From the Editor

Some time ago I read a letter in the newspaper written to an advice columnist. It was from a woman who was distressed by the problems she felt were inherent in having been raised by a mother who was in her late 30s and a father in his early 40s when she was born. The advice columnist’s answer neglected to point out the many positives for both older parents and their children, instead focusing on the possible negatives, specifically illnesses and the chance that older parents may not live to see their grandchildren grown.

As the ages of marriage and childbearing have increased, the demographic of women entering old age with children and grandchildren being younger than previously true has also increased. With today’s longevity, five-generation families are no longer an oddity. It is entirely possible that women who elect to defer having children until their 30s of even 40s will live to enjoy their grandchildren and see them grow to adulthood. They may even have the opportunity to enjoy great-grandchildren. While there may be physical inconveniences related to age, the reality is that many of us will enjoy relatively good health until our 70s, 80s, and even 90s before incapacitating illness strikes and death occurs. It bears mentioning that we are also seeing a phenomenal rise in women living to the age of 100 and beyond. Unfortunately, we tend to stereotype older women by the 6% to 8% of those over 65 living in nursing homes rather than concentrating on the over 90% who are out and about. While the woman writing the letter may have older parents who fall in the former category, the majority of women whose parents are older will not.

Children of older parents in all likelihood enjoy the greater financial stability of their parents and have opportunities they would not have had if their parents had elected to have children when they were younger. The careers of older parents are likely to be more established, and their children are less likely to be relegated to second place behind career aspirations. Older parents are usually more mature, settled, and patient. They are old enough to realize that the world will not come to an end from a little crayon on the walls. Hence, children of older parents are less likely to be screamed at or punished disproportionally for minor infractions.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been essentially raised by my grandmother while my young parents fought, divorced, and engaged in the multiple life struggles of youth, leaving little to no time for me. I learned so very much from my grandmother with her patience, giving, and love borne, at least in part, from maturity. Having witnessed firsthand the chaos of my parents’ lives, I elected to defer parenthood. I have never been sorry and am confident that I handled the stresses of parenthood in a much different way than I would have in my 20s. That does not mean that I did not make mistakes. However, I believe they were fewer and less significant than the mistakes I would have made as a young mother.

It is my hope that as we encounter mothers and grandmothers who are now the ages of earlier grandmothers and great-grandmothers, we will be cognizant of the many positives of that demographic change. While negatives do exist, it is very possible that the negatives are significantly outweighed by the positives.

On a different note:

Due to health issues, I am stepping down as Editor of the Journal of Women & Aging. Thirty years ago under the auspices of Haworth Press, I became the founding editor of the Journal of Women & Aging. It has been a joy and a true labor of love to edit this journal all these years. To step down has not been an easy decision, but one I believe I must make.

Francine Conway has been on our Editorial Board and served as our Book Review Editor. She has always done an excellent job. I am delighted that she will be taking over and I know she will continue to do excellent work in her new capacity as Editor. To all our readers, contributors, Board members and staff at Taylor & Francis, thank you for your support of the Journal of Women & Aging and for making my job easier.