A couple of stories in the news about older parents need talking about today. The first, this one that asks the question, "How old is too old?".

It's grandparents raising a child this time, and they must not have been spring chicken-ish when the son who is dad to the little one was little, as they're now 89 and 86, and have been parenting the child off and on almost since birth a... more

I do hate to break it to all you dad's out there, especially so close to Fathers Day and all, but in addition to having statistically shorter life spans ... although the divide there is shrinking as your habits get healthier ... your slope to mental decline is just ever so much more slippery and slick than that of us moms. Well, not just moms, but women in general tend to keep their grip better and longer than men do.

A new study ... a huge new... more

Thanks to suggestions from readers I've started posting some questions and answers on older parents. The introduction is here, followed by embarrassment and negatives here. SHB: Adopted by older parents as you were,... more

Thanks to suggestions from readers I've started posting some questions and answers on older parents. The introduction is here. SHB: Many older adoptive parents worry that their age will be an embarrassment to their kids when those kids hit the teen years. Any comment?

Kris: All parents are an embarrassment... more

I asked a while back for suggestions for topics for this Older Parent blog, as I was feeling idea-depleted. Some great thoughts came in, including a couple about seeking the perspective of adoptees who have parents that were up there in age when their kids came home. I put the word around in a few places I frequent that I had a few questions and was looking for people who'd be interested in answering. Here are brief descriptions:

Kris is 37-years-old... more

What activity is it that has most women wistfully wishing they were instead flat out in a dental chair experiencing the joys of rinse and spit? Is there something that would set you to thinking that a play date with 65 vomiting toddlers with the runs sounds like more fun that what you're doing at that moment?

Yep. That would be the Pap smear.

As one of the groovier aspects of aging, hit 70 and you can say bye-bye to the speculum and slide show ... assuming your Paps up until then have been normal ... how's that for making 70... more

We haven't had much in the way of science here for a while, so today is the day we do some catching up. Starting off with some encouraging news for moms and dads of the older persuasion, this report letting us know that pre- and post-menopausal women are equally responsive to most sexual desire cues ... something to take into account when you're thinking of adopting as an older parent, since you're certainly not over it and a little one does make... more

What's the number one concern for older adoptive parents? Living long enough to see our kids through to adulthood.

It's not quite that simple, however, as it's also important that we're reasonably healthy through those years that lead to our children's independence, and beyond, if we're to avoid becoming a burden to the kids we brought home later in our lives.

An article in the new issue of AARP Mag titled, "Never... more

Nancy Sinatra may be sixty-six-years-old now, but if she so desired, she could, with perfect honesty, put out a new single called, "These Boobs are Made for Milking" ... and mean it. As we learned in the previous post, even women well beyond the age of zits and cramps can, with a the right attitude and some concerted efforts, breastfeed their adopted children.

There are more reasons to do this than you can... more

Those early in the stages of educating themselves on adoption and the myriad of related topics are often surprised to learn that breastfeeding is an option for adoptive mothers ... and fathers, too, but we're not going there today, as my personal bounty of the milk of human kindness, fully understanding the reaction that the very thought can raise in some folks, stays my fingers and keeps me from bringing that up again.

Faith,... more