How old is "too old" for a guy to become a dad?

[tryingforbaba]

In your opinion...

Over 50.

50 these days...

I know lots of fit healthy active engaged dads with young kids, and the men are now late 40s early 50s

Bur my answer isn't so much based on the age but the patience and energy needed to be a good parent

For a first time dad 40 …

after that probably about 50

Though maybe younger for some.

Same as a woman/mother - 50 tops, ideally by 40 though.

40

40 for men and women.

My DH was 53 when our DS was born, obviously I see nothing wrong with that 😁

For a first baby? Over 50 is too old as a knee jerk reaction, but there will be outliers who were just super late bloomers or late to realise they wanted to have kids who are great dads.

However- don’t think men who have adult children should be having newborns with younger women though, even if they are under 50. That ship has sailed, and it’s unfair on their adult DC. I’ve known a few people (aged between 25-38ish) whose dads shacked up with a woman their age and had a new baby. In all situations, the relationship never recovered.

50+

If it's any help, I was my dad's first child. He was in his 50s and I think I've turned out alright.

55 ish I guess

Yep this is what I think too

The highest age at which you can subtract it from 80, then take the remainder and imagine your child at that age standing and holding your hand as you die and you don't cry and think how young they are, how unfair on them and awful it will be.

45-50, same as a woman. And I agree that ageing fathers-of-adults having second families with young women is not ideal 🤮

45

Technically or ethically?

Well Robert de Niro just became a father again at 80 and is still working.

45

I think about getting a child to adulthood, with no need of financial support.

So, assuming retirement age is 67 and you have a child leaving university at 21, my maximum age is 46.

My cousin became a father at 58 and has a 2nd on the way and will be 60 when baby no arrives. His partner and he struggled with infertility for many many years. She is in her mid late 40s.

They are very financially secure. Neither look their ages and are very active, fit, healthy and well.

I wish them long healthy lives to be in their children's lives but of course there is the risk they won't be .
Its a sobering thought to realise that my cousin will be 80 when his DC are university age.
I wish them well and don't judge them ,we are all immensely happy for them. As a family we will always be there for them.

First time grandparent age (without having been a teen parent) is 40s and early 50s so I'd say 40+ is an older parent for men and women. However, if you're healthy and a good person and using your own egg (DP's egg) then who am I to judge? Although egg and sperm quality declines rapidly in your 40s.

We knew one boy whose dad must have been in his 60s when the boy was born. (Mother in her 40s). Roll on 15 years and the dad clearly had memory issues. Really difficult for a teenager.

My DH is 43 and we are having our 1st this year I am 40. We didn't plan it that way it's taken 12 years to get here, sometimes there is no choice in the matter.

I'm not sure that works as a metric, really.

My Dad was 58 when he died very suddenly. He never reached 80. I was 21 and my brother was 18. It was awful and unfair. But I wouldn't be without the 21 years he was in my life, and the impact that his presence had for the rest of my life.

It's more about how good they are at being a parent when they are there.