_Chat: How old were your parents when they became grandparents?

[Wendy31]

My parents were both 52.

My parents were both 25 (almost 26) when they had me, & I was 26 (almost 27) when I had our firstborn.

I'm not sure about DH's parents. When we had our first (who was also the first grandchild on my side), they already had 4 other grandchildren, & the oldest grandchild was 11 when our oldest was born.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

They were both 56. I was born when they were 35, and I had my first child at 20.

 

[mjkacmom]

40s isn't really that young to be a grandparent...even now when the age of women having their first has gone up to 24.9 (used to be several years lower) so 24.9x2=49.8

My mom and dad were 45 and 43. My mom was 20 and married when she had me; I was 24 and married.

This article says 28 is now the average. Most people I know didn’t even get married until their 30’s. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/a...-and-are-still-conflicted-about-it-2017-05-19

 

[smiths02]

This article says 28 is now the average. Most people I know didn’t even get married until their 30’s. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/a...-and-are-still-conflicted-about-it-2017-05-19

Yes, my mistake, what I found was from about 2004.
But we are talking about how old people's parents were when they became grandparents.
I became a parent in 2006 just a few days before I turned 25, so I was probably right about average for 2006.
My mom became a parent in 1981 when average ages was 22. She was a little under at 20.
But 22 + 25 = 47
So my point still stands that at this moment, the average first time grandparent is in their 40s

https://www.liveabout.com/grandparents-demographic-information-1695746 This article from 2017 says 47 is average

 

[smiths02]

This article says 28 is now the average. Most people I know didn’t even get married until their 30’s. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/a...-and-are-still-conflicted-about-it-2017-05-19

Nearly 40% of births are to unmarried women, so age of marriage doesn't seem to matter much anymore.

 

[mjkacmom]

Yes, my mistake, what I found was from about 2004.
But we are talking about how old people's parents were when they became grandparents.
I became a parent in 2006 just a few days before I turned 25, so I was probably right about average for 2006.
My mom became a parent in 1981 when average ages was 22. She was a little under at 20.
But 22 + 25 = 47
So my point still stands that at this moment, the average first time grandparent is in their 40s

https://www.liveabout.com/grandparents-demographic-information-1695746 This article from 2017 says 47 is average

I think it’s also regional, when I became a parent at 29 in 1996, most people I knew didn’t have children yet. I know this area of the country is later for marriage and children.

 

[smiths02]

I think it’s also regional, when I became a parent at 29 in 1996, most people I knew didn’t have children yet. I know this area of the country is later for marriage and children.

I'm sure it is also highly dependent on socioeconomic status
I'm sure the DISBoards would skew towards the higher side on SES just because it is a website devoted to planning a luxury vacation.

 

[mjkacmom]

Nearly 40% of births are to unmarried women, so age of marriage doesn't seem to matter much anymore.

It also depends on your demographic, for mine (college educated white woman) less than 7% of babies are born out of wedlock.

 

[MrJT]

I believe that both my parents were 38 when I gave them their first grandkid. The last time that I gave them a grandkid, I was almost that same age. The irony.

 

[L&Lfan]

My parents never became grandparents. I’m gay and my sister and her husbands were more into animals than children. Interesting thing is my parents never said a word about how they felt about that before they died.

By the way my parents would be 90 and 92 this year. My sister and I are 58 and 60.

 

[PollyannaMom]

My Dad was in his late 50s, and my mom sadly passed away from cancer about three years before she would have become a grandparent.

 

[scrapquitler]

My in-laws were both 56 when they became grandparents.
My parents were 53 and 47.

We are both 51 and so sign of any grandchildren in the near future.

 

[georgina]

Both 56. One of my sisters had a surprise baby at 24, or they would have been older. They were 69 when I had my first child.

I had my first at 28 (DH was 35). She will be 29 soon and it will be a few years before they have a baby, but they are planning to give it a try.

 

[E&Cmom]

Mine were 42 and 47. I was not quite 6 year old Aunt. I am the youngest. My sister is 11 years older than me and had my nephew at 17.

 

[Floridaman999]

Old enough to know better.

 

[indimom]

My parents were in their early 50s. The kids were all half-grown before they even retired. Mom is really enjoying her first great-grandchild (who arrived when they were in their mid 70s) because she has more free time to just enjoy the ride.

 

[bgirldeb]

53 and 52

 

[Skippy918]

54 and 56.

 

[Aurora79]

My dad was 60. My mom had already passed 7 years earlier.

 

[mrsheppo]

My mom was 53 and my dad was 57.

I was 47 and DH was 57 when we became grandparents