Woah, are those parents or grand parents?

[Hien]

You guys make me feel so young and stupi- Oh... wait...

I am... both... I'm barely 18...

What I wouldn't give for some of that experience you guys have though.  I know I don't have it easy in this world...  I could use some knowhow.


On a side note... My mom turned 50 this year...  And my dad 74...

My father fought (Well, he put up telephone lines!) in Korea...  Last I checked he also remembers when Pearl Harbor happened...  

My mom remembers alot of things to... but alot of them are far less important to me...  The Beatles just don't mean alot to me.  

I never really fit in with the kids at my school, atleast not... in modern terms.   My Da' raised me like it was the 50s, and my mom like the 70s...  

Alot of my ideas tend to confuse kids my age...

Though, I remember in Kindergarten... when our Teachers asked us what our parents did, and if any had ever been in the Military.   I said, of course, my Da' had been in Korea, and this smartalek teacher went...

"No, no he hasn't.  Vietnam maybe, but not Korea.", Teacher

"You can ask him yourself, he's over there.", Me  

"That's your grampa- oh shi-", Teacher

Good times...  Good times...

[LePaul]

I'm glad I kicked off this thread.  I'm always impressed when I learn about the posters...its a nice break from the political ranting    

(So in short, I may think some of you are incredibly tarded, but darn you guys have your hearts in the right place  LOL)

One of my best friends is 17 years older than me, he's 54.  We used to tease him all the time for having his kids in his late 30s.  He's an airline pilot now but before he flew KC-135s for the Air Force, then later the Guard.  

He's away from home a lot these days and his youngest just graduated from high school.  When the guy is finally able to jump online at night while away flying, we'd wind him up with "You should've seen the goth dude your daughter was out to the movies with tonight" and that sort of thing.

And he's always been a great sport.  

And now he is absolutely loving the fact that I work nights, try to sleep days with two kids under 10 running around the house.

[lazs2]

Being only 19 years older than my son has been good.   He owns a front end and tire store and likes guns and cars and remodeling the house.   We spend a lot of time together when we can.. talk on the phone when we can't.

He knows how to take all the plastic crap on new cars apart and I can show him stuff about his 56  and 60 chevy...  Helped him put a 454 and 4 speed in the 60.

He knows that if he likes one of my guns enough that I will end up giving it to him and.. he gets all the free reloads he wants..  I get free tires and stuff from his shop...

I like his friends and his like me.   He has an almost perfect wife and he lives in the redwoods by santa cruz.. you can walk to the beach from his house or get lost in miles of dense redwood national forest.

lazs

[68Wooley]

I'm mid-thirties, as are most of my friends. Most of us got married in our late twenties and have only just started having kids - I've got a round of first birthday parties coming up. To me, this just seems the norm for middle class, university educated professionals in Europe.

That really reflects the differences in overall attitudes to life and work - America is much more focussed on retiring in your fifties and having your adventures then. In Europe, people want to spend their twenties doing things they can't do after they settle down and don't really look at retirement in the same way as most Americans.

[SkyRock]

Originally posted by LePaul
 One is in Kidnegarten and the other is in 4th grade.  

Same as my two!  

[AKIron]

Had my first three in my early 20's, fourth and last one when I was 29. If I had it to do over I would have waited until late 20's to start having kids. Mature enough to fully enjoy your kids and young enough to enjoy the grandkids.

[eskimo2]

There never a perfect time to have kids; there are many advantages and disadvantages at any age.  Both men and women tend to make healthier babies at younger ages but they tend to be better parents as they get older.  

My two year old was born two days before my 40th birthday; my wife is now 39.  I know people who have not been able to have children naturally, usually because of their age.  I’ve known others who have had complications and children who have problems that are likely tied to the age of their parents.  My in laws had my wife in their 40s.  They are a good decade past their life expectancy now and are lucky to know their grandchildren.  

On the other hand, my father in law was married before WWII and had three children and then his wife died.  He later remarried; my wife was the product of that second marriage.  His older children say that he was a much better father the second time around.  Most older parents believe that they are better parents than they would have been if they were younger.  They are usually more financially stable and were able to complete college without children in the way.

[derelict]

My oldest is 22 (just arrived yesterday in Kuwait).  My youngest....turned 8 in June  I just turned 47 myself.  Altogether I still have 6 of them living at home here, and yes, they do tire me out pretty much everyday chasing them.  But I think the kids make you young again.

[Dichotomy]

Great story MAC.. I didn't know.  

I bred one @ 28 and married three more at 41.  They're 14, 10, 7, and 5

No parole in sight

[lazs2]

yep.. a five year old does help keep you young but.. it takes a lot out of you.

pluis... I am not that good at it.   I was never a great parent in any case.

lazs

[Angus]

LOL.
Crossed forty already and not about to stop spawning

(Blessed with a much younger wife you see)

[68ROX]

Sadly, many children in America ARE being raised by their grandparents.

68ROX

[Angus]

If that is the case because of impossible parents, then the grandparents don't have to be bad at all.

[MotorOil1]

Yip, I'm at 33 and expecting my 3rd and last child.  I work with many people in their 40's and 50's and they have younger children than I do.   I have a 2 and 4 year old.

I'm glad to have them young, cause when I'm ready to retire @ 55 - 60, they better be long gone out of the house by then!!!

[lazs2]

angus.. I would not be raising my grand daughter if I had a choice...

this is not a perfect world however and often we have little choice.

lazs