to think that 40 years of age

[SoleSource]

is not OLD as in past it, dicrepit.

[mrsjay]

I feel older but I can see my dds leaving home and me going in to the next phase of my life in a few years ,so I have years left

[Portofino]

I am 44 and don't feel old. My GM was 40 when I was born and when I look at photos she looks much older than I feel. My dh is 55 and yet we happily pop off to see the Kaiser Chiefs etc and go to the pub after. MY GPs would never have dreamt of such a thing.

[Portofino]

If we were in the UK we would be doing Glastonbury and all.

[Lizzylou]

Go Porto!
Age is such a state of mind.

I also wear denim skirts

I don't feel any older than when I was 20, just have more things to juggle.

[ivykaty44]

There is a difference between old
which is a number and past. It which is a state of. Mind

i am feeling good and happy

who cares if i am thought of. As old

[nalubeadsgirl]

I have a newborn and will be 39 next month..

Hardly old! I'm in better nick now than I was at 20!

You're only old if you're think you're old ( I know 25 yr olds who are more wrinkly/fat/grey/old than I am!!!)

State of mind people.

[IfNotNowThenWhen]

Nope, 30-60 IS middle aged. Yes, you can have babies in middle age, but if you split life fairly evenly into 3 stages, then 30-60 = middle age.
It doesn't matter though.
It's just that we have this idea of "middle age" as being The End Of Things, which is silly.
I had a conversation in the supermarket with a 89 year old woman, who said to me "women dread being 40. They shouldn't. It's the best time in your life".
What I am saying is that life needn't be about labels.
There is nothing WRONG with being middle aged.
In fact, when I decided that 30-60 IS middle aged (because it is) it meant that turing 35 was no biggy: I had been middle aged for ages.

[mrsjay]

I have a newborn and will be 39 next month..

see ^^ not old

[SoMuchToBits]

Well, I'm 51, so I think 40 is quite youthful ........

[Foggles]

Every age is a blessing as you are still alive so enjoy.

^^ this

[NotGoodNotBad]

My FIL was recently described by his doctor as "a lovely middle-aged man". FIL is about 80!

So that makes me a mere whipper-snapper then.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

I think it's a shame if women only really see themselves as young in their twenties, and old by 40, no way !

Men don't do that to themselves, they are still happily buying sports cars (and getting well paid in their careers) in their 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Also I think there's a lot to be said for your attitude of mind. If you stay flexible in your attitudes even when your body can't touch it's toes anymore I think you won't seem nearly as old as you feel

I genuinely only really think of middle-aged as being over 50ish, but maybe it always has to be just a little older than you are yourself !

[mrsjay]

although I have started thinking of the young woman who works with me and is superior to me as a 'girl' I dont mean too

[MerryCouthyMows]

Ifnotnow - I am most certainly NOT middle aged just because I'm 31! .

I fully intend to live to at least 100, like all the women in my family ignores body already broken by arthritis and epilepsy.

In which case I shan't be middle aged until I'm at least 50!

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

No, absolutely no way middle-aged is 30 - 60.

That's just not the way the term is used, even if logically it should be.

Middle-aged has always been a nice way of saying "getting on a wee bit" hence my definition that it has to be saved at least for the over 50's.

Also I think it refers to the middle years of your adult life, not your life as a whole. So under 18/20 is your childhood and teenage years. 20 - 50 adult life, 50 - 70 middle age, 70+ older life.

I guess you could divide 20 - 50 up a bit if you wanted, 20's could be young adult life, 30 - 50 just adult life (no further label needed)

This has obviously suddenly become incredibly important to me with 50 looming in a couple of years

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

Middle age starts at 15 years older than whatever age you currently are.
Old age starts at 15 years older than that.

So for example, if you're 40, then middle age starts at 55 and old age starts at 70. This formula works for most ages; try it!

[NotGoodNotBad]

"Middle age starts at 15 years older than whatever age you currently are.
Old age starts at 15 years older than that."

The definitive answer!

[SoleSource]

I am 39 in four weeks.
39 + 15 = 54

Ooh

[HecateWhoopass]

life expectancy of a british woman is 81, it seems

so halfway through that is about 6 months after your 40th birthday.

Making 40 middle aged.

Slap bang in the middle of the average lifespan.

Sorry folks, but we have to accept it We're middle aged women.

[SoleSource]

Nooo

[HecateWhoopass]

Accept it.

embrace it

buy this

[x2boys]

I,ll be 40 in november soi I defiatley dont think its to old however it does nt seem two minutes since i was 30 and in that time i have met and married my husband and become a mother twice over. what a difference a decade makes also i,m in a much better place at nearly 40 than at nearly 30 back than i was terminally single sick of going out trying to find a half decent man i,m quite looking forward to being 40

[worsestershiresauce]

Old is something that happens to other people.... never oneself

I'm 40, but good g*d I'm NOT old. Helps that I only look 25! That is true btw, I have always looked a lot younger than I am. When I was 21 a 13 year school boy asked me out. He refused to believe I wasn't the same age, to the point where he even asked my mum who was his teacher at school how old I was! I didn't like looking young then, but I do now.

[EATmum]

With 40 looming, and all the perception changes that entails, I'm re convinced that it depends more on how happy you are with the way you've spent the time you have than the hours you've clocked. I'm happy and definitely happier at this age than almost any previous point. But that is probably a personal v insecure teenage/tween age for you ...

[mizu]

I have been 40 for two weeks. Same as most on here, generally feel loads better than I did at 30, more sorted and settled, more confident. Happier and think I look better too.

There is still that little niggle though that I am getting older. You never think that it is going to happen to you do you?!