Baby Blues and Older Dads
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According to recent reports online, Hugh Hefner?s relationship with Holly Madison came to an end partly because they were unable to become parents. At 82, Hefner felt it just wasn?t in the cards for him. The media has been buzzing over the last year or two that Holly wanted to marry Hugh and have children.
This got me thinking about older dads, a few notable examples being Anthony Quinn who fathered a child at 81, Luciano Pavarotti at 67, and Julio Iglesias who became a dad again at 89. Now the first reaction of some people may be to shout ?what on earth are these guys thinking?? This is an issue that is hard to discuss with any degree of objectivity.
On the one hand you could rightfully ask, are these men being fair to the child? Does becoming a father at 80 or older practically guarantee that a man won?t be around for his child before that child hits puberty? What about things like playing with the child, or any other type of physical activity? Would that child be cheated out of the normal things every child should be able to expect from a parent?
It could also be asked whether the right to become a parent should really be limited to men in a certain age group. Is that really where we want to go? There are pros and cons, supported by research in favor of and against older men becoming fathers. Some studies have shown that babies born to older fathers are more prone to autism and birth defects.
On the other hand, many persons will argue that older fathers, regardless of age, are more likely to be responsible. Also, their child or children usually tend to be the result of planned pregnancies. These older fathers usually take a more active role in the day to day tasks of caring for the child.
Whether or not you agree with any of these studies, it is clear that the issue will continue to stir debate. As parents, we can certainly empathize with Mr. Hefner, in spite of his age. Maybe the most important thing for fathers who are over 60, is a good support structure for the child. That includes older children, the father?s younger siblings, if he has any, and of course the mother and her family.
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