Benefits of Being a Later in Life Parent

Did you hear the news recently that Janet Jackson was having a baby? A celebrity being pregnant really isn’t big news, but a woman who is fifty having her first child is. Being a later in life parent isn’t something new. In fact, more and more women have put off becoming a mom until they’re older. I was thirty-eight almost thirty-nine when I had my son.

I’m glad I waited until I was older before getting pregnant, but now that I am 52 years old, I couldn’t imagine having a 2-year-old. 

There are some major advantages to being a later in life parent, though. While one would argue that having a baby when you’re older has more cons than pros, I want to discuss the benefits of being a later in life parent; because parenthood rocks no matter when you start that journey.

Having a baby when you're older? Benefits of being a later in life parent.

Why Wait to Become a Parent?

Take into consideration first that later in life parents seem to be increasing in numbers, thinking about the 30 year age category alone, they are rising faster than the number of teen pregnancies in the United States, this says something. So what is it that makes people wait longer to have babies?

  • Later in life mothers have a higher self-esteem, having had the brunt of their early adult years to build a career, have more life experiences and relationship mishaps brings value to motherhood that a younger mom usually can’t even come close to.
  • Later in life fathers have had a longer time to sow their oats, play the field a bit and get financially secure to have a family of his own, alleviating the stress stemming from financial concerns of new parents.

Now that you have an understanding that the older you are, the more confident and secure your life is, what are some of the benefits to being a later in life parent?

Benefits to Being a Later in Life Parent

  • Financially Secure – You have more financial stability (usually) to raise a child. A later in life parent means that you have less chance of living paycheck to paycheck struggling to buy necessities for your newborn.
  • Intellectually Advanced – A later in life parent has been there, done that, and isn’t one to sweat the small stuff. When you are a parent who is able to let go of the little things, it makes for a more relaxed parenthood journey.
  • Emotional Stability – Once you hit mid 30’s you are naturally better at putting others before yourself, because you have had time to sort out what you want in life and what you don’t want. Being emotionally stable helps you to be a more stable parent.
  • Maintain Youth – Having a child later in life helps you to maintain that feeling of youth, bringing up a child requires energy and excitement. When you are raising a child, you have no choice other than to be adventurous with them which helps you maintain your own youth.
  • More Grateful – Since you are a later in life parent, heading towards the other end of your life journey, there is less you will take for granted. If you go into parenthood with more of a grateful heart, it probably suffices to say that you will cherish each moment you have as a parent.

The reality of being a later in life parent is that it comes with a unique set of pros and cons, today we wanted to focus on the benefits because we feel the benefits of being a later in life parent far supersede that of being a younger parent.

It really doesn’t matter what your age is when you first become a mom, being a parent is tough. Check out this post, What no one tells you about parenthood, to see what I mean.

If you are on your own journey of being a later in life parent we wish you much happiness and luck, don’t forget to think about these benefits you bring to parenthood and have fun feeling young again as you raise the next generation of adults.

I wish Janet Jackson all the best and I’m sure she will be a great later in life parent!

If you’re a parent how old were you when you had your first child? Do you wish you were younger or older?

8 Comments

  1. I can see the benefits of being a parent a little later. I was 21 when I had my son. I would have liked to have been a little more financially secure, but it all worked out great in the end.

  2. I love this read. I see too many older parents out there being judged. As long as you have love to give, you’ll be a good parent.

  3. I became a dad at 44. That is late! I just hope I am around long enough to enjoy grand kids when they come around! And you are correct, we have more to give him, including paying for private college. We started saving when he was born and we did a better job at that then anything else money wise!

  4. My parents were older when they had me, but I wanted to have my kids by my mid20’s to have enough energy to keep up with them. 🙂 But I see the benefit of waiting until older to be more stable financially.

  5. This was a good read. I had my first child at 33. I’m so happy I wasn’t a mom in my 20s. I wasn’t ready. Being a little older definitely paid off for me and my kids.

  6. I guess I will be considered a later in life parent (Im only 30) but since so many people think its the norm to have kids in your 20s I guess I would be in that category. I am so happy I didnt have kids in my 20s I was too immature and I am still living my life and I think by the time I do have kids I will have my life in alignment and more maturity kick in to be a better parent.

  7. I know there are benefits for waiting, but I am glad I had both of mine when I was in my 20’s. By the time I turned 38 I got a rare auto immune diseases and it snowballed from there so I was no good to anybody by this time.

    1. Author

      I hate that you have a rare auto immune disease, Terry. 🙁 Things tend to work out the way there suppose to… like you having your children when you were younger. I wish you the best!

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