Is it really that common to be a grandparent in your late 40s?

This is MN, most people think it's impossible to have a baby past 40. In the real world, I know more women who became mothers after 40 than before 33.

So no, I definitely wouldn't think a 47 year-old with a toddler is the grandmother.

I was a grandmother in my mid 40s and had a friend my age who had a child the same age as my grandchild

Late 40s with a preschool child? I'd assume grandmother as I don't know anyone who had a child that late. The oldest I can think of that I know personally was 42.

Earliest I've known someone become a grandmother was 37 - she had hers at 18 and her daughter at 19. I know a handful of grandmothers in their forties. It's more common in my neighbourhood to beome a grandparent by late 50s and early 60s, but 40s isn't unheard of at all.

sure I made my mum a grandma at 39 I was 21

One of my friends became a grandmother at 38. At that time I was pregnant with my first, aged 36.

I find it strange that OP is surprised that people do have children at a much younger age than 40s …there is a goady element to this post!

I was once asked if I was a grandma by a pupil, when I said I wasn't, my children were young teens, the pupil smirked and proudly told me that her Mam was a grandma and she was 34!

There is always going to be stigma from someone no mater what age you have a baby.
Im 38 and my baby is 22 this year not months years moved out .
Some would and have looked down on me but they can go piss off i really dont care anymore i just say well i was young enough to bounce back after birth and im still young to go do what the fuck i want.
Excuse me while i walk away with my freedom.
Op dont let some ones words get to you.

Most of my social circle are not grandparents till their mid 60s.
Their children started producing in their 30s, as did they.

Could be either and I wouldn't presume.

I had my youngest at 34. My 56 year old friend is a great grandmother.

but that is normal of someone of your/my background, the 'kids in 40s' thing is relatively new, and uncommon.. It's the multi generations of teenage parents that is very sad... a mother and daughter both having DC at 15? Obvs that is not right, and unlikely to result in good outcomes... :(

Haven't read all the replies but it's definitely not common around here (North London) to be a grandparent at 47!

I'm your age and my eldest is 17 - I was by far the youngest mum among my friendship group, and got mistaken for a nanny a couple of times when out and about. 😂

At my DCs primary school it seemed very common for mums to be in their 40s with kids. I'd say that 47 with a 3 year old is the upper end of the scale but I definitely wouldn't assume granny!

I’m about to foster my Grandchild at the age of 41 and I feel old !!!

I don’t know anyone having kids in their 40s most people round here start really young .

I often get mistaken for being a lot younger , I’ve even been asked if my Son is my partner !! I was 20 when I had him and he was 20 when he had his Son .

I wouldn’t change anything .

I'm 2 years younger than you and have a 25yo OP!

It depends what you look like I guess, maybe you look older than you think. My friend had her third at 44 so now has a one yr old and she could pass as his gran I must admit.

I'm 46. I'd say over 50% of the girls I went to school with are grannies now from what I've seen on social media.

DS is 13 so I was a late starter.

I'm from a small town in the North East, only 3 of us from my school went to university. Lots had kids before they were 18 so early grandchildren makes sense.

Yes, at first glance I'd assume it to be the grandmother. I was reading an article today which said the younger generation (early 20s) are keen to have their babies while they're still young themselves.

I and many of my friends from the preschool days had our children around 37/38. But when ds started primary school and I was one of the oldest mums, most were eight to ten years younger than me. So yes, at our school anybody in late 40s collecting a p1 would probably first be thought to be a GP.

Speak for yourself!

Plenty of 25 year olds are mature and sensible and make excellent parents. They also often have highly responsible jobs.

This.

I mean, 2 of the schools I've worked at, being a Grandparent in your 30s was incredibly common.
It does depend where you live though.

I'd still presume it is more common to become a Grandmother at 44 than a Mum.

I have one old friend who became a grandparent at 43 (he was a dad at 20). Most of my friends had their kids in their late 20s and early 30s bit I have a couple of friends who became parents at 20. We are all pretty much middle to upper middle class (if that's even a thing now) so it happens in all avenues of life. We are all around 46 now and unlikely to be grandparents for a while. My kids are 18 and 20 so there is a chance of it happening anytime but I doubt either will have kids young.

I agree, OP. In all my various groups of friends from school, university and DC's school mums, no-one in their 40s in anywhere near having grandchildren. I had my son at 33, and was one of the first from uni and school friends to have a baby. School mums in my son's year (Yrar 8) range from late 30s to mid 60s. Therefore, I definitely wouldn't assume you were a grandmother. I'm sorry for the upsetting comments you received.

think there's an age where it could go either way and you would be in that category.

I'd probably also assume you were a grandma at age 47 with a toddler.

Correct, because we all studied biology.

I'd assume grandparent at 47.

Usually working classes and aristocrats have kids when they are young

I don't know about aristorcats - don't know any - but working class areas we've lived in and grown up in the ages of parenthood while still younger than many middle class friends form Uni has also been on the rise especially in last few years.