And speaking as a cutting edge of Generation X father of an 11 and 9 year old, I would also say have kids in your 20s!
After having kids in my 30s, I'd wholeheartedly agree with you. I think that I appreciate them more, but 1, 3 and 5am feeding/teething/whatevers are not all that easy. :-)
Amen. Neither of our sons were “planned,” but our youngest is now a high school senior. We’re looking forward to being empty nesters in our mid 40’s.
No kidding. I’ve got my hands full with 5, 3 nad 8 month old children. I can’t imagine doing this ten years from now. I’m exauhsted as it is.
I had children in my 20’s and in my 30’s, but not yet in my 40’s.
My own experience in marriage (20 years next February) supports the author’s analysis. For one thing, during the most difficult years of our marriage, we were so poor that we couldn’t afford to split up!
I must say, I enjoyed my children very much during their teens years when I was in my 30s.
As a young grandmother, I have enjoyed my own children and grandchildren much more than my friends who were either just beginning their families in late 30s or even early 40s.
All they do is complain about having no "free time" or "low energy" with toddlers or older children in activities.
I'm glad to be throwing a frizbee around the back yard with youngsters that I can hand back to their mommies when I get tired instead of doing school work, planning dinners and driving to soccer matches.
Meanwhile, I plan my next trip or enjoy myself and hubby spending lots of personal time together.
One friend, who was divorced in her 40s with an 8 yr. old son, complained to me that "it must be nice to have lots of time to come and go as I pleased, etc." My response, "You weren't interested in changing places with me when we were in our 20's - you going to parties at night, me walking the floor with a crying baby until 2:00 a.m."
I have to wholeheartly disagree with this article.
I agree. I got married in my 30’s, wife had trouble conceiving, and we finally adopted when I was 42. I’m now 49 with a 7 year old daughter. I should have grandkids by now. At retirement age I’ll be putting my daughter through college.
I just hope I live to see my grandkids.
We had 3 kids in 2 years (twins in there) in our very late 30’s ... everyone survived pretty well. When and if one marries really depends on the people involved. I’d recommend neither marrying early or late, but being very selective in WHO one marries, and being sure that both are mature enough at whatever age. One of my 3 is marrying at 25, the others aren’t yet ready for that commitment.
When I was in my early 40, carting my 3 toddlers around, another - much younger - mother asked how I did it. My reply was simple: I knew just how quickly their childhood would pass. I would not have had that perspective as a 20-something. So, I was able to thoroughly enjoy every last second of my kids’ childhood.
As a father of 2, having one in 20s and one in 30s... trust me a decade makes a lot of difference. 20s is easier, but man upstairs probably knew what he was doing, I think I needed that extra 10 years of mellowing before I could handle being a father of a little girl.
But I have told my wife, if this one is 10ish and we haven’t had any more, you better wait until I’m good and drunk to let me know in my 40s we’re having another one.