Trying to decide when to start a family? Some say you should pop ’em out while you’re still young, fresh and full of energy.

But me? I had my first child at 37 (and a half). And my second at 39 (and a half). And so I’m a big advocate of having kids later in life.

OK, so 37 (and a half) and 39 (and a half) is not really really really old. I’m not making medical history or anything like that. But it’s old enough.

…and quite a lot older than any of my three sisters were when they had kids.

One of my sisters celebrated her 40th birthday with a long weekend away in Barcelona with her teenage kids.

And me?

I went to Diggerland. And couldn’t even drive the diggers as the baby was in that phase where they won’t let anyone but Mum hold her. Not even her Dad.

But there are plenty of reasons why you should consider having kids later in life.

…here’s my Top 5

1. Old Lady Cross Face

Straight in at Number 1, the Old Lady Cross Face.

Whilst my sisters were having kids at a much younger age, I spent years shouting at my sales team. Insisting that they pick up the bloody phone, that they talk to potential buyers, not to each other.

Years of shouting and mithering. Years of scowling and growling.

And it all paid off.

Because now, aged 45, I am blessed with some awesome frown lines.

So I rarely have to shout at the kids.

They take one look at my scowly, line-ridden Old Lady Cross Face and pipe the flip down immediately.

(Please note that I am now using an amazing anti-ageing serum called #AgeingSucks. After just 3 weeks of use, I can already see a difference. I might have to draw my frown lines on with a pencil in future)

2. Old Lady Body

Another massive bonus to having kids later in life is the changes to your body.

Younger mums all around the world are, at this very moment, poking and prodding themselves in disgust. Poking and prodding at the fat wobbly bits that have eaten their abs.

They’re desperately doing Mummy Bootcamp Classes and hundreds of sit-ups before bed.

Desperate to regain what they once had pre-kids.

Desperate to get rid of the Baby Fat.

But me?

The poster mum for having kids later in life?

I’m laughing in the face of these young’uns.

Laughing as I watch my Baby Fat transition seamlessly into Middle Aged Spread.

Now tell me that ain’t a great plus point to having kids later in life!

3. Fewer Fucks

No, no, this isn’t about that! (Because that’s really not true either, young mums who are reading this)

If you decide, or fate decides, that you’re having kids later in life, you give fewer fucks.

Fewer fucks about people raising their eyebrow about what you do. Or what you say.

Fewer fucks about your parenting decisions.

(Hell, you might even wear pants over your trousers in a post about your own Superpowers)

I’m not sure whether this is because you’re older and wiser. Or older and more confident.

Or just older and can’t be arsed.

Or maybe everyone is born with a quota of fucks.

And I used most of mine giving a fuck about what people thought of what I wore, did and said in my 20s and 30s.

Now, I barely have a handful of fucks left to give!

…which makes being a Mum so very much easier and less stressful.

4. The Menopause

And could you even write a post on having kids later in life without including it?

The M word.

The Menopause.

That time in life where everything spreads and drops. Where you become tired and crabby.

But the upside for Older Mums?

You haven’t quite got out of the habit of being tired and crabby from having little kids. From being woken for feeds, then wees, then nightmares or night terrors.

So you can transition from being a slightly tired and narky mum of small kids to being a slightly tired and narky perimenopausal old bird.

…probably nobody will even notice.

Great, eh?!

5. The Money Angle

Having kids later in life is good for your pocket too.

…because you probably worked for longer before kids, so you’ll have earned more money.

But I’m not just talking about the money you earned.

I mean the money you’ll save…

…a whole lot of money.

How?

Simples!

Older parents of little kids are less susceptible to Pester Power.

Maybe because we can zone out the incessant begging for new toys, as we’re starting to go deaf.

Or maybe it’s because we have fewer fucks left and will just say no.

And this’ll get even better as we get even older.

Fast-forward a few years and we’ll be able to say we can’t afford it on on our meagre pensions.

I, for one, can’t wait!

How about you?

(Do you know what it’s like to be an Older Parent? Let us know your joys of having kids later in life in the Reply to Comments at the bottom of the page)