i couldnt wait for old age to slow down but find life gets busser

you never stop being a parent, I live with my 3 bewties is very trying at end of the day, nappy changes are not much fun at 60 but the smiles and laughs you get are priceless even though there are indeed bad days there are a lot more good ones, mother nature slows you down you can't stop that process so in my case, i am being flexible cautiously

Because morality no longer exists, neither do mom's and dads that are responsible for their own babies. The job is being handed off to grandparents, great grandparents, other relatives, and society. So as far as life slowing down at all relative to raising children, heck no. With that said, more seniors have to work many more years than the magic "65" retirement age, so I think life, at least in America, has gotten crazier. No rest for the weary.Edited 09-Aug-22 17:06pm

I am in my 50s and I find I am more busy now then in my 20s.

i am in my sixties and life seems busier but feel i am slower with age

Ever day life change before your eyes!! How due you feel things are changing and you can’t due anything about it!! I miss having party for the young kids to keep the kids if the steets

Life does not slow down as we age, especially as the family grows. I just turned 70 and my Husband is 65. We have 6 kids, 24 Grandchildren and waiting for our 5th Great Grandchild in July which will mean a trip to Ohio. We are fully involved in our family and it seems someone always needs help. Somedays I wish it would slow down but on the other hand I love it!

yeah i dont have the energy with sleep disorders its hard

I am in my mid 30s and finished having kids a few years ago. My husband and I are the only ones who care for our kids. I wish I had grandparents more interested in their lives. I hope to be like you when I am lucky enough to experience my grandchildren.

I am 70 and still helping with Grandkids ( two live with me) and now I am helping with Great Grandbabies too. We always have some project going on too. We bought a house 3 years ago and have a lot of plans so I don't see slowing down anytime soon.

Today's living so stressful, it was easier before

I 'retired' early in '98. Life then had been simple, Home, work, grandkids, I'm really glad that they all have engaging careers, cos frankly I haven't got either the time or patience any more.

I hope I can keep and keep fit and others are happy

Rewardia really has to try and find a few more pictures....this poor lady has been staring up to right for about 20 different topics...PLEASE PLEASE just use some more pictures.......it really is driving me nuts...and I'm not sure how much further I need to go.... Edited 02-Apr-22 20:33pm

It's not a good way to raise children in my opinion. We were entirely cared for by our parents. Now the parents are all drugged and can't care for their own children. I've seen this in other people's lives for three generations! I think we need to get back to simple lives without so much technology and getting rid of all these material things so we can afford to raise our own kids! Don't worry about what the people nextdoor have--worry about your own family, but live helping each other, not just kids!

I cannot relate; I have no children. It's all I can do to take care of me! I cannot figure out why women are raising their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. My mother never had to. It seems so wrong to me.

Been there done that. What fun.

My wife & I are in our 70s with no children & enjoying a good quality of life

This discussion is a bit depressing for me - I’d love to be busy with my seven grandchildren! But as it is I feel useless, longing to see them, they live far away. I see them occasionally. I’m happy that they’re all well and unhappy that we cannot share our life, slow or not slow, anymore.

same we love being grandparents and love spending time with the grandies - still work full time and send time whenever we can with the littlies to help their parents out

Everyone's story is different...my life has slowed down and I really love it too...

To me does not bother me. To expensive to raise.And the world is not safe anymore.

?

Lucky you. I only had one kid and she never married. Now there's just him and me

Enjoy every day, when you reach your 70s you will still wonder where each day has gone, busy people are never bored.

I have not been able to slow down much yet. Am 73 and still working 4 days a week. My grandson is now 12, but when he was 4 & 5 before starting big school I used to spend my Friday's looking after him (at his house) and would leave work a bit early on Thursday's to pick him up from pre school. My husband is still working beause we have a farm and he has to tend to the cattle and is building sheds and we moved a portable home down there a number of year ago (in 2 parts) and he is now working on getting it onto foundations and making it livable (a lot of work because of weather and bird damage etc over the years). We don't see much of our children or grand children anymore and when the cottage is finished at the farm we will be moving there permanently (2 1/2 hours drive from where we live in the city) - which will guarantee seeing even less of them because my daughter never visits us, it is always us that have to visit them. Sign of the times - everyone has very busy lives these days and little time for stopping and smelling the roses. My husband has just turned 76 and 3 years ago was just out of hospital after a very large operation (aesophageal cancer) - has lost 2/3 rds of his stomach because of it and has ongoing problems with eating (used to be a very big man and is now a very slim man) but as soon as he was able was back to the farm to continue working so no slowing down for him eitherEdited 02-Apr-22 16:34pm

I would love that but unfortunately in my family my daughter in law spend every school holidays with her mother and ignores us. I have tried but nothing works. I suggested after Christmas that we take the kids to the water themed park at jerringong. She knows it wouldn't cost her anything - that we would pay for everything - but the answer was, 'they will be spending their holidays with their cousin's. Any suggestions of what to do in this situation. Really it has been like this for far too long. We just have to accept it. Now that the grandkids have mobile phones we are able to contact them at least. I just do not understand how anyone can be like that. I ensured that my children spent the same amount of time with all their grandparents. I think they deserve that.

