Midlife Mothers Archives - Page 15 of 16

Health

by Andrea Lynn

My daughter has become fascinated by health – good and bad – since she turned 4. Four is a year for discussions about death and sex, I’ve been warned by friends. It’s been true, so far, but far more interesting than either is health – what is good for us, what is bad for us. Her fascination with exercise, healthy eating and the horrors of smoking, among other things, is fodder for daily discussion. And while I’m all for healthy discussion about nearly anything, the talk of health hits me just as I’m occasionally starting to feel old. Or not old, exactly, but a little tired. […]

Midnight Math

by Andrea Lynn

I pretty much read any article I come across about older motherhood, so this one in my local paper of course caught my eye:

http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/babiespregnancy/pregnancy/article/1110529–the-costs-of-older-motherhood-what-a-four-decade-generation-gap-means

It all hit home to me. It is the story mom Julie Morris (a new mom at 41) and daughter Maggie Fisher, fast-forwarded to 18 years later. Maggie’s father, 71 when Maggie was born, died when she was still a little girl. The writer says:

“It made Morris consider her own mortality, too, and raise it with Maggie. “When she was 10, I had to sit down with her and ask, ‘If anything happens to me, what would you like to happen to you,’ It was a pretty hard moment for her.” Oh, my death fears. Don’t get me started. […]

Unexpected Gifts

by Peg O'Neill, M.D.

As always, it’s hard to believe that we’ve arrived so quickly at the end of the year, the season of giving thanks for what we’ve received, of giving to others and of reflecting on where we’ve been and where we’re going […]

One Hero in a Community of Mothers

by Andrea Lynn

In my life, there are many mothers I respect and admire. Friends, family, colleagues, even strangers. Mothers I see in the world doing the right thing with children, showing small kindnesses, endless patience, needed discipline. Moms who have faced huge obstacles, small tragedies, who started their journeys late or in roundabout ways. But heroic mothers? I only know one, and I don’t know her well. She is a midlife mother, in her 50s, and attends the same church as I do. I know her because our congregation has adopted her cause as ours — emergency foster care of the youngest children in our city. […]

The Healing Power of Olive Oil

by Barbara Hannah Grufferman

(Dear Reader, I stumbled on this post having recently discovered the incredible power of olive oil, myself. In fact, I swear by it. I eat it and use it in a multitude of ways. So does Barbara. So, after contacting her, we discovered a clearcut connection. This is the first of what we hope will be many of her writings about over-50 living.)

Interesting fact about turning 50: Things change surprisingly fast.

For example, everything’s just a tad bit … drier. My hair, skin, eyes and, umm, other places, too. […]

In Praise of Older Mothers

by Barbara Hannah Grufferman

Full disclosure: I am an older mother. My first daughter was born when I was almost 38, and my youngest entered the world three days before my 41st birthday. Even though I’m 54 and going through the tumultuous teenage years, I wouldn’t have it any other way. […]

“How Old Are You?”

by Cyma Shapiro

I’ve been blessed with great genes and a presence which often appears years younger than I really am.

I’ve also been blessed with a daughter (like so many others) whose mouth regurgitates and replays recently heard tidbits. Anywhere. Everywhere. Anytime. All-the-time.

With this in mind, I’ve chosen not to tell her my chronological age. Not yet. […]

Rebonding With Your Husband in Midlife (AKA: Of Men and Manure)

by Julie Donner Andersen

Another secret to surviving marriage in midlife is to share a hobby together, say the experts. It will renew your bond, and give you something to talk about over dinner besides the war in the Middle East or the irony of how your youngest kid resembles the mailman, they advise. […]

Ode to the C Block

by Joely Johnson Mork

When Cyma asked me what my angle on older motherhood would be for this blog, I told her that I am a professional freelance health writer and also a certified yoga instructor. Meh, meh. But her ears really pricked up when I mentioned that my husband is more than a bit younger than I am. When I explained that my husband is 29 and I am 43, Cyma immediately replied, “Well, we know who is having sex!” […]

Move, Sister, Move!

by Peg O'Neill

Anyone who has ever taken care of young children knows how physically exhausting it is. We also know that the mere presence of kids requires us to move. When they are infants, we pace the floor at night to soothe fussiness, and walk them in the stroller to help them fall asleep (not a strategy that I promote, but it happens). We are constantly running after them when they are toddlers to prevent the disasters that can so easily befall them. Even when kids progress beyond the stage which requires non-stop vigilance and quick reflexes, as my 10 and 5 year-old boys have, there is still a fair amount of physicality required, if you want to keep up with them and share in some of their activities. […]