How did you deal with turning 40?

[BeyonceZ]

I'll be 40 in a year's time (turning 39 soon) and I just can't wrap my head around it.

Does life drastically change? Do hopes and dreams change?

[YouTheCat]

I got a tattoo and left my husband. hth

[Chasingsquirrels]

It's better than the alternative!

[ThePinkOcelot]

It just came and went. Just like any other day.

[Dowser]

Great. Big party .
Darn sight better than 30 when I thought I was going to die from pneumonia!

[Squeegle]

Being 30 was more of a shock!

[Eolian]

Of course not! Nothing magically changes. You get a year older, just like you do every year! Or in fact on your birthday you get a day older, just like you do every day! Why on earth should life change?

[Sunnydaysrock]

Nothing changes, it's fine! Life's what you make it, and if you let your age bring you down you're wasting time. You can't stop it happening. Do really nice stuff for your birthday and then just live your life! You only get one ..blah blah

[MarklahMarklah]

Had a party. I enjoyed it. I don't really see why it's a big deal, you're still young. There's several people I knew who would have loved to have lived to be 40.

[PacificDogwod]

It did not hurt.

Nor did turning 50

[missiondecision]

I survived turning 40 by pretending I hadn't.
I was 39 again.
By 41 I was ok with it. It's better than the alternative isn't it?

[MirandaWest]

My now DH celebrated turning 40 by meeting me .

I had a small family party (he and I had moved in together by then)

All was fine

[Ineedagoodusername]

You must be exactly the same age as me. I'm 39 in August. I'm not sure why but I'm quite excited about going into my 40s!

[elQuintoConyo]

For me it came and went. Tea and cake in the garden with lots of friends. DS was running about bare-arsed due to potty training and peed in a friend's shoe

30th birthday was spent in Venice with DH. Again, just another birthday.

However, the night before turning 31 - absolute meltdown! For about a half hour. Completely daft.

I'm now 42 and have lost several friends and family members yet I am in rude health. I count my blessings.

[Notcool1984]

After going through major illness in my 20s, I count every year I get to as a blessing! Better than the alternative as others have said!

[IrritatedUser1960]

40 was fantastic. It's 50 that's the killer.

[Mrsfluff]

I got divorced and found myself a lovely new man, just before the end of 39. 40 has been fantastic!!!

[MickeyRooney]

I dealt with it by going to Russia and had a great time there. Apart from that, life continued as normal.

[stopfuckingshoutingatme]

Erm it's just a number

Felt no different to turning 8 , 32

At least we are alive !!!!

[SoyUnPerdedor2]

I looked at the cards on the windowsill all saying 40.
Wondered who they were for!
Then went back to dealing with the baby who had just started walking and was in to everything.

[FlyingElbows]

I got up, got the children organised and got on with my life like I do every other day.

[phoolani]

The best thing about turning 40 is you don't care anymore about turning 40.

[Dauphinois]

40 was fabulous!

Past the baby stage and kids getting more independent. Big life choices made ( career, husband, house etc). Fortunate to have good health.

Time to have some fun after the slog of young kids ( 30's) and trying to establish career, meet life partner, buy house etc (20's)

40's are brill!

[MegBusset]

Happened to me two weeks ago. I spent the whole month celebrating it.

I had two fab nights out with friends, a brilliant gig in London by myself, and a long weekend away with DH. On the day itself I spent most of it on the beach with DH and the kids before having a lovely barbecue and drinking lots of prosecco.

It was MUCH better than my 30th (when I had a small baby and hadn't slept for three months) and my 21st (when I was taken to some ghastly posh restaurant and given an ugly watch by my ex boyfriend).

[mycatloveslego]

My 40th was 6 weeks ago. Got some great presents, don't really feel any different. Turning 30 was worse for me, I was very sad to leave my 20's. Looking back god knows why!