BEING ELDERLY PARENTS HAS BENEFITS: CHILDREN ARE LESS AGGRESSIVE AND BEHAVE BETTER

We cannot deny it. As we published just a few days ago, the latest Eurostat survey has confirmed what we already sensed: Spanish women are increasingly delaying motherhood, with the problems it may involve.

But also men. Among the reasons used by parents, lack of work and family reconciliation, followed by economic problems.

Now, a cooperative study of several European universities, published in Child Development, talks about benefits in the future behavior of the children of older parents: late motherhood and fatherhood favor children being less aggressive and breaking the rules less than those with younger parents.

Older parents are more patient and more organized

This study, conducted by researchers from the Free University of Amsterdam, the University of Utrecht, the Medical Center of the Erasmus University in Rotterdam and the University Medical Center of Groningen (Netherlands) to more than 32,000 children, provides new information on the Future behavior of these minors.

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The experts have analyzed the link between maternity and late paternity and the behavior of children between 10 and 12 years, based on questionnaires answered by their teachers and parents aged between 16 and 48 years (in the case of mothers), and between 17 and 68 (parents).

They were asked, for example, about possible problems of depression or anxiety in children, and also about their attitude towards other children, as if they had a tendency to be aggressive.

After analyzing the data, the experts did not find links between the age of the parents and internal problems of their children (such as anxiety or depression), but they concluded that “Older parents are more likely to have their children behave better than those who decided to have them younger”.

"Those who have a mother or an older father are less likely to break the rules and physically assault others."

The researchers point out as possible explanations:

Parents, at this age, are financially more stable.
They usually have a higher educational level.
“Younger parents tend to be more impulsive and reflect that insecurity in their children”.

"They are more patient, more organized and offer a safer and healthier environment for their children."

Risks (and some advantage) associated with age

In Spain, the assisted reproduction law does not impose any restrictions so that women can be mothers at the age they want, although most gynecologists refuse to undergo fertility treatments to women after 50 years.

And it is that as they turn years, the risks for the baby increase: chromosomal failure in the fetus, abortion or premature delivery. But also for the mother: more likely to suffer a cardiovascular accident or a heart attack.

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But not only does the mother's age influence, but also the father's. Being elderly parents increases the risk of congenital anomalies and is related to problems in the mental health of the child.

On the other hand, more and more studies link advanced age with certain advantages for children such as children being longer.

And now, to these benefits are added those of this latest research, which speak of less aggressive children. And you do you think? Do you think there is a biological age to have children or thanks to science is it lawful to have them when we can?

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