To worry people won't want to be friends with me because of my age

[LolaLemony]

I expect I'm probably being silly. But I'm having a bit of an anxiety episode as we speak and I need some honest feedback.
I'm 50.
I was late to the party with kids after a long and difficult time of dealing with fertility issues.
After a long journey, I eventually conceived and am blessed to have 2 DC who are now 13 and 10.
They both have a wide range of friends and we live in a very friendly community which means I've been lucky enough to get to know the parents of their friends well. These parents are all absolutely lovely, fun, intelligent, interesting people. But they are all between 8 to 10 years younger than me. They are all 40, or very early 40s.
I enjoy their company, they make me laugh, I have great conversations with them. I really like their children. I'd really love to develop things further and invite them round to mine or suggest days out together the kids.
But all the while, I'm thinking "Would they want to be friends with someone 8, 9, 10 years older than them?! Would they want to hang out with someone so much older?" I really genuinely think this. When I'm talking to them, I'm thinking "I wonder if they can tell how much older than them I am, I wonder if they think I'm old compared to them."
They all freely talk about their ages in conversation, they tell me what they did for their 40th birthdays last year or the year before. I'm completely cagey about my age and never ever mention it. I had my 50th and would have loved to invite them all for an evening out with me, just to the pub or for a meal, but I didn't, because I couldn't face the inevitable "How old are you going to be?" that comes with birthday celebrations. I literally don't tell anyone my age because they're all a decade, or nearly a decade, younger than me, I worry they won't want to be friends with me if they knew how much older I am than they are.
It's affecting my confidence around wanting to extend invites to them to do things together socially.

They're all extremely lovely towards me, I regularly receive compliments from them about my personality or character, and I like them all tremendously.
So tell me, would you develop a friendship with a woman 8 or 9 or 10 years older than you? Would it matter to you? Would you be prepared to build on a friendship with such a big age gap?
Be honest!

47 here and I have a few good friends who range from 34 to 50 plus.

we’ve bonded over our kids, dogs, neurodivergence and arts and crafts.

You are way overthinking things, nobody cares about your age. I'm late 40's and had a party last night with friends in their 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's.

They already are your friends, the only one putting up barriers is you.

We had our kids when we were 26 and 29. They're the same age as yours.

We spent last night with all the friends we made when our oldest started primary. I am the youngest, the others (husbands and wives) range from 43 to 56 (I'm 39). We're all great friends, I don't care that they're older than me and I hope they don't mind I'm younger. We all share the same life stage and have fun together.

Stop holding back, I'm sure they don't give a shit that you're 50. I'm looking forward to more of my friends turning 50 for a bloody good party!

Nope. Don't think about it. Your'll find someone nice. In primary school for ds1 and ds2 wide variety of mums ages. Now my friends range from 40 to 60. Closest friends same age, 52-55.

I think it's life stage that matters more than age.

I have a couple of friends who are only just 30, I am only 2 years off 40 but they also have kids and we work together and have similar interests so it just works. I keep forgetting they are a good 8 years younger than me and they forget that I'm almost 40 when we discuss birthdays and age.

When I had my youngest, I was 36. I started going to the local baby and toddler group and became excellent friends with a young woman who'd had her third baby and was 23. 28 years later we are STILL excellent friends. First of all we had children of the same age in common, then we developed other interests in common, and now we also have history on our side. Age is just a number.

I'm 61 and I have friends ranging in age from 40 to 75. I honestly think you are worrying over nothing OP! If someone likes you as a person,your age is irrelevant.

I'm 34 and my eldest DD is 9. I was 24 when I had her and am the youngest out of all the parents in her class. My closest school mum friend is 52. It makes no difference whatsoever what age we are. She is a lovely friend to me and I am a lovely friend to her- that's all that matters. I also have a DD who is 1, I will be one of the oldest parents in her class I'm sure! X

I'm in my late 50s. I have friends aged from their early 30s to mid-80s. The age is irrelevant, but the type of person is important.

One of my closest friends is more than old enough to be my mother. I have several good friends who are around 10 years older than me.

I hear what you say about having lots of friends, but I still do think it's a little strange that you've fixated so much on this, to the extent of actually not having a birthday party - with any of your existing friends - because you were too embarrassed to invite these women and reveal your age. It doesn't sound as if your existing friends are all a homogeneous 'type', either, so why should an age difference be such an obstacle? It does strike me that you sound very keen indeed on these mums and I can only imagine you're struggling with your own age in some way, so that these women somehow represent what you're not (edit: in your own mind).

My kids are a bit younger but I'm 40 and the school mums I get on best with are 10 years younger than me. They know my age and don't seem to care.

I find them easier to relate to than people my age with teenagers as we are going through the same stages.

My neighbour is a good friend of mine, she is over 15 years older than me. Friendship isn't about age.

I’ve had friends of all ages through my life and it’s been very rewarding. It never occurred to me that it’d be a problem. It’s silly to worry, I’m sure they know anyway and they probably think you’re being cagey if anything so don’t worry about something that isn’t important!