We usually say that it’s best to have children when we are younger and healthier. Previous research has found that older moms are at higher risk of health problems— the strain of pregnancy can prompt early onset of conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
But it isn’t all doom and gloom if you are planning to give birth later. A new study by Aarhus University has found that older moms and their children actually enjoy a few advantages when it comes to economic and emotional wellbeing.
Here’s a breakdown of the study’s key findings of older moms:
1. They scold less
Some older moms wonder whether they’ll be able to connect with their kids, as compared to their younger and hipper counterparts. But according to this study, there’s no need to worry. Older moms tend to take a more laidback approach to raising children, scolding and disciplining less.
This chill is thanks to the psychological maturity of older moms. According to Professor Dion Sommer, the researcher behind the study, “people become more mentally flexible with age and are more tolerant of other people… Psychological maturity may explain why older mothers do not scold and physically discipline their children as much.”
2. They have more resources
With more years of life experience under their belt, older moms are superstars in terms of resources. Chances are good that they have more stable relationships, higher education, and more material assets to devote to their children.
The study concluded that thanks to these powerful factors, older moms are amazing at creating a psychosocial environment in which their kids can thrive. And this means that…
3. Their kids have fewer social difficulties
Because older moms have better emotional and financial means, their children reap the benefits of growing up safe and nurtured. The study found that kids with older moms had fewer social and behavioural issues at age 7 and 11.
After tracking them to age 15, however, it found that this difference largely disappeared. Sorry, older moms — we all have to cope with the terrible teens no matter what!
4. Social trends
In recent decades, there has been an increasing trend of women having children later in life. The proportion of Indian women giving birth in their teens has dropped by 50% in the last 30 years. And across the world, more women over 40 are having babies. These power women are making good use of their younger years to build their career, and starting a family only after.
Furthermore, thanks to modern technology like IVF, it’s becoming safer for older women to have children without risking their health. In fact, in 2014, Rajo Devi became a first-time mom at the ripe age of 70, with the help of an IVF clinic near her village in northern India!
With all these social trends, this study is great news for supermoms with both family and other ambitions. Maybe it’s time to put the myth that childraising is tougher for older moms to rest!
Republished with permission from: The Indus Parent
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