Anyone become a dad later life?

[JTQ]

I got married at 34, first kid at 36, second at 38. My wife is four years younger. My daughters are now 25 and 23.

It worked out pretty well for us. My wife was a school teacher and quit to stay home with the girls. I retired from the USAF in 2003 and we swapped roles with her going back to work and me staying home with the kids. I coached them in soccer, eventually running the league, volunteered with the band parents (band room clean up, cooking burgers and fries at the football games), worked backstage at show choir for 10 years, and drove them to high school and home every day (lots of good father/daughter talks during those drives). The girls graduated from college Magna Cum Laude and Summa Cum Laude, and neither they or I have any college debt. They are both lovely young women and I'm very proud of them.

[the Schwartz]

I married at 40, wife was 31.
We had twins 19 months later (15 years ago), and another boy four years later (11 years now).
VERY happy

Amazing how similar the timing in our respective situations.

[Old Man Winter]

I'm 46 with my first on the way. T-minus 7 days!

[gtae07]

About the only thing that really bothers me is the fact that due to my graying hair I sometimes get asked if I’m a grandpa.

Multiple people have thought I was my wife's dad. She's six months older than me. I think it's the receding hairline.

Regarding dad fitness, sometimes a gym or solo workout isn't the best answer for you. The best thing for me was finding a group of guys to work out with early mornings. The workouts are different every time, it's free, and it's fun--unlike the monotony of gym training etc. I still run and hit the gym for cardio and weights but those supplement the other workouts.

Fitbit and the gym helped me lose the weight initially, F3 (the workout group) is making me stronger and keeping the weight off. It's sort of a blend of crossfit and bootcamp workouts interspersed with running, at least as we do it here.

[Jim Watson]

Friends have sons 14 years apart, now 18 and 4. They are doing fine.

[the Schwartz]

I'm 46 with my first on the way. T-minus 7 days!

Congrats on the pending arrival! You have me beat for having the 1st one by three whole years!

[1911Nut]

Gifted with a daughter when I was 23 and a son when I was 25. Then had twin stepdaughters come into my life when I was 49. Now it's almost 23 years later, those twins are grown women, and I look back on raising them with 100% fond memories.

[andre3k]

I had my two kids at 35 and 36. They kick my ass on the daily. Most of my friends have kids in HS or going into college and I'm envious of the whole empty nest thing, They want to hang out now and I'm still changing diapers. As much as I enjoy children, I'm glad that I'm snipped now.

[mtnbkr]

I wouldn't say we had kids late in life compared to some in this thread, but we had Thing 1 when I was 30 and Thing 2 when I was 35. That was late to me because my parents were in their very early 20s when I was born (oops!). My dad was 40 when I was going off to college. I'm 46 now, so had I started when they did, my kid(s) would be out of college and in the workforce by now.

If I could do it again, I think I'd have kids even earlier (didn't get married till my late 20s). If I started sooner, and had a bigger house and more money, I'd have more kids too. I enjoy being a parent and don't regret a bit of it.

Chris

[MEH]

41yo when my youngest was born. She's going off to college today. Enjoy the ride, they keep you young!