Oct

23

Senior Daddies

Posted by cameron

October 23, 2007 |

There is a growing trend for older folks to have babies, some adopted and some coming naturally. A few of the more famous senior daddies are Clint Eastwood, James Doohan (Scotty from Star Trek) and Warren Beatty. Over at AARP there is a resource guide for older parents here, and a whole message board dedicated to “Late-Life Parenting”.  Isn’t that a sign of the times? In the U.K. 6,850 children a year are born to fathers aged 50-plus. Some of their most famous fathers are Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart and Eric Clapton. So what to make of older men having babies so late in life. Much is to do with the growth in divorce rates leading to remarriage at later ages. For some like Rod Stewart, several marriages, especially to younger women, have produced offspring into his sixties.

I remember the sleepless nights, not understanding why a baby cries and, oh those diapers. I know that my ability to deal with that constantly is not what it may have been so I think these guys must be crazy. The upside is ones ability to provide financially, which is presumably a lot healthier than in those younger years. None of the guys mentioned above is short of a buck or two, and they certainly make their own schedules.

The biggest upside to this entire issue is the maturity of an older man. This shift in society is creating older daddies who are more engaged with their children. Probably wives also have careers which makes child rearing a team effort without the added money stressor muddying the waters.

Even so, I’m reminded of this: “It sometimes happens, even in the best of families, that a baby is born. This is not necessarily cause for alarm. The important thing is to keep your wits about you and borrow some money.”
Elinor Goulding Smith

And this: “People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one”.
Leo J. Burke

And this: “Children reinvent your world for you”.
Susan Sarandon

I like sleep and I certainly don’t want anyone reinventing my life for me; been there done that.


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