I certainly can identify with some of these ten ways, though not every older mother will. I do think the ten points are meant to be funny and tongue in cheek. At least that is the way I take them....
Over at my Facebook Page some people totally disagree with them. I have posted some of the comments at the end of the post.
1. They get tired. We get exhausted. And we do it before ten a.m.
- 2. They wash or discard any piece of their kid's food that hits the ground. We practice the ten-second rule: if it wasn't on the ground ten seconds, it's good eatin'.
- 3.Sometimes we practice the 20-second rule.
- 4.They still call it a "vacation" when the kids come.
- 5.Their kids wear pjs. Our kids sleep in their school clothes. It's a helluva time saver in the morning. (tee hee - love this! Tongue in cheek! JOKE!)
- 6. They make nutritious, home-cooked dinners. We maintain an extensive file of take-out menus.
- 7. They write holiday letters documenting the family's doings, with hand-written notes to their friends and relatives. We're lucky to get an unsigned photo card in the mail by New Year's.
- 8. They are perky. We're not. Not even on caffeine. You don't want to know us on caffeine. (Tee Hee!)
- 9. Their kids wear brand-new, matching outfits. Our kids wear hand-me-downs that saved us a trip to the mall and being the pitied mom whose kid won't leave without throwing a fit because we didn't buy them FILL IN THE BLANK HERE.
- 10. When given the choice of sex with their partner or sleep, younger moms still choose sex. What's that like? (love it! :))
- I couldn't post a comment on your blog? I totally disagree!!!!its not about being an older or younger mum. These 10 points spell LAZY!
18 hours ago · 
Vincent Houlihan As long as Mam and Baby are healthy and happy. age is only a number. Nature decides..not stupid people with age calculators. MY Mam had her first at 22 and the last at 42..she is now 82 and I could not get her to come off the dance floor in graingers last weekend. THE BABY AT 42 BECAME A DADDY THE SAME YEAR AS THE BABY AT 22 BECAME A GRANDAD LOL
10 hours ago · · 1 person
Helen Tyrrell I found the the whole 10 points very american,no mother young or old would have their children sleeping in school clothes .
2 hours ago ·
Helen Tyrrell the 10 points is all about having no time,not younger mother v older mother.
2 hours ago ·
Claire Hegarty B Nobody I know would do that Helen but the ten points are meant to be tongue in cheek, I would say! I do have contact with a lot of older mothers, especially FIRST TIME older mothers who may not be as used to getting things organised etc as older mums who already have kids and most of them do have a little bit more chaos around it.
7 minutes ago ·
Claire Hegarty B Also, both myself and my friend who had babies at almost 42 do feel a lot more tired than our younger counterparts. I have talked to both types of mums at length about this. I fear that if I didn't go walking, have early nights, watch my diet and do yoga, my energy levels would really plummet.
4 minutes ago ·
Claire Hegarty B I do think the tiredness makes me a bit lazy at times, and because I lead a busy life, time can be an issue. If I was more organised I could probably resolve all this.
3 minutes ago ·
Kathleen Treacy Ramirez- I couldn't post a comment on your blog? I totally disagree!!!!its not about being an older or younger mum. These 10 points spell LAZY!
ReplyDeletePosting this comment from my Facebook Page. I must be lazy then!
Thanks for following my blog. Following you back. I am an older mom myself. Youngest was born when I was 40. Loved your list. Many of the items are still true even though my youngest is now 19!
ReplyDeleteI love it, too, especially the 10 (or is it 20?) second rule! We are the generation whose grandparents recommended eating a bit of dirt every day, after all! I think a lot of it, apart from being more tired, is that us older mums are just more laid back due to having that much more experience generally. Or maybe, like you, I'm just lazy!!
ReplyDeleteI had all my kids up to 30. Gotta say, it's a lot easier now that we're older! My daughter-in-law is in your age group with a 5 year old and a 3 year old. She's keeping up so far, but honestly, I think she really dotes on the children. There's no 5,10 or 20 second rule. On the floor, throw it out. I'm the one who would give them the food off the floor!
ReplyDeleteHaha, I take it as a funny. For me this is true. I have kids in my earliness and now at my lateness. And I tell you at least 7 out of ten of those are true for me. Older means less anal too, I learned to live with what is easiest for everyone.
