The Ups and Downs of Being an Older Parent

It’s something to think about in case you want to do this

Christmas 2023 pic from my files

How old were you when you became a parent?

My mother gave birth to me at 36, and my father was 40. I was kid number four, and was completely unexpected. My brothers and sisters were 7, 8, and 12 years older than me. They could dress themselves and play by themselves. They could walk to school by themselves and, for the most part, do their own homework.

Then, suddenly, a baby appeared in the house. Oh my! My parents had to scramble for child care because, unlike when my siblings were small, my mother was working and they needed her income. I spent the next five years being shuttled from one person to another. When I wasn’t with a babysitter, I was with my father.

Whenever we went out as a family, everyone assumed that my parents were my grandparents. I was humiliated once when a classmate said, “I saw you with your grandparents.”

I swore I would never do that to a child!

Well, my, my, my doesn’t God have a funny sense of humor!

I had a brief starter marriage in my 20s. I tried my best to get pregnant, but it didn’t happen. I think that was a blessing in disguise. I met my for-real husband when I was in my early 30s. We tried…