Having children at an older age may positively impact your child's behaviour

There is no doubt that the older a woman gets before having children the more the pressure from society. Years seem to fly by quickly.  Thoughts about the racing biological clock, higher pregnancy risks, lifestyle changes incessantly get spewed in your mind forcing you to reconsider ever having a child at an advanced age.

Well there is good news for older women who are aspiring to become mothers or who are already mothers but are considering another addition into the family. Your dream is not only valid but may be good for you and your child if a study investigating maternal age and socio emotional behaviour in children is anything to go by.

According to the study which was conducted on 5000 mothers and children of ages 7, 11 and 15 in Denmark, older mothers experienced fewer behavioural, social and emotional difficulties in children at age 7 and 11. This was however not the case in the 15 year olds.

The author of the study, which was published in the European Journal of Developmental Psychology, Dion Sommer, attributes this to the fact that older mothers are more likely to be patient with their children which has a positive impact on the child’s growth.

“We know that people become more mentally flexible with age, are more tolerant of other people, and thrive better emotionally themselves. This style of parenting can thereby contribute to a positive psychosocial environment which affects the children’s upbringing,” said Sommer.

However, there are many other factors that contribute to a child’s behaviour.