Who here had the oldest parents?

[Epigonos]

Were my parents still alive by father would be 120 and my mother 116. My father died in 1982 at 82. Dad was an alcoholic, though not a drunk. He drank a pint of bourbon and a six-pack of beer a day and smoked three packs of Luck Strikes. Considering his drinking and smoking it's damn near a miracle that he lived as long as he did. My mother died in 1995 at 91. She neither drank, to excess, nor smoked and she ate well. My father was 40 and my mother was 36 when I was born.

P.S. My maternal grandfather, who I barely knew, was born on the family farm in Virginia during the Civil War.

Edited February 19, 2021 by Epigonos

[+ Lucky]

I knew one of my great-aunts, who was born during the Civil War. Both of my grandfathers could remember President Grant.

That's nothing! I remember Grant's Tomb!

[+ Lucky]

I knew one of my great-aunts, who was born during the Civil War. Both of my grandfathers could remember President Grant.

That's nothing! I remember Grant's Tomb!

[marylander1940]

Two grandchildren of the 10th US president, John Tyler, are alive today. He was born in 1790.

 

check post 18! ? ?

[marylander1940]

Two grandchildren of the 10th US president, John Tyler, are alive today. He was born in 1790.

 

check post 18! ? ?

[prof]

check post 18! ? ?

Didn't one of them die a few weeks ago?

[samhexum]

Happy 114th, dad! The 1 year anniversary of the WHO declaring Covid a pandemic.

[+ sniper]

It's amazing how quickly norms have changed. When I was a kid, my parents who had had me at 38 and 42 were often mistaken for my grandparents, as so many of my friends' parents had them in their early 20s or younger. (It didn't help them that my oldest sister was 12 years older than me and fully grown at 5'10" and could pass as a young adult when she was 14...).

 

Now MOST of my friends who had kids had their first one after 35. And a few after 45.

 

On the one hand, older parents have more financial resources. OTOH it's extremely physically demanding and when you have kids that late odds are the grandparents aren't in such great shape and may need assistance themselves rather than being able to provide it.

[+ Charlie]

It's amazing how quickly norms have changed. When I was a kid, my parents who had had me at 38 and 42 were often mistaken for my grandparents, as so many of my friends' parents had them in their early 20s or younger. (It didn't help them that my oldest sister was 12 years older than me and fully grown at 5'10" and could pass as a young adult when she was 14...).

 

Now MOST of my friends who had kids had their first one after 35. And a few after 45.

 

On the one hand, older parents have more financial resources. OTOH it's extremely physically demanding and when you have kids that late odds are the grandparents aren't in such great shape and may need assistance themselves rather than being able to provide it.

My parents had their first and only child when they were in their late 30s only because they were unable to marry during the Depression; each was the eldest child in the family and had to help financially support their parents and siblings at a time when Social Security and unemployment benefits didn't exist. They were the only members of their families who had Depression-proof full-time jobs. Nowadays, people often wait to have children mainly because they want to establish careers first. Our nephew had his first child at 41 and just had the second at 44; he will be eligible for MediCare before they are out of college.

[+ FreshFluff]

Back in the late 1980s I met a woman who was about 80 years old. Her mother had her at 50, around 1910. And her mother was born to a father in his 70s. So this woman I met had a grandfather who was born in the late 1780s. He died long before she was born, but the three generations spanned more than 200 years.

 

There’s almost no limit as to how late women can give birth using a transferred embryo and hormones. (Of course, risks skyrocket after a certain point.) I can’t imagine a spontaneous pregnancy happening that late. Maybe at 45.

 

Of course, for men, the sky’s the limit. But again, risks of certain problems increase after 40.

[+ sniper]

There’s almost no limit as to how late women can give birth using a transferred embryo and hormones. (Of course, risks skyrocket after a certain point.) I can’t imagine a spontaneous pregnancy happening that late. Maybe at 45.

 

Of course, for men, the sky’s the limit. But again, risks of certain problems increase after 40.

Prior to the advent of IVF, I remember the Guinness Book recognized a 57 year old woman as the oldest documented to give birth. Looking at the "pregnancy over 50" article on wikipedia, it looks like she was on hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms, not trying to get pregnant. And the same thing happened to a 59 year old woman in the UK more recently.

Edited March 13, 2021 by sniper

[+ WilliamM]

My parents were in their early 40s when my brother was born. Our mom lived 50 .more years. Our dad lived only 10 more years

 

My brother has never gotten over our dad's very sudden death from a heart attack.

 

So I have mixed feelings about this discussion

[CuriousByNature]

Prior to the advent of IVF, I remember the Guinness Book recognized a 57 year old woman as the oldest documented to give birth. Looking at the "pregnancy over 50" article on wikipedia, it looks like she was on hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms, not trying to get pregnant. And the same thing happened to a 59 year old woman in the UK more recently.

I remember that too. If I'm not mistakenthe mother was named Alice Kissler, or something like that, and I think her daughter was named Susan. But it's been 35 years or more since I read that. I still remember their photo though. Apparently there was some controversy about whether or not Susan was her daughter, or her grandaughter born to an unwed daughter.