It would be nice to be able to slow down

No grand kids but very busy with other interests.

modern life is a lot more hectic and our children still need us to help out

Meredith J. In same boat but only 2 grandkids to school and pick up. I have a car that seats 5 so car seat used and other seat. I don’t think time/ life will slow down as waits for no man. Got my grandson here and I want this or that but keeps me alert but tiring

I too am retired & busy ,but I worked full time 'til I was71.I advised my 2 children I was NOT going to be a grandchildren minder in an emergency yes I will baby sit .I raised with my husband 2 children without Mother or Mother in law assistance my 2 were 5 & 10years when I returned to the workforce & I paid a friend to have the youngest 7.30 'til 3pm when my husband picked him up & was home for the eldest coming home from school.When he was old enough to go to school my husband would pick them both up from school(He was in heavy industry )School holidays were a problem & again I paid my friend to have them both.We jiggled our holidays to coincide with theirs .As time passed the eldest (a Girl) @ 12yrs was very trustworthy & sensible to watch the youngest .I then opened my own retail business & the two could walk to my store & it worked out fine .They are both well adjusted loving parents themselves now.

My husband and I slowed down after he injured himself, not been moving fast for years now.

I Do!

We are both in our seventies and we have grandchildren also, while they don't need car seats life has not slowed down much. Sleepovers, sports days, not to mention band and choir practice. It's all go, good fun too

I don't want life to slow down. It slows down & then you die !

My life has slowed down. However, I intend to move house and you would be amazed at the items I have to declutter so I am quite busy,

I am 53 and dont have any grand children and probably never will have any. I am envious of you. :(

I'm way past that stage in life as all my kids are above 40 now.

Me but not true. Life seems to get so busy.

We moved to the country so life is very slow for us although the grass needs mowing and garden needs a tending to. We can stop to smell the roses, once our extension is finished we will be able to sit on the deck with a cuppa or a beer and watch as time goes by. Looking forward to that. Neither of us have any thing to do with the children now adults we have had. They don't accept us so we don't want them around. Makes life a lot simpler that is for sure. The way we prefer there's no tension or upheaval, they just complicate every thing. Our fury babies are all we need to be concerned with and they are great. They give more love and compassion than all 4 girls have put together. Plus they don't cause arguments.

In your fifties, that is young, don't worry, by the time you get to almost 90, you will have slowed down!!!!! Guaranteed !!!!!

Nothing slows time needs to disappear to quickly as one ages but the pleasure of spending time and money ?? on your grandchildren will often replace the time you were not able to devote to your children as having to work and earn to provide for your ?? ?? so now you have the chance to do with your grandchildren all of those things you could not have done whilst the grandchildrens parents now do what you once did work, provide a home ?? educate and life moves on

Life changes every day

We are both in our 70's and our life is just filed with doctors, physios etc, etc. Life has not really slowed down at all

Our grand child is 8 hours away and I so wish he was much closer. He is now 26 but has a disability so would be good to have been able to be with him more. I used to take him for a holiday each year for 10 day just him and me - this was so special and he still talks about our wee breaks to his Mum and Dad.

I am much busier after retiring . My days just go so quickly & I am so relaxed.No more working those 10 hour days !

I envy you being able to spend all that time with your Grandies, make the most of it, it's precious

It can get busier if you have family close by and to me that would be wonderful. Unfortunately my married son and his wife and kids live 4 hours away and I'm unable to drive very far. I imagined retiring with my husband and being able to visit family and enjoy doing what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it. Unfortunately my husband passed away 4 1/2 years ago and I had to retire not long after due to health issues. Even without Covid I would still be doing pretty much what I do now and that's staying at home living off painkillers. I'm also living off what savings my late husband left me and getting an allocated pension through my super, no help from the government because I can't drive 5 hours to see a specialist every month until I qualify for assistance. I won't be able to get the aged pension for another 2 years but if I had worked in politics for 2 years I'd be able to get a full pension and all the perks that go with it. So, for me life does suck now but I wouldn't change the years before that for anything in the world.

