect with parents they meet in the yard but age shouldn’t really matter, should it?
- Struggle to keep up- Older parents may struggle to keep up especially when their child becomes an active teenager. It may not be easy waiting up at night but sure it must be done.
- May miss out on Grandkids- Sadly this could happen for older parents, as once their kids hit their 20’s and 30’s they are hitting their 70’s and 80’s and may not be around or may be in ill health. This is probably the worst con of all.
Fun facts- it's not just George and Simon who are the famous slightly older dads…. Paul McCartney became a father at 61, Rod Stewart had a new baby at 66, while Rupert Murdoch was 72 when he became a dad again. And there’s more: Charlie Chaplin was 73 when his youngest child was born, while Julio Iglesias Senior, grandfather to Enrique Iglesias, was 89 when his youngest son, Jaime, was born.
