to be petrified at how quickly life goes by?

I do comfort myself with the fact that every generation ages get younger. My grandma died an old woman in her 50s. My grandads are still alive (hopefully for ages) but have seemed elderly for 10/15 years or so. My parents and PILs are coming up to 60, and apart from a couple of specific things, aren't any different fitness.outlook wise to how they werre 20 years ago, as far as I can tell. Their holidays aer walking/cycling, they do lots of sport, are perfectly fit and healthy. Surely by the time I get there, that will last until you're 80!

yes me too. I'm struggling to accept that I am coming into middle age. I dont actually feel as though I have changed at all since about 17, my circumstances have changed a lot but my personality and temperament haven't. When I think about it, of course they have.
DH's grandma was recently (now I think about it, probably 4 years ago!) 80, and his aunt was laughing and saying in 10 years she would be 90 and they (i.e. aunt, uncle and parents) would be coming up 70. I had to stop and think about that one but she is right - the generation above me is coming up to 70!

I recently read something or watched something (can't remember which)about time going faster which said that it is all down to routines. That's why time goes slowly as a child because you're generally unaware of times/dates etc. but as you age you settle into more routines and time speeds up. They suggested this is why the first half of holidays often seem longer because you're finding your feet and exploring what is around without any set routines. By the end of the holiday you've settled into a routine of sorts and the last half whizzes by.

Makes sense I suppose.

I know exactly what you mean. It gets faster and faster as the years go by. I don't mind getting older, I do mind running out of time. All the things I thought I would enjoy as I got older are now tinged by the knowledge that there time is running out.

i think about this a lot, when i see myself in a mirror in the wrong light. my mum says i am too old for long hair, and when i put a flower clip in, she says they are for young girls, not midde aged women- i am 40. i think things like, only 30 more christmas's or summers, then i feel all flustered everything isn't perfect all the time.

I'm a teacher. My life ticks by in a blur of school terms, half terms, end of terms, back to schools. Now my boys have started school as well, we're all on the same treadmill for a bit.

Colleagues have told me you really start to feel it when you end up teaching the offspring of past pupils. This hasn't happened to me yet, but it might not be many years off.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I'm 34 and thinking about applying to Uni. to do a second degree next year. I keep wondering if there is even a point to doing this? Am I too old? Does life just get faster and faster? Do energy levels get lower and lower by default? Would I have the stamina to begin a new, physically demanding career in my 40s?

My youngest is starting proper school in September so perhaps it's the emotional fall-out from my change of status as busy SAHM of little ones.

I'm in my early 40's, and I've felt like this from time to time since my teens. Sometimes have little panic attacks when I think about dying.
I just try and push those feelings aside, but they are always there ready to pop up again.
I always thought I was odd for feeling like this.
But yes, time seems to fly by, I can't believe it's over 20 years since I left university!
I heard once that time goes more slowly for children - something to do with their faster heartbeats - don't know if that's a load of rubbish!

Can't believe I've seen this thread as I've been thinking the exact same today.(Infact I think about this most days!).
I was walking down a big high street today wiith my LO's and saw groups o women gossiping about what she said he said etc and I was thinking 'how can you take this so seriously when lifes so short'?
I'm envious of people who 'live in the moment' and don't seem to be scared of death.We have a good friend in our area who is in his 70's an he stilll thinks and acts like he's 21!He's very modern and knows everything that's going even to do with 'slebs' etc.
He's just won a battle with throat cancer and he and his lovely wife were celebrating for their lovely life that they'll have.Then she got cancer and within weeks deteriorated and has recently died.
He still going out and meeting friends socialising etc and is putting on a brave face.We talk about life and death(bunch of laughs me!)and he laughs at me for being scared of death.He reassures me that when you get old you don't mind about dying as much and you accept it.He also believes in heaven which I don't know if I do(although I want there to be one!).
It's leaving dc that gets to me

ABBY I sometimes notice life seems to go quickly. But it does not bother me,

I think most of us in their 30's and 40's feel like this. I read somewhere that once you have turned 30, that you think about death at least once a day at some point - which I think is true.

I tend to count from Xmas to Xmas - and the speed at which the year goes is horrifying - and gets faster every year. It is hideously depressing - but sadly there is nothing to slow it down. Just make as many moments 'count' as you can.

Definitely time seems to speed by more quickly when you have children, think it must be because you watch them grow and change daily! My youngest heads off to school in September and having been a SAHM for 10 years it feels like the end of an era. My eldest is not far off high school which I find terrifying!!

I was doing okay until i found my first grey hair. that's when getting older really hit me. plus, within two weeks of the grey descending on my head, my dd turned 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

where on earth have the past ten years gone? i mean, blimey, i've done a lot of different things but they are an awful lot of things that are exactly the same.

this may sound weird but i actually feel comfort that, barring a hideous accident, i am likely to die before my dh because he is healthy and exercises and i have spent most of the past 38 years talking about going on a diet.

Oh, and I agree with time going faster when you have children at school - it's because the year is divided up into little chunks. Before you know it, another academic year has flown by. It's scary!

I worry about how fast time is going too. And then I worry how on earth I'm going to avoid death until I'm a reasonable age so I can see all my children into adulthood.

Time perception is very odd.

Individual days even hours can seem endlessly and unnecessarily long but then months go by so fast.

It has got worse since eldest started nursery with school terms - you have roughly 6 weeks then week or two week break as before you know it the whole school year has gone.

I aim to make the most of every day with the DC then bickering, tiredness ect get in the way and I worrying I am letting life slip by.

I think it's all about attitude. Some people are middle-aged by the time they hit 30, some people never become middle-aged. My DF has always maintained that middle-age is 10 years older than whatever age you are at the moment. He's 75 now...

I fret about this (utterly pointless I know) Have just passed the big 50 mark so have been thinking about ageing, a lot. The kids have grown up so fast. The baby and toddler years seemed endless, the rest has just whizzed by. But I think, as someone wise said earlier, that it's a case of enjoying the different stages. I miss the kids as they were when they were little but they are such entertaining young adults, and we can do so many different things together now.

I occasionally get a bit misty eyed about grandchildren but ds is only 19 and looks at me with sheer horror

Hahahaha no wimpofawoman you haven't, I think it's since I've had kids that my life seems to be flying past and there's nothing I can do to stop it!