[samhexum]

DEAR ABBY: I have a 22-year-old daughter from my first marriage and a 9-year-old son with my husband of 12 years. My husband is 57, and I just turned 41. I would like to have another baby, mainly because I want my 9-year-old son to have someone to grow up with. We have no other family. It's just him and girl cousins, ages 9 and 5. Can you please advise me if my husband and I are OK or too old to have one more child?

 

— CONSIDERING IT IN THE WEST

 

DEAR CONSIDERING: I'm glad you wrote. This is something that should be discussed further with your husband to make sure you are on the same page, and also with your OB-GYN.

 

If your intention is that your children grow up together, this is something that should have happened years ago. As it stands, the 10-year age difference will mean your son will be grown and gone while your younger child is still at home.

 

A doctor with a specialty in genetics could be helpful as you gather information. It is important that you understand what precautions might be wise to take before making this decision.

[Bargara Leatherboy]

My dad will soon be coming up on his 114th birthday, though we haven't celebrated it since he died in 1992. He was 55 & my mom was 41 when I was born.

 

Can anyone beat that?

 

 

My Dad was 35 when I was born and My Mum was 40, so yes you beat me.

 

Did you have issues with the age difference like I did... old fashioned and strict parents

[samhexum]

No, not too badly. At least not that I remember... unless their parenting was so bad I've blocked it all out. :oops:

[+ Charlie]

DEAR ABBY: I have a 22-year-old daughter from my first marriage and a 9-year-old son with my husband of 12 years. My husband is 57, and I just turned 41. I would like to have another baby, mainly because I want my 9-year-old son to have someone to grow up with. We have no other family. It's just him and girl cousins, ages 9 and 5. Can you please advise me if my husband and I are OK or too old to have one more child?

 

— CONSIDERING IT IN THE WEST

 

DEAR CONSIDERING: I'm glad you wrote. This is something that should be discussed further with your husband to make sure you are on the same page, and also with your OB-GYN.

 

If your intention is that your children grow up together, this is something that should have happened years ago. As it stands, the 10-year age difference will mean your son will be grown and gone while your younger child is still at home.

 

A doctor with a specialty in genetics could be helpful as you gather information. It is important that you understand what precautions might be wise to take before making this decision.

One of my great-great-grandmothers had children by three husbands over such a long time span that her youngest daughter was younger than her oldest grandchild, my grandmother. It was funny hearing my grandmother call this younger woman "Auntie."

 

My mother was twenty years older than her youngest sibling, but her parents spaced out their six children so that the three oldest were fairly close in age and so were the three youngest. It seemed like a good idea for bonding within the two groups, but it meant that when their father died suddenly at the beginning of the Depression, the older group had to take responsibility for supporting the younger group financially.

[+ sniper]

One of my great-great-grandmothers had children by three husbands over such a long time span that her youngest daughter was younger than her oldest grandchild, my grandmother. It was funny hearing my grandmother call this younger woman "Auntie."

 

My mother was twenty years older than her youngest sibling, but her parents spaced out their six children so that the three oldest were fairly close in age and so were the three youngest. It seemed like a good idea for bonding within the two groups, but it meant that when their father died suddenly at the beginning of the Depression, the older group had to take responsibility for supporting the younger group financially.

It's really not that uncommon in the uber-religious parts of the US for there to be women with grandchildren older than some of their kids. When you marry at 18 and aren't allowed to use birth control, and the next generation does the same, it's inevitable.

[CuriousByNature]

It's really not that uncommon in the uber-religious parts of the US for there to be women with grandchildren older than some of their kids. When you marry at 18 and aren't allowed to use birth control, and the next generation does the same, it's inevitable.

Yeah, my great-grandmother had kids over a span of about 35 years...

[Luv2play]

This thread got me thinking of an escort I met last year who was a couple of years less than half my age but whose father was born 5 years before mine. And I’m in my 70s. Funny to think about.

[+ Summerson]

My mother was 45 and my father was 47 when I was born in 1966. My siblings were 25, 22, and 18. I was, as they say, a surprise. My mother had noticed some changes, so when she visited our family doctor for a checkup, she told him that she'd read up on the change of life and was prepared for what was happening. He examined her and then said, "I'm really not sure that's true." My sister was a senior in college and she was so excited when she heard the news, she went running down the hall of her dorm shouting, "We're having a baby! We're having a baby!" and had to go to the Dean and explain that she was actually talking about a new brother.

[Guest]

... "We're having a baby! We're having a baby!"...

I feel a song coming on...

[samhexum]

I feel a song coming on...

 

My favorite of Jason Bateman's father in law's hits.

[Guest]

My favorite of Jason Bateman's father in law's hits.

I didn't know that about Jason and Paul. I had to look him up on Wikipedia. Still looking quite decent in his 50s. Though I'm older and less wrinkly! ? It looks as though he's had a rough life. I don't know if his wife is considered pretty by heterosexuals.

"Bateman married Amanda Anka, daughter of singer Paul Anka, on July 3, 2001. They have two daughters."

 

More recent photo:

[Bargara Leatherboy]

My father was 35 when I was born and my Mother was 40.

 

They had very old fashioned views about life, and were not at all modern, so it was a hell of an upbringing.

 

Very restrictive and their lack of energy/ enthusiasm due to their age impacted me greatly.

 

I was restricted from joining things, because they could not be bothered to run me around, but made me attend things like Scouts were I was badly bullied.