I'll just wait here... 
until one of you young gals want me to knock you up.
Posted on 10/23/2007 6:50:10 PM PDT by qam1
Jerry Syrovatka says that at 51 he can still run circles around his 8-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son.
But who knows how long that will last?
The Weston Ranch resident is part of a growing phenomenon among baby boomers: men who father children well past the age of 40.
"I'm in construction, so I can keep up with the big guys and the little guys," Syrovatka said. "I still got the old spunk in me."
There's a joy to fatherhood no matter when someone has a child, but many Americans are waiting longer. Research shows the percentage of married men having children at 40 or older has nearly tripled over the past two decades, from 5 percent in 1984 to 14 percent in 2004. That includes such famous figures as Rod Stewart and Larry King.
Men older than 40, however, also have a growing list of potential complications to consider before welcoming a new tyke to the fold.
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York found the rate of autistic children is six times higher for men older than 40 than for dads in their 20s. Previous studies by the same researchers linked advanced paternal age with lower intelligence scores and schizophrenia.
Down syndrome cases occur in 60 out of every 10,000 births when both parents are 40 or older. That's six times the national average.
A couple of reasons stand out for older men fathering children, said Dr. Mohit Khera, a professor of urology at Baylor University.
The first is divorce, after which some men remarry younger women and start a second family.
The second is a general trend toward waiting until midlife - when educational goals have been attained and a career started - before marrying and fathering children.
As for the risks, Khera said the science is not all in but belief within the urological community is that DNA cells weaken with age and damage the genetic information contained therein. The impaired cells are passed on during fertilization. Research is ongoing, he said.
And yet, fathers say, the rewards are well worth the risks.
"The pro side of my situation is that I have wisdom younger people don't have, I have earning ability younger people don't have and I'm able see things better than younger people do," said Paul Mitchell, 51, who subrogates claims for an insurance company in Citrus Heights. Mitchell is dad to Rocky, 8, and Chenice, 3.
That jibes with research author Debbie Mandel has done on this subject. She said older parents often see kids as a higher priority than younger ones, taking time to attend a school play or go on a field trip. Dads in middle age usually have the emotional makeup to handle parenting better than men in their 20s.
"Children benefit from a parent who has a sense of self, who made mistakes and grew and as a result he can help a child grow up happy and confident," Mandel said. "He knows the route."
Additionally, today's older fathers are more physically fit than men in their 40s a generation ago, she said. They can still expend the energy needed to cart around a toddler.
"At the end of the day, I still had energy and everyone else was pooped," Syrovatka said of a recent family trip to San Diego.
Mitchell gets up before dawn to workout and ensure he has the stamina to take care of his two children. Otherwise, he said, he'd be falling asleep on the couch before the kids go to bed.
Mark Rogers is a professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and specializes in family law, domestic relations, and parenting. He also is father to a 21-year-old son, Dillon, from his first marriage and 5-year-old son, Jake, from his current marriage.
"This is an area of interest for me personally but also professionally," he said. "It's one I've wrestled with."
Rogers, 51, said children benefit from parents who are able to mentor more than discipline. That ability often comes with age.
"You can have rich discussions and meaningful bonding with fathers in their later ages," he said. "You can relate on many levels because you've been there."
And yet, being there for the long haul may be biggest question older dads worry over. That is, whether they will live long enough to witness their children's major milestones: high school and college graduation, marriages and the birth of a grandchild.
"I figure I've got to make it to at least 70," Mitchell said.
I’m glad to see you are doing well yourself :-)
25 here, no kids and no plans for any either.
That sounds kinky...is it??
I expected better from you two. LOL.
I'll just wait here... until one of you young gals want me to knock you up.
You too?! When my baby girl graduates I’ll also be 58. Our kids will be in the same class. At least your son will know that if he comes courting my daughter I’ll still be able to run him down :^)
She’s a widow with young children now. Kind of selfish of Tony, but at least they got born, which is better than nothing.
If she’s a good mother they will be OK.
Very common. My great-grandfather was 46 when my grandfather was born in 1879, my grandfather was 38 when my Dad was born and I was 40 when my daughter was born. I'm just keeping up on a family tradition.
It is never too late, you're still a kid yourself! Read my post above.
Gentlemen never tell.
if you define “old geezers” as people being in their 60’s, you’ve lost the battle already...
When my baby girl graduates I’ll also be 58...
You’re making me feel old. I’ll be 69 when my youngest graduates.
The baby boomers are now outputting Gen-V, the Viagra kids. This generation will inherit so much money from dying relatives they will mostly be millionaires by the time they graduate private high school.
Old hell, you're my hero! My wife is 9 years my junior and she told me if I wanted another one I'd have to carry it. Otherwise I'd be giving you a run for your money. More power to you (as if you needed it)!
I was 53 when my youngest child was born. He is 6 now and doing wonderfully. We gave it a lot thought and did a lot of research before we decided to go ahead. The risk of genetic defects is indeed higher but individual genetic histories matter more than mass statistics, and defects can occur at any age. The most important consideration was whether I could live long enough, and remain active enough, to see the little guy through college (age 75). I could always fail to live through tonight but the odds are very good that I will get to 75.
Ages and causes of death of immediate ancestors:
Father: Still living, age 84
Paternal grandfather: 71 (heart attack)
Paternal grandmother: 86 (congestive heart failure)
Mother: Still living, age 81
Maternal grandfather: 80 (cancer)
Maternal grandmother: Still living, age 103
With 3 direct ancestors still alive at age 59, I have a very good chance of living well past 80. It might be better if I were female, but in that case I would be very unlikely to have a 6 year old.
LOL
Blame the rise on Viagra?
Because of the effects of compound interest it might be nice to live to 200. If someone puts $5,000 into the stock market for a child at age 0 and the stock market average return is 12% minus 4% inflation then they will have $24 billion in today's dollars to spend on their 200th birthday.
Anthony Quinn fathered 12 known children. The last two he fathered in his late 70's and early 80's. What a stud!
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