Five Reasons Why I Love Being an Older Mom

I found out I was pregnant with Chickie at 35. 

In July, Maddy will be five.

On June 4^th, I’ll be 40.

I’m an older mom, and I’m okay with that.

To most, 40 is considered ancient in the mommy world. I mean, I'm like that old-broad-throwing-jewelry-off-the-ship-in-the-movie-Titanic old. 

But it's cool. 

I may not have the energy I used to have in my 20's to be chasing around my little Tasmanian devil but at the same time, I consider myself to be a little older and a little wiser. I wouldn't go back to my younger years for anything. There are so many great things that come with age and in return, so many things I've found that I love about being an older mom.

ONE. Fewer people feel the need or dare to question me about my parenting choices, skills or decisions. "She's older! She must know what she's doing!" Honestly, this couldn't be further from the truth but if my advanced age as a mom keeps the busy bodies and Know-It-Alls out of my parenting business then I'm all for that perception. Plus, I have a pretty mean sucker punch. You don't want none of that.

TWO. Confidence. With age comes the security to be confident and comfortable with who you are as a person but more importantly, as a parent. I've learned to trust my gut and go with my instincts where raising my child is concerned and I've never been wrong. I don't know if I would be able to say the same if I were a younger mother. 

THREE. I feel comfortable in my own skin. At my age, I'm willing to accept that there are parts of my body that are lumpier than my father's mashed potatoes and because I had to have a C-Section, my mid-section looks like a really bad Jackson Pollack painting because of all the cuts and stretch marks left behind. Those parts are never snapping back and you know what? I'm okay with that. My younger self would probably be mortified by it all but my older self is now wise enough to know that at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter. There are bigger and more important things to worry about. Those scars and lumps? I consider those my battle scars of birth. I won the fight. 

FOUR. The days of blaring my radio as loud as it would go in my room and car as a teen have finally paid off. All the crying and tantrums can be ignored easier by my already partially deaf ears. I'm sorry, what did you say? I can’t hear you. You'll have to speak up. 

FIVE. With age, I've found that I'm far mellower and not nearly as high strung. This comes in handy the older my child gets because you know, damn, these little carrier monkeys really love to push our buttons. My reaction the day that Chickie shit herself all the way up her back and into her hair? Eh. That's all you've got? I was actually impressed. I simply picked her up, stripped her down and threw her into the tub. I'm willing to bet that my younger self would not have had the same reaction.

So, yes. I go to bed at 9 p.m. I may or may not eat dinner at 4:30 on occasion. I do find myself yelling old things like, "Turn that music down!" but I'm 39 and fan-fuckingtabulous. I'm rocking motherhood like no one's business and if they're lucky, the younger moms just might find a way to keep up with me.   

So, older mommies {or all you mommies getting there} what are some of the things you enjoy about being an older mom?