To discuss the societal impacts of older parents?

I think a better way would be to discuss why it’s has changed and if it needs to be change how will it be changed ? Because it’s all nice to say people need to have kids sooner or more kids or less kids etc but finding a solution ( if there is one ) is the hard part

There isn't really one re increasing birth rates, well no country has managed it yet despite various incentives. Less dc makes a society less dc focused so it becomes more self perpetuating if that makes sense. There was an excellent article about South Korea someone posted on another thread but I don't think I can find it.

The increase percentually is very small, not enough for it to be a worry . Having less children yes I agree it may be a issue . But again I’m not sure the focus should be the age but more the reading why people are waiting and choosing not to have children or inky have one .

I did a few months at a time , but mostly a large block yearly , with a very young child , I suppose it was a “travel the world “ version for a single skint mum back then 🤷🏻‍♀️, he has indeed been a single child for over 12 years and traveled the world as in most continents , that’s what I meant . Not that we traveled for year in one go .
How was me being a single young mum and actually giving you the example I gave be bashing young mums ? I If anything the opposite , I had my son very young , no regrets , I just said it was easier to do it with more financial stability .

Sorry meant to quote your comment

A week or twos holiday abroad doesn't constitute "travelling the world " in my opinion. Travelling the world to me implies a few months at least backpacking etc. Which certainly doesn't leave much time to also be studying to be a lawyer.

Only a small number of people go on to become lawyers or doctors most older parents have humble jobs and need to claim benefits to pay their rent or for their childcare.

My point is the reasons given for young mum bashing on Mumsnet don't always even add up

A week or twos holiday abroad doesn't constitute "travelling the world " in my opinion. Travelling the world to me implies a few months at least backpacking etc. Which certainly doesn't leave much time to also be studying to be a lawyer.

Only a small number of people go on to become lawyers or doctors most older parents have humble jobs and need to claim benefits to pay their rent or for their childcare.

My point is the reasons given for young mum bashing on Mumsnet don't always even add up

But the issue about the increase in children being born to older parents being more likely to have significant challenges is that that comes at significant cost to the public purse even parents dont receive other benefits.

People still have holidays , work and study and are parents as so many people put on this thread . It is hard to, may I add very very hard , but doable .
Im sure plenty of older parents are indeed receiving benefits but the majority of people who waited purposefully to have children was due to financial instability .

You don’t know what you’re talking about - is the main issue here. Other posters have laid out their cases, calmly and concisely, but your opinion is totally one tracked, so that hasn’t left much room for intelligent debate. Just your opinions, which appear incredibly narrow minded.

I think couples are reacting to big societal pressures and making individual chocies but people feel judge even when you try to dicuss it on a more abstract demographic level.

Parental age getting ever older and that percentage of parents who are older ever increases there will be unforseen impacts - and some will be positive - more time and money per child - and some negative - increased risks.

It's also going to vary hugely - it older parents and grandparents remain fit and active and mentally alert into older age it's completely different to when that doesn't happen. If there money/resources also means more support for young or old as well.

I think best you can say is it a consistent trend and it will come with impacts - mostly likely more fertily problems and smaller families (less time to have as many). Also think it used to much more middle class urabn norm and it's now much wider trend as living costs rise for everyone.

I think a better way would be to discuss why it’s has changed and if it needs to be change how will it be changed ? Because it’s all nice to say people need to have kids sooner or more kids or less kids etc but finding a solution ( if there is one ) is the hard part . This new generation has a lot of self awareness , women’s rights have shown women life outside motherhood can be different and is accepted which we can’t go back or should , so society has changed and we must adapt .

Yes it’s been disappointing, the ‘boomer’ thread was really good and a number of really interesting points were raised, outside of the usual ones

The thread doesn't make sense because the OP conflated too many different things & ignores what the actual reality is already. Nothing has been up for discussion except people arguing about teen pregnancies vs 40 something pregnancies

Off course it makes , those on better financial positions ( doesn’t have to be high paid jobs , can be finish paying mortgage as a example ) are less likely to have their parents cared by the state as a example so it does make a huge difference.
I’m not sure what you wish to discuss , maybe your issue was you mentioned age and I don’t think older age is the main reason people have less children , it’s financial and it’s a view on how society works , a lot of young women and men decided already they don’t want kids ever , it’s no longer seen as the mains route to be accepted within society that you have to become a mother , personally I see this a lot on my step sons group , ( all in early to late 20s) most do not seem interested in having kids ever , for them a child is hardwork and their mindset is very self focused on making their life worthy and fun .
This last issue might potentially bebe one a much bigger issue than having children late imo

But it’s not a new thing. My Grandmother was in her late 70s when I was born. She was born around 1885 and had my mother (7th of 8) in 1925. I was born in 1962 and my first was born in 2003. So all of us ‘older mums’. I didn’t know my grandmother as my parents lived in a different country. But even if they lived in the same my grandmother was not the bake cookies with the grandkids or take them to the seaside kind of woman!! And as my parents were older they did babysit on occasion but time was spent together when we visited them in their country. My in laws lived 20 minutes away but only saw us a few times a year always at our suggestion.
Some contemporaries of mine had younger more involved parents, most do/did not (I’m 63). I only know of one person who had a great grandparent alive long enough for them to be able to remember them.
I think the real shift is not so much age (as I say, that’s nothing new), but that we are more likely in the last generation or two to live some distance away from our families. I live in a different country to my siblings, for example. Most friends’ parents live half a days drive away minimum (if still alive, most have passed away by now).
Of the disabled children I know, three were born to parents around 30, one was born to a woman at 45 but the disability is not related to age more the genetics of the father.
As for studies on the subject - a quick google pulled up dozens and dozens!