It's a fallacy! Things get busier on ONE Condition! Never, ever move into one of those ghastly "Retirement Villages"! First up, they are not, nor ever have been "villages"! Oh, Yes, they always have the nasty gossips, the busy-bodies but that is a close as they get to being a "village". A friend and his wife were persuaded to enter one of these places and they both say it was the biggest mistake they have ever made and are trying to get out. Unlike a real village, Children are NOT Welcome. They make too much noise in these "Waiting Rooms for Death" Outside of Covid, Retirement does not, nor should it, mean giving up and doing nothing. In fact, just as Meredith J says above, we get busier ever day! There is always someone, if only within the family, who wants help with their families in some way. Governments, Public/Civil Servants like to think we just fade away because we become totally invisible to them all, They think we can live on a tiny pension - a pension they would never dream of accepting for themselves, In Australia it is 1000s of Dollars below their own stated Poverty Line! We may not get paid by family and friends - and probably would not accept any - but our contribution to Society is worth billions and saves Governments even more billions But we are still Invisible! Life in Retirement, for all the stresses, is Wonderful - it is almost even better than being in paid work!

You would like it if it slowed and then you wouldn't like it if slowed down all the arguing and things with children that you would say would shut u,p and then just sat down you kind of miss it when there is no arguing no yelling I want a new toy I need another pair pants I just ripped on something. All of this you would miss when you are sitting I wonder where they are at and what do they want now.

People say what are you going to do when you retire you will have so much time but you life changes and you get busy in different ways love being retired

our priorities change depending upon the stage of life we are at

I think while you are young you kind of don't understand the life changes and what it is all about at some point in our lives every individual will experience life changes whether they are good or bad. Sometimes life changes can wake us up and also we learn and gain experience from these changes and adapt to the best of our ability..

I am only 34 years old, and my life is more flexible now than I was in my 20s is because my child is almost out of high school, and I have more time for myself.

Mine is a nice tempo.

I certainly thought that retirement would provide me with the time to make choices, but with caring for grandchildren, my life is all mapped out by others.

Despite my age I am still hot. ............ (no, not temperature wise)

NOPE, never had any plans to slow down. At 74 I still work Part time, and prefer life to be that way. Am still learning and active. We dont lose our family as we get older, they just get larger, and we get busier. and have fun but in different areas than when we were younger

Only death slows life down. Amen!

One day they will grow up and you will miss this time. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Nothing

I thought the same thing. I also look after and run around after the grandkids. I have a problem saying no to looking after them so much, but thats my problem. I do enjoy having them, but sonetimes 11 hours a day can get a bit much as we get older.

Family is forever and it is wonderful to be able to help along the ways with grandchildren and now a great grandchild. Keeps me active and I love it.

Me!

Having children is a lifelong commitment. It only stops for you when you pass on and you children will carry on doing what you did. Yes life is getting faster and older people are getting slower. The cycle of life, you give help and you are help

I am 88 & life does not get slower but I certainly have.

I used to say the same but please enjoy those moments with your grandchildren. I have a 7yr old grandson and I never thought I would be helping my daughter so she can go to work. Being close to your family is a blessing.

MEREDITH I AM THE SAME TRANSPORTING 4 GRANDCHILDREN TO SCHOOL AND HOME AGED EARLY 70'S ANS LOVING IT IT MAKES ME FEEL YOUNG AGAIN

yeah, that ain't happening, once i retired i was fair game for all the rides, baby sitting grand kids etc, hell, they should be baby sitting me,, ;-))

Don't have kids (my choice) - which lead to me - not having grandchildren (I don't have "family" drama in my life). Therefore, as I get older (and I am OLD) - life is slowing down and I can be more flexible (when making decisions). Other words as I get "older" - I am (finance - independence) enjoying "life" more each day as I have only to worry about one person - me!Edited 02-Apr-22 04:01am

I had my grandchild when I was still in my early 40's and I was working. I did care for her when she grew up a bit after school, holidays, etc. I have 2 other grand children that I have not met and know nothing about unfortunately. Family dynamics at work. My sister is like you Meredith. Car seats in car, cots then beds in her home, kids staying all the time, taking them to and from kinda, day care, and then school etc. She is worn out. If I asked my parents to help me I would have only had very minor help but I also would not have asked. Still, when I had my kids I did not work so that meant I could look after them but also it meant I never went out for years. My life has slowed down but I still have my adult son who has a disability here every day from 7am through to about 2 or 3pm and that can be a bit hard going at times. Life throws us curve balls some good and some not so good. You just have to roll with the punches.

It is good to keep busy and involved. If not, you age faster. You don't want that!Edited 02-Apr-22 00:12am

Me! - But it never did, we have never been without one of our 3 children due to his disability and he will be with us until we die!, we lost our 2nd daughter at age 21 so gained 2 grandkids (our first daughter is gay so no grandkids there!) We're still a family of 6 and have never had any less than 4 at home ! - It would be nice to know what "retirement" is like!