Janet Jackson welcomed a son at age 50. Halle Berry welcomed a daughter at 41 and a son at age 47. Hoda Kotb, from the Today Show, just became a first-time mom at the age of 52. A recent research study suggests that these three women, and many like them, may make better mothers than their “younger” counterparts and that having a baby later in life may actually work out better for children.
A study published in the European Journal of Developmental Psychology suggests that “older” women are more likely to handle the aspects of parenting better due to the old adage, “with age comes wisdom.”
“We know that people become more mentally flexible with age, are more tolerant of other people and thrive better emotionally themselves,” said Dion Somme, a professor at the School of Business and Social Sciences at Aarhus University in Denmark and co-author of the study, in a recent press release. “That’s why psychological maturity may explain why older mothers do not scold and physically discipline their children as much.”
Researchers observed the social and environmental development of children at ages 7, 11, and 15, concluding that the children with mothers who were at least 30 years of age had fewer behavioral, social and emotional problems at the younger ages but not during the teen years.
Women are delaying motherhood due to a variety of factors including career, education, and increased life expectancy; however, “younger” mothers do tip the scales in their favor when it comes to being in the “know”. Sue Scheff, a parent and family Internet safety advocate and author of Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate, tells Yahoo Beauty, “[Young moms] tend to be more tech-literate, so hopefully they are able to engage in teaching their kids more about online safety and security, as well as the importance of their digital reputation-which is something everyone will need for their future.”
No matter the age, whether mom is 21 or 51, we can all agree that being a parent is the hardest job that some will ever have and even though kids don’t come with manuals, we all manage to figure it out one way or another. As Scheff states, “Mistakes will be made, lessons will be learned, and we all do our best as a parent with what we have.”
Weigh in-what do you think?
