posted on July 12, 2004 11:51:28 AM new
I watched a documentary last night that said scientists have discovered that women who have kids early in life, age faster. Biologically, your body is only good for reproduction, so after your first child, the aging pricess kicks in. Women that have children later in life age at a much slower rate, and women that don't have children age even slower. Interesting!
posted on July 12, 2004 12:00:46 PM new
Oh boy Kraft, you're going to start a fire storm!
Good for you
And I'll try not to throw up when the inevitable post comes up about how child-free people are selfish.
[ edited by crowfarm on Jul 12, 2004 12:05 PM ]
I hate to blow that documentary clear out of the water, but. . .
I look younger and feel younger than many of my friends who never had children. The days I spent not smoking or drinking and just taking care of my children, they spent partying and grabbing onto every guy they could. They have made their careers their children and have worked too many hours under too much stress.
IMO, I'm better off for having had them. Besides, who do my childless friends have to care for them in their old age? LOL!
Edited to add: I'm willing to bet I've done more laughing over the years, as well. Children can do the funniest things!
Cheryl
[ edited by cblev65252 on Jul 12, 2004 12:08 PM ]
posted on July 12, 2004 12:16:37 PM new
Myth # 387
"Besides, who do my childless friends have to care for them in their old age? LOL!"
Uh, cheryl, my mother lives in a small town senior apartment complex. Some of those elderly people have children living within 20 miles and they very seldom see them except for the compulsory visit at Christmas.
I take care of my mother because I want to and can afford to.......not everybody does or can.
I also feel that it's very unfair for people to EXPECT their children to take of them. Their children have their own lives to take care of. Were they put on earth to take care of their parents?
posted on July 12, 2004 12:20:47 PM new
Cheryl, they meant biologically - on the inside.
I've seen many childless women too who looked old because of what you mentioned. The sun wrecks your skin more than anything - that's why I could never understand how George Hamilton looked so young for so long. (??)
Crow, I don't have children and have been called selfish too - mainly by Christians. It's like life is useless unless women bear children.
posted on July 12, 2004 12:39:58 PM new
::The days I spent not smoking or drinking and just taking care of my children, they spent partying and grabbing onto every guy they could.::
And oh what men we grab ..... When it comes to men I have a firm catch and release policy. (She says with cigarette burning on the desk and drinks in the freezer)
::They have made their careers their children and have worked too many hours under too much stress.::
This may be true but when we ground our "child" it doesn't pout and vacations are planned come without child friendly activities, restaurants with kids seats and neverending choruses of "Are We There Yet?" More power to the mothers among us, but I can't even stand vacationing with friends, I can't think of anything more stressful than kids in cars/planes/hotels for a week.
::Besides, who do my childless friends have to care for them in their old age? LOL! ::
Who said we grow old? We don't grow old, we run out of new things to do, achieve all that we want to achieve and then bow out gracefully.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
I'd hardly call you selfish!!! Besides, there are days even now with my children grown that I dream what I could have had without them. We all do that sometimes. Having children is a very personal choice, IMO. No one should be criticized for not wanting any!
crowfarm
That's a shame about your mother. Mine lives about 1/2 hour away. She's in the beginning stages of Alzheimers and eventually, she will live with me. She says she doesn't want to - would rather be in a home - but, I don't believe her. Any one of my brothers would take her, so they say.
fenix
You're too funny! Camping was the easy solution when my kids were young. There are several area places we could take them. My son still loves to camp, but my daughter hates it - bugs and latrenes (sp?). I remember my mother saying things like, "Don't make me stop this car and get out". LOL!
posted on July 12, 2004 04:41:59 PM new
There is valid research that senescence is linked to the hormones that trigger puberty. If you don't go into puberty you don't appear to age. This is interesting in respect to mortality and life cycles. Non-sexual people, although nominally XX, are gender neutral and amused by the great to-do over matters sexual. On the flip side, does this mean that children with progeria have these hormones in excess from birth or too early in life? And how exactly does this hasten or slow telomere erosion? Since it is NOT a completely time linked physiological process, it may very well be possible to extend our life expectancy greatly. Yes, if you go through puberty late in life, you would apparently live longer. And putting off or eschewing child-bearing or seminal activity is also relevant to longevity.
A fascinating area of study! This is, in part, why there should be more of an uproar over any hormones given to food animals. We give milk cows hormones and we have females starting menses as early as five, with seven or eight accepted as normal.... now. Hope the light goes on when you check out the life expectancy in the U.S. compared to that in other 'developed' nations.
posted on July 13, 2004 06:59:51 AM new
I think the decision to have or not have kids is certainly nobody's business but the person contemplating parenthood. (AFAIC there are lots of people who should not be allowed to breed) Personally, I count myself a wealthy man thanks to my kids. Kids taking care of their parents? In my family, we have always taken care of our parents. I took care of my mother till her passing. She died here on the place as did my dad, my grandparents, my great grandparents and beyond...just natural, as far as I can see....
As far as aging is concerned, I can see where lots of kids can take a toll on physical appearance, but in my mind that doesn't have anything to do with aging....one night not too long ago my boy was looking thru some old family picture albums. He never knew my grandmother, but she is legend around here for having given birth to all 10 of her kids right in this house, and living to be 100 years old. He was looking at some very old pictures of her, taken when my dad was just a tot. He looked up all of a sudden and said "Papi, was she always old??
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Beware the man of one book.
- Thomas Aquinas
