Anybody had an older parent when growing up?

[Shaz83]

anybody Had an older parent when they were younger and how did it feel are your parents still here. How old are they do they help out with child care etc.. if you have children..I will be 42 when my daughter is here so just wondering if anyone had older parents?

My mum had me at 39, my Dad was 44. My Dad passed away when I was 9 from cancer, and my mum also had cancer at the same time but she survived. She was healthy and fit until late 70's. I had my last DD aged 39, and mum has quite a few health issues and is unable to help practically at all. She gives me a lot of emotional support though, and is my best friend. I'm also in a position of providing her with a lot of support, and this is quite tricky to juggle with my own young family and work. I would say growing up I had no awareness my parents were older, they seemed like any other parents and I benefitted from a lot of attention and they had more money so think it was easier in some ways than when they had my siblings who are much older than me.

My DH was 42 when we had DD. I am 9 years younger but he is healthier than me at the moment! He has a young outlook too and I don't think DD finds it an issue. It was tricky when she was tiny as I think he found it hard to adjust to a new person but now she is a teen they get on so well.

On the flip side his mum had him at 25ish I think and was very hands off, relying on her mother (who had her at 38) to help. It really is a case of age is but a number .

My mum was 42 when she had me.

The really important thing I'd pay attention to is to staying in touch with the norms of their world, even if they clash a lot with yours.

This isn't to say that you should slavishly follow trends on their behalf. Just don't be blinkered as to what's appropriate or fair for them because you're basing it on your memories/expectations of childhood.

(This might not have been down to her age, and lots of parents do the same with smaller age gaps, but it certainly was a factor in some of her parenting.)

@Shaz83 when mum had me in the 80's 38 was old to have a have a child. Now of course it's not.
I felt sad growing up that I wouldn't have my mum as my other siblings as she was much younger when she had them. You are right, she could live until 90 and hopefully older! I don't feel sad about it anymore. I was just explaining what it felt like growing up.

I am an older mum, but didn't have older parents. I had my youngest at 42. It's been fine, I'm 55 now.