Had 4 kids after age 37. It is what it is. My kids say they don’t think I’m old.
we are all close. I had my FT career and work thru 2 births and quit before 3rd which could afford because we were secure in careers, had bought & renovated a house and had many options for well paid part time work.

had a friend in school much older parents … nothing odd about her or parents. It’s nothing new.

there are far bigger issues.

IMO - starting family at 35-40 preferable & better educational outcomes than have one at 18, and more before 25. Depends what you are measuring.

Severe and complex needs is a medical catergorisation.

Severe and complex needs describe individuals who experience significant challenges due to multiple impairments or disabilities that affect various aspects of their lives, including learning, communication, sensory processing, and physical functioning. These needs often require specialized support and resources to facilitate participation in daily life and education.

Key characteristics of severe and complex needs:
Multiple impairments:
Individuals may have a combination of learning disabilities, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, and/or communication difficulties.
High support needs:
They require substantial assistance with daily activities, learning, and accessing services.
Complex interventions:
Supporting individuals with complex needs often involves a multidisciplinary approach, including specialized education, therapy, and assistive technology.

It is often a mix of learning difficulties, autism, visual and hearing difficulties, epilepsy, genetic disorders, cogenital issues.

My mum had me in her mid thrirties and I had mine in my mid thirties. My husband’s parents also had him relatively late and he in his late thirties. We now have primary age children and no help at all as our parents are too elderly or have died. It’s isn’t easy and I am now in the position that I am starting to have to do more the parents. I make them dinner once a week. Have to drive one of them places etc and it’s only going to get harder. I work part time partly because of this.
I have friends that have young active and involved grandparents and they are able to work longer hours and do more things like have date nights and yes I do get a touch jealous.
I do think I will look back though and be glad I did everything myself and had the one on one time with my kids, did the school runs all the sports clubs etc.
I am in the financial position do that though. Although guess that’s partly because we started late.
It’s better for the environment as well. So that’s a bonus. More spaced apart generations means less people overall.

Exactly it always gets implied on here by some older parents that they are better than younger parents because they waited while becoming lawyers and travelling the world.

Firstly not everyone can be a lawyer that's not how the economy works.
Secondly how did they travel the world whilst simultaneously studying really hard to become a lawyer??

It's mostly just bullshit at this point I think.

While they're busy insisting all teen mum's are on benefits and wasting tax payer money even when they have a job and are still with the child's father you see posters say "ah but you must have SOME benefits" they forget that most older parents are not lawyers and actually have normal jobs and probably receive benefits to pay their rent or childcare

I don't see what difference it makes. I had my child at 35. In my 50's now with ailing parents. Doesn't matter that I don't have young children, I could have no children and I still wouldn't be able to do any caring due to working full time and then some due to the cost of living! It's the cost of living that actually impacts the most. Most women, and let's face it they do most of the caring, now have to work full time until retirement and their parents are living longer leaving no-one to care for them.

Oh come on there are plenty of stats that indicate older parents are more likely to produce disabled offspring. It's known that egg quality reduces with age and age is directly linked with things like Downs Syndrome.

OP is not picking a fight with older parents, and i dont think anyone has an issue with any given person choosing to have children a little later, OP is talking about the wider impact of the full societal shift to having children later.
What might seem very minor impacts at a familial level are magnified when it's a pattern that's taking place across the whole society and OP is correct that there will undoubtedly be some negative impacts.

I work with children with severe and complex needs at it is very noticeable that most of the parents are older ie over 35 at birth and a significant number over 40. There is plenty of evidence supporting this but it isnt talked about.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8020515/ is just one article.

@MidnightPatrol
"I think a bigger issue is the general breakdown of communities helping out with raising children - parenting so often seems to be such a solo activity for modern parents"

I keep seeing this sort of comment posted on Mumsnet and it always baffles me. I'd love to know where this mysterious community was that "raised" other people's kids. I was born in 1957 and my parents were both born during the First World War and none of us experienced it. We lived in a fairly small rural village too and it certainly wasn't in evidence. Everyone's kids was their own responsibility, same as it is these days. If anything, younger people have waaay more help now with grandparents offering free childcare (often all week) and doing school runs, taking kids on holiday, babysitting etc. Back then grandparents were people you visited for Sunday tea when you sat in their front room and behaved yourself. You'd be incredibly lucky to persuade a relative or neighbour to babysit once in a blue moon and if you did, you'd probably be condemned as an inadequate mother behind your back.