ReplyDeletethanks for the follow, right back at ya.
Ha Ha Bethel! Maybe I should just describe myself as laid back rather than tired or lazy then.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I wouldn't throw something out just because it fell on the floor briefly. Unless it was my 'lazy/tired/laidback' mood and I hadn't cleaned the floor! :)
Yes. Self Sagacity. I find it does mean less anal about things. If my son gets mucked up from head to toe while out playing, it doesn't bother me. Whereas one of the younger mums I know goes ballistic!
Getting comments over at FB so must transfer them across here.
Comments from FaceBook:
ReplyDeleteKathleen Treacy Ramirez - I myself have way more energy now than when I had my first child!!! I am busier than most mums because I have a child with a disability and my weeks are filled with hospital and clinic appointments. I wouldnt discourage any woman of a particular age from having a baby. Positivity, optimism and happiness feed energy within!
22 hours ago · Unlike · 1 person
Claire Hegarty B (me!) - I can't disagree with you on the positivy, optimism etc giving energy within. I know that is true. But a lot of the time, despite that, I still feel a certain tiredness. And other first time older mums have said similar. I do think when you have a few children, you become more adept at organising your time and because you are so busy, you don't have TIME to even stop and think about being tired.
22 hours ago · Like
Kathleen Treacy Ramirez try ginseng!
22 hours ago · Like
More FB comments:
ReplyDeleteHelen Tyrrell - i had my second child at 43 ,my first child was starting school when my second child 12 weeks old,having to organise uniform ,schoolbooks etc,my age was never an issue,i meet a group of mothers my age at the school, we feel we have more energy than the younger one ,it can depend who your hanging out with ,as positive attitude makes life easy,negatives bring you down.
21 hours ago · Like
Kathleen Treacy Ramirez Floradix iron tonic!!!
20 hours ago · Like
Kathleen Treacy Ramirez Guarana!!
20 hours ago · Like
Claire Hegarty B Well, I obviously need to do something! Tee Hee.
15 hours ago · Like
Angela Oldroyd - I always said that having me at 40 kept my Mum young, but I have to say, as an older first-time mum myself that I totally agree with Claire. I certainly wouldn't say people shouldn't have children when they're older because of a lack of energy, but there's no denying that I don't have the energy I had 20 years ago. However, that's more than made up for by my increased experience and patience, IMHO.
13 hours ago · Unlike · 1 person
Kathleen Treacy Ramirez - aw I feel sorry for you Angela, maybe you could have a nap when your child is having a nap or when he/she is at creche/playschool/school or go to bed the same time as your child.
2 hours ago · Like
Angela Oldroyd No - I'm not that exhausted :-) Sadly my daughter rarely has a daytime nap now, and I'm home educating her so we don't get much time apart. I wouldn't have it any other way, though, and I'm having the time of my life!
about an hour ago · Unlike · 1 person
More FB Comments:
ReplyDeleteHelen Tyrrell - this over 40 mum thing is crazy ,if you keep telling yourself that, you will certainly feel it . Its like people of a certain age waiting for the menopause,and older people saying their gone too old.Age is only a number.
about an hour ago · Like
Claire Hegarty B I don't think it is crazy Helen. I have developed a blog and a network of older mums of my own generation through the fact that I had ciarán at almost 42. I have also given hope to other people who long for a child that you can still have o...
See more
about an hour ago · Like
Helen Tyrrell putting labels on stages of life isn't good.
about an hour ago · Like
Claire Hegarty B Angela, I knew I wasn't alone! :) I would never discourage anyone from having a baby due to depleting energy levels and everyone is different anyway. People who are longing for children have contacted me through my blog and FB page to say...
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about an hour ago · Like
Claire Hegarty B I hear what you are saying Helen but I still think that it's lovely to hear about other people who are late bloomers.
56 minutes ago · Like
Claire Hegarty B And I am happy that other fortysomethings have been able to contact me to say I have given them hope that they might still go on to have a child. I don't have a problem labelling myself as a fortysomethingfirsttimemum because that is what I am!
