I loved my dad to death, but when I got old enough to realize how old he was when he had me, I hated realizing that he'd most probably die when I was still young. You see, my dad was 50 years my senior! Yes, you read right, he was 50 years old when he had me and he was the absolute BEST father any child could ever ask for. My husband wasn't that old when we had our youngest son, but at 42, he always jokes that he could be his grandfather.
Well now, a new study has good news for older dads: their children and grandchildren may benefit because of their older age! For the reasons stated above, this is definitely good news in my household.
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The findings of the study are kind of complicated, but they have to do with something called telomeres, which are the tips on the ends of chromosomes. Their length has been linked with better health and longer lives. While telomeres shorten as you get older, studies have shown that the older a man is when he becomes a dad, the longer their children telomeres tend to be. The new study not only confirmed this, but also found this extends to grandchildren.
In the end, my fears of losing my dad when I was still young became a reality as he passed away when I had just turned 31. I wished I would've had a lot more time with him so he could have met my children and read the book I just wrote, but that's the risk you run when you're dad is so much older than you. Although nothing can replace him, it'd be nice to know that there were at least some health benefits for me and my children because of my dad's older age.
What do you think about men who have children when they're older? Leave us a comment with your opinion.
Image via Tobbyotter/flickr
