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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if 35 really is middle aged

117 replies

Blameitonthenight67 · 26/02/2017 16:37

Colleague described a new worker who is around 35 as middle aged the other day. I was rather shocked I'm 45 and consider myself middle aged and 35 young.

OP posts:
JAPAB · 26/02/2017 17:37

Of course 35 isn't middle-aged. Though 36 might be if average life expectancy is still 72 :)

Jaxhog · 26/02/2017 17:39

Just looked it up on Wikipedia. 'According to the Oxford English Dictionary middle age is between 45–65'

Phew!

ALemonyPea · 26/02/2017 17:39

Dear god I hope not. Im 36, 19 in my head. Certainly don't feel middle aged.

When I was a child, I thought 35 was old. It definitely is not!

PetalMettle · 26/02/2017 17:39

Three of my grandparents have lived to 94. So that would suggest increments of 31.33 - so the last third being old - which would 62.5

AuntMabel · 26/02/2017 17:40

How old is your colleague, 16?! 35 is not middle aged. I am not prepared to be anywhere near middle aged FFS

latedecember1963 · 26/02/2017 17:42

I've got nieces that are 35 and older and I still think of them in terms of them being young. I'm 53 and don't think of myself as middle aged although in practical terms of course I am. It's unfortunate that "middle aged" tends to have negative connotations which is perhaps why I'm reluctant to accept that's where I am.

diddl · 26/02/2017 17:43

It's all comparative, isn't it?

I'm early 50s, feel great, who cares if someone thinks I'm old or middle aged?

Doubtless I've lived longer than I've got left, whichever way you slice it!

JAPAB · 26/02/2017 17:43

Just looked it up on Wikipedia. 'According to the Oxford English Dictionary middle age is between 45–65'

Wonder why they call it middle aged, rather than, say three-quarters aged or someother. Most people are not going to live to be 90-130.

isseywithcats · 26/02/2017 17:47

im 60 and still dont feel middle aged my Oh and i go all over the place on a big cruiser motorbike, go to gigs, bike rallies maybe when im 70/80 i might consider myself middle aged but until then peter pan syndrome suits me to a tee

wonkylegs · 26/02/2017 17:54

I'm happy to go with the OED definition (yay not there yet)
It's something that will change though as life expectancy and retirement changes.
I think also life experience and family history will impact how you view it.
We have a great granny (DHs family) still going at 93 and she's doing better than my mum (71) who has poor health.
I think of both of these 2 relatives as old but my ILs & my dad who are in their mid 60's a lot less so even though there's only a few years between my mum & mil, I'd rate them as late middle. I think it's also partly to do with only my mum & great granny no longer work.

BackToBasics2 · 26/02/2017 17:55

Well i'm 33, so only 2 years off 35 and yesterday I had comments such as "you don't look old enough to have a 10 year old dc." I also still get "looked at" when alcohol. So if i'm nearly nearly middle aged then hmmmm....

BackToBasics2 · 26/02/2017 17:55

*buying alcohol

Idrinkandiknowstuff · 26/02/2017 17:56

Jeez, I'm 50, and maybe, just maybe, I'm approaching middle age. 35 is practically a teenager!

specialsubject · 26/02/2017 18:03

dopey vlogger watching millenial by any chance?

with the biblical three score and ten, 35 would be middleaged. Now it is late 40s or early 50s. Definition - need reading glasses, go 'oof' when sitting down, knees hurt, realise won't live forever, can't hear mumbly tv show soundtracks, think ripped jeans and inch thick slap look ridiculous..

yes, that's me.

BadToTheBone · 26/02/2017 18:04

Middle aged is always 2 years more than my age, I'm 49, so middle aged is at least 51. Fingers in ears, la la la.

35 isn't middle aged!

BadToTheBone · 26/02/2017 18:05

Ha ha Mrsterry I just read your post, great minds!

honeylulu · 26/02/2017 18:15

When I was school age (1980s) people did describe 35 as middle aged. My mum had a list of things women over 35 shouldn't do: have long hair; have babies; wear bikinis etc*. 60 was considered old (elderly even).
Now 35 is still young FGS. Lots of people don't manage to buy a property or choose to start a family until their late 30s. Retirement at 70 will become the norm.
I'd say 50 is now middle aged. Old is 70+
*I'm 42 and have done all the things my mother disapproved of post 40.

Stoneagemum · 26/02/2017 18:18

0-20 child/adolescent
20-40 younger adult,
40-60 middle aged adult,
60-80 older adult,
80+ elderly

Middle age has such negative connotations whereas in reality it is probably th best time in life, old enough to know better, young enough to make changes

RubyGoat · 26/02/2017 18:21

It had better bloody not be! I shall shortly no longer be 35... and I still don't really know what I want to do when I grow up.BlushGrin

Mrstumbletap · 26/02/2017 18:22

Depends how long you think you will live I suppose?

Most of my family die at 60 (I hope I don't, try to healthy etc). But using the number above yes I'm middle aged and I'm in mid thirtees.

Being middle aged at 45 would imply that 'end of age' would be 90. I can only hope to live that long.

What's the average life expectancy at the moment? Middle aged is half of that.

ElasticGirl · 26/02/2017 18:24

Oh no that means my middle age begins this year at 45, what happened there! Wasn't expecting that. Think I'll postpone middle age another 5 years at least!

twinklefoot · 26/02/2017 18:29

40+ surely! A lot of you have your head in the sand. 50 is well into to middle age!

Willyoujustbequiet · 26/02/2017 18:32

50s onwards to me.

I suppose technically it could be 45 but 40s is nothing like what it used to be so that doesnt seem right these days.

TheNewWife · 26/02/2017 18:33

Oh dear gawwwddd, I'm 34. I refuse to accept that I'm middle aged. I mean, I'm not in teenage denial but still...

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 26/02/2017 18:34

I think I'm definitely knocking on for middle aged at 38. Ds16 would describe me as old but then teenagers always think that.