Obviously, having children isn’t any easier the older you get. For many women after 30, it can be far more difficult physically and mentally. While this may be true, many women have opted to have kids after 30. In fact, research from The U.S. Center for Disease Control indicates that 1 in 5 U.S. births are now to women 35 and older, and those numbers have grown every year for the past decade, and there are advantages of having kids after 30.
It seems as though that number will only continue to grow over time. While a lot of the reason for the influx in these numbers can be credited to social and medical changes, one thing is for certain: there are a number of advantages of having kids after 30.
A few days ago, eHow.com released a list of advantages that only a mum over 30 can relate to, and we couldn’t help but agree with many of their claims. Their article motivated us to conjure up our own list of benefits of being a mum in her 30s.
Here’s a list of 6 advantages for women who give birth after the age of 30:
1. You have more experience
Whether you’re a new mum or a seasoned vet there’s no doubt you’ll have more life experience to apply to your methods as a parent. When you’re in your 30s, you’ve travelled more, worked more, accomplished more, and generally lived more. It’s silly to think that all that experience and wisdom can’t translate to successfully rearing a child.
2. You’re more financially stable
By the time you’ve reached your 30s, you’ve probably come to a point in your life where you’re in a good place with your career. In your earlier years, the future seemed distant and possibly uncertain. As a result, you’re financially stability may have been a little scary to think about. Now, you’ve worked hard and come to a place in life where you’re more than likely financially stable.
This is an amazing advantage that many parents can’t say they have. Not having to worry about the struggling to provide for your child is a wonderful advantage that an older and more tenured mother has the luxury of flaunting.
3. More reliable, and knowledgable peers
Just as it’s easy to say that you’ve grown wise and have more experience, it’s easy to say the same for your friends and peers. If you needed help in your younger days, your mum or dad were the only people you could go to. Now that you’re older, your friends who are experienced parents can aid you whenever you’re in need.
Whether you’re seeking advice or asking them to watch the kids for the day, your friends are more experienced, reliable, and wise now that you’re in your 30s.
4. You’ll look and feel younger
Image source: iStock
You typically hear women saying how having children made them “age faster” or made them feel older. We’re going to go against the grain here. Women who have babies in their 30s actually appear younger, and they certainly feel younger. Whenever you see a woman pushing a stroller down the street, you probably think of them as a new mum, most likely in her 20s. By that logic, people who see a woman in her 30s push a stroller down the street are probably thought to be in their 20s. Sure it seems superficial, but everyone loves hearing how young and youthful they appear!
It’s not all about the looks either. Mums who have babies in their 30s are naturally rejuvenated after giving birth. Their motherly instincts kick in and reduce your age by at least 5 years!
5. You get to relive your younger years
Being a mum means you get to do a lot of fun things with your kids that other adults don’t have the pleasure of doing. For example kid movies, amusement parks, video games, petting zoos, etc. It’s probably been a while since you’ve tried any of these fun activities but now that you’re a parent, you get to live it up…ALL OVER AGAIN!
6. You have patience and tolerance
We’re not saying that younger mums lack patience or tolerance, but there’s no doubt that as you age, you have a higher threshold for both. This translates well to mums in their 30s! You’ll certainly need each of these valuable traits as a mum and they’ve only gotten better with time. Consider this just another advantage of having kids after 30.