55 minutes ago · Like
Claire Hegarty B Cari Rosen even completed a book out of her blog entries. It's called The Secret Diary of a New Mum aged 43 1/4.
53 minutes ago · Like
Claire Hegarty B Delighted that this topic is getting so many comments here and over at my blog. Love a bit of banter about these things. :)
51 minutes ago · Like
Claire Hegarty B Check out the new comments over there and add yours there if you want! http://www.fortysomethingfirsttimemum.blogspot.com/
FortySomething FirstTime Mum
www.fortysomethingfirsttimemum.blogspot.com
51 minutes ago · Like ·
Helen Tyrrell - i am not on about you helping other people having children over 40, iits about the overtired older mum. We older mums don't need to be reminded of our age.
20 minutes ago · Like
Claire Hegarty B As you say, age is just a number. So why worry about being reminded? I do agree that the ten points is labelling all older mums but I just thought they were funny and tongue in cheek. I do label myself by having a blog called fortysomething...
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13 minutes ago · Like
Claire Hegarty B SOME older mums feel they have less energy and are more tired than they were twenty years ago. I am one of those. I am glad that you are not. All advice and suggestions accepted such as ginseng, guarana and positive thinking! That's all I am trying to express!
9 minutes ago · Like
From http://www.facebook.com/pages/fortysomethingfirsttimemum/125819397461376?notif_t=page_new_likes
ReplyDeleteLoraine O'Farrell Delaney - This made me laugh out loud!!! And it is very tongue in cheek so no-one should take it too seriously... HOWEVER, I agree with almost everything! I am a 36yr old mom with three children under 5 and many of the things mentioned make me think I wrote the top 10 list! LOL! I have put my kids to bed in their clothes! They are asleep in the car after a day out - SURE! plop em in and close the door! Too easy! My kids wear handmedowns and THANK GOD for it! There is no need for kids to be sporting designer anything - do you see what they do to those clothes? LOL! I do try to feed them well but I am not alien to a 'box' dinner!!! And the 10 second rule kicks in on the second kid ... the first one lives in a bubble but once no.2 arrives that bubble is burst!! As for being lazy - I have two babies in diapers, one child just started school, I am taking classes at college, I run dance classes twice a week, I am setting up my own small business, I have a husband who works full time, plus overtime and who is also going to school and a member of several organizations that eats into his time so you know what? Screw clean clothes, always having nutritious meals, matching outfits and say hello to as much quality time as you can fit in with your kids - will they remember the clean clothes or the fun time rolling around in the leaves out in the yard????!!! Thanks for sharing Claire - there is so much more to life than being the PERFECT MOM!!! :-)
29 minutes ago · Unlike · 1 person
I need to come in as a father here. An old one mind you. I smiled right the way through to number 9. Then 10 just got my back up. When younger, give my wife choice between sex or sleep, she'd choose chocolate. in fact she's have chocolate then sleep. Maybe because we are approaching 50, and don't know how much longer we have, its not chocolate or sleep that either of us choose. So maybe i understand where the saying dirty old man comes from. Kids grow up, parents home alone, you get my drift.
ReplyDeleteThis was funny. Sometimes people take things way too seriously when it's clear to anyone who has lived it, that it is indeed funny.
ReplyDeleteI had my first at 20 right after getting married at 19. The second/baby at 23. I think I practiced some of these even though I was a young mom, now I'm older and they are teens and I would still choose a nap over just about anything. I honestly don't even know how I kept up with my kids when they were toddlers, must be the reason I'm so exhausted now though.
Loved this, I'm following. Thanks for the humor on motherhood.
Smile... frowning causes wrinkles and having no sense of humor takes 20 years off your life.
love your out look on this! :) great list.
ReplyDeleteForJenSake and Alycia, thanks for the comments!
ReplyDeleteHi! found you on Lucylastica's blog and I am your latest follower. As an older mum, may I just add that we loose the baby fat more slowly. Life is unfair...
ReplyDeleteTee Hee MuMuGB. I hear ya! :)
ReplyDeleteHilarious! And for Kathleen, here's number 11 : we older Moms are less hard on ourselves and others!
ReplyDeleteSome of the commentors need to take it down a thousand - er....humour...? Ha, ha...?
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