What if you don’t fit the mold when it comes to kids? A biological clock can be a nerve-wracking thing that adds pressure when there might not need to be. Even though as you age the number of eggs you produce decreases, and having a baby past the age of 35 carries some additional risk, there’s no reason you can’t consider having kids later in life. In fact, there are some additional benefits to waiting. Some research has even shown surprising perks of being an older mom for both the woman and child. Here are some of the biggest benefits to having kids later in life.
It could make you smarter as you age
Is there a link between age and pregnancy? One study seems to think so! Although having kids later in life means you have more time to spend on career and schooling, a recent study showed and even more concrete link. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society tested 830 women and found that the ones who had their kids after 35 had sharper cognition and verbal memory. And the women who had their first baby after 24 were better at problem-solving than their younger peers.
Your child may be less likely to get injured
Of course accidents can and do happen. And every mother will protect her own, no matter what her age. But interestingly enough, there are studies that show a child’s risk of an unintentional injury decrease the older his mom is. While there’s no guarantee an injury could never happen, it seems being an older mom can mean a safer environment for kids!
Emotionally, you’re more prepared for a baby
Maturity does come with age, that’s a given. Think about the changes you go through from teens to twenties, and from twenties to thirties. Research shows that maturity does play a role with parenting. One study showed parents who were older than 31 when they first had kids were less likely to scold or use harsh discipline. And overall, those children were better behaved, well socialized and emotionally healthy as they got older. The older moms’ relaxed parenting style worked well for those children.
Your kids are more likely to be tech-savvy and intelligent
This benefit of having kids later in life is obvious. The longer you wait to have them, the more likely they’ll be exposed to advanced levels of technology and education. By waiting, your kids will benefit from educational, technological and social progress that they may not otherwise experience. And that helps create good habits for raising responsible kids.
You’re probably more financially prepared for children
If you’re able to finish your degree and develop your professional career first before having children, chances are you’ll be more financially prepared and stable. It goes without saying, too, that you could wind up having a higher salary than a mom who had a child young and put her career on hold.
You could even live longer as an older mom
The fear for most wannabe parents is that you need to have them young or you won’t get to see them marry and have babies someday. Research actually shows the opposite could happen. A 2015 study published in Menopause found that women who have children after age 33 are twice as likely to live to 95 compared to women who had their last child before age 30. Talk about an incentive to wait!
There really isn’t a rulebook when it comes to parenting or deciding to have children at all. What works best for you and your individual situation is the only course to take. And if you end up having kids later in life, you’ll have many benefits waiting for you.
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