OLDER PARENTS..........................DAD AGAIN AT 60!

[RoseQuartz]

Hi ther, as the subject line says, dh and I are expecting baby #7in feb.
He is so concerned as he will be 60 years YOUNG next month.
He doesn't look anywhere near 50 let alone 60 and people comment on how young he looks, saying that baby making seems to make him younger!! He is really bothered about it though, not that he may not be around to see the kids grown up and all the rest of it, but its more to do with his 'chip on the shoulder' as it were, as his only concern is what other people might think as most men his age are grandads not fathers to young kids and more babies coming along almost every year!!
I am not in the least bit concerned to be quite honest with you, yes I sometimes wonder if either of us will be here to bring up our kids, but that's true for everybody though isn't it?
His mother lived to her mid 90's by the way and so did his grandparents and most other family members, so there's every chance he will too! I feel that mother nature is much cleverer than most of us realise, and if we weren't young enough for her liking, then we wouldn't be fit and healthy enough to conceive in the first place.
What age are the oldest fathers you know about?
he is super fit by the way, and runs around like a toddler, well almost!!
This is all to do with what's in his head, nobody has said anything to him as far as I know.....I printed a list of loads of celebrity fathers who were fathering babies up to and beyond age 90, but he said that was probably just a publicity stunt on their part. Even so, mother nature must think otherwise, otherwise it just wouldn't be possible for them to make babies at that age. Flippin heck, how many young lads od we all know of who are infertile, young women also of course, which is such a shame obviously.
What do you think, please share your views with us, no nasty sarcastic comments though please, we can well do without them, thanks . By the way, when I mentioned his age to the consultant he said he wasn't at all concerned about the age of the father, it's the mothers' age that concerns them as far as pregnancy is concerned. I am 37 btw. thanks xxxxx

If you two are fine with your decision, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. I do think your post reads quite defensively, as if you're anticipating a negative response right off the bat - "he is super fit! and he looks really young! and everyone in his family lives till at least 90! and the consultant says his age doesn't matter anyway!"

I don't think there's anything wrong with becoming a dad at 60. If he's worried about the kid getting teased at school - well, if it wasn't his age, it would be something else. I got teased because my dad was fat and my mum had prematurely gray hair. Kids are pretty awful en masse and will always find something to torture each other about. You get good parents of all ages, just as you get bad parents of all ages - the most important thing is that your kid has a secure and loving upbringing. And at 60, he must have a wealth of life experience to share with any young one - a lot of knowledge and wisdom gained along the way.

There are bound to be misunderstandings along the way - strangers assuming your husband is the kid's granddad, for example - so the important thing is that he knows not to take any of those to heart.

I don't think she is being defensive, I think she is stating the positives

How lovely that you will have a new member to your family, best of luck

just how it reads to me, firefly - not a criticism.

congratulations

Anyone who comments is ignorant and stupid.
Just like the ignorant and stupid people who have asked both dp and me if our littlies are grandkids (I'm the same age as you, btw, dp a couple of years older)

Tell him to just enjoy all his children.

If you are happy then who cares what other people think? Everyone has different ideas and opinions on things like this. Good luck to you I say!
Congratulations to you both!
PPS (34+4) xxx

Squonk - I'm shocked!! Why would people say that!!!

By the way I think it's great that you have another member of the family on their way!!

dp thought it was hilarious when some mad woman asked me if they were my grandkids.... he wasn't laughing so much when it happened to him!

Dh was the same, he is 56 this year and was worried about his age (our DD is 4 months). Like your DH he is superfit and healthy. I have worried on occasion that he wont be around but I think you have to put that out of your mind or it will send you insane. I was 38 yesterday btw. I think we have a lot to give our children as we have (hopefully alot of hindsight.

there is no point worrying about whether he will or won't be around for the kids when they're older.

Without wanting to sound morbid - he could walk under a bus tomorrow; equally possibly, he could be getting a telegram from the queen

Happy Birthday for yesterday UCM and huge thanks for all of you who have replied, you have made us feel a lot better , even dh is so much more relaxed about it now that he realises that other people much younger than us are being mistaken for grandparents!! Cheeky sods eh!!! thanks everyone, you've really make us feel so much better now, oh well there'll be no stopping us now............here's to the next 7 after this one I'm carrying now!!!! thanks again. xxxxxxdd

RoseQuartz.
It doesn't matter if you're an old parent or young parent, as long as you're a good one. I'm 38 & dp is 40, and we're expecting our 1st, so we're not exactly spring chickens .
Congratulations on your good news by the way.

thanks eaglebird, nice to hear from you, and congratulations on your pregnancy, hope you have a happy, healthy, trouble free pregnancy, take care, xxxxx

Congratulations! As long as you can cope with the kids and give them what they need (not want) then why not! If things had been different we would definitely have had more kids.

Congratulations! DH is in his mid 50s and I'm 15 years younger, we are a great team, he will be a great father. I would try to support your hubby as much as possible, I can understand his nerves. It's sounds like you are in a good place and that's great.

My dad was 51 when I was born. I never once got teased about having an older dad. He made a special effort to be fit so he could keep up, so he took up swimming when my mum was pregnant with me. He had his last swim the day before I got married, when he was 84! His family also have very long living genes - his mum and aunts died in their late 90s and he ans his 3 siblings are still going in their 80s and 90s.