GUY's I NEED HELP?????

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2005
GUY's I NEED HELP?????
8
Sat, 06-25-2005 - 9:41pm

Ok I have a stupid question? what is the age limit you think when a man should stop having kids? and what is the the the round about age when a man starts to shoot blanks? I would appreciate it if you would respond even if it is a guess.

Thank you

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-27-2004
Sat, 06-25-2005 - 11:43pm

A man should stop having kids when HE thinks it's time to stop having kids. That's a personal decision. Of course, there's a mother involved here, and she should also be agreeable. As long as you can clothe them and feed them, and keep a roof over their heads....have as many as you want.

Shooting blanks? A 20 year old can be sterile! Age has nothing to do with the ability to father children unless he's got a physical problem, or he's had a vasectomy. Men in their 80's have fathered children.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-16-2005
Sun, 06-26-2005 - 1:18am
A guy can remain fertile well into his 70s or even later. As to your question at what age should he not have kids, that is difficult question to answer. From a socio-biological standpoint, men have are not seen as caregivers but providers. So, as long as a man can financially provide for his children then there is no age limit. Once society changes its attitude towards men in regards to child rearing then it might be practical to start discussing at what age should a man stop fathering children.
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-13-2004
Sun, 06-26-2005 - 1:47am

>>Once society changes its attitude towards men in regards to child rearing then it might be practical to start discussing at what age should a man stop fathering children.<<

My DH already sees his role in fatherhood as a 'hands on' dad. So, his personal limit was 40 years old - he wanted to make sure that he was still young enough to play with the kids. As it turned out, we had one child when he was 38 and the other at 41.

Because age is largely in the mind, and men don't have a fertility 'use by' like a woman, I believe that it would always be difficult to say what maximum age a father should have. I've known men in their 30's who are already old in their minds - while my 84yo FIL is like a 60 year old.

In short, I feel that if a man feels young enough to be a hands on dad, then he's young enough to have a family.

Dress Up Games, Doll Makers and Cartoon Dolls @ The Doll Palace
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2004
Sun, 06-26-2005 - 8:11am
That all depends on the woman involved with the man also.

bounxh0a-1.gif picture by dillbyrd

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-12-2004
Sun, 06-26-2005 - 11:31am

As the others have said, there is no maximum age when a man CAN father a child, but he and the mother should consider if they are physically and financially able to properly care for the child. We had our last child when we were just shy of our 40th birthdays. (I am now shooting blanks) We think that while we feel young for our age, we may not feel this young when he is a teenager. Bottom line is it is all an individual choice.

Ray

Avatar for katmandoo2001
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 06-26-2005 - 12:22pm

Just as with women, men begin losing fertility as they age. For women, it begins around 27, much younger than previously believed. For men, it's around 35.

So, even though a man might be able to produce viable sperm in his later years, they are being produced by older testicles and it may take more time to impregnate a partner. The quality of sperm, as with eggs, will decline with age.

When a man chooses to stop producing children is an individual decision. My personal opinion is that a man shouldn't have children if it's unlikely that he will be around for their upbringing.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-11-2004
Sun, 06-26-2005 - 2:35pm

Hi mickey:

TOO OLD: A guy should stop having kids when: he is TOO OLD to see them grow up.

SHOOTING BLANKS: Unless a male has a vasectomy, he will probably have sperm to get a woman pregnant.

Mac

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-18-2001
Mon, 06-27-2005 - 12:50am
Too old is when he won't see them growing up. I would hope that my Dad would be around until I was at least 30 years old, so given the average lifespan of men is about 74 years old, then 44years old is old enough. I know that there are a lot of variables in that, but if you hit 45 and still want to have children I hope that it's a carefully considered decision and you're in really good health!