Is 78 too old to become a father?

South Korea
July 4, 2010 10:25pm CST
I just read a story online, about a Uk man whose 25 year old partner just had a baby! Do you think this is reasonable? I can't post the link as I am too new but I am sure you can find it. He has several groen up kids already - all older than his partner. If you are wondering how they met - ihe first had a relationship with HER MOTHER!!!
3 people like this
9 responses
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
5 Jul 10
OMG how gross. First with the mother and now with the daughter. How can a 25 year old be with a 78 year old man that is just so disgusting. Yes it is way to old to have a child I believe. How long will he be alive to enjoy the child and then the child will grow up with no father in his life. I think any person who decides to have a child over the age of 50 male or female are crazy in my opinion and very selfish.
• Philippines
5 Jul 10
i agree
• South Korea
5 Jul 10
For sure. I have nothing against anyone finding personal happiness- whatever their age. I equally couldn't care that his partner is a third of his age. If they get on well and are happy that is their business. BUT...and it is a big but...kids have no choice to be born and it is just irresponsible. Difficult area though because you could start thinking about other situations where people have children KNOWING that one is unlikely to survive very long - like the terminally ill.
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
5 Jul 10
That's really weird. Situations like that always kind of creep me out. I can't imagine ever being with anyone as old as my grandfather or, when I'm that age, I can't imagine being with someone my grandchild's age. That's just weird. And, yes, I think 78 is too old to have a child. When you have a kid, in essence, it's like a contract saying you're going to do your best to raise this child. If you're 78 you know that the odds of you living to raise this child even to 10 aren't that good, let alone until 18. What's that 25 year old mother going to do raising a single child? Wouldn't you want to think about your partner in this case? I mean, I understand that there's never any guarantee when you're going to die, so even if you have a baby young you might not live to see it grow up, but if you KNOW that there's a 90% chance that you're not going to live that long I just don't understand why you would do that.
• South Korea
5 Jul 10
Yes I agree with what you say. It is really irresponsible to make a choice to have a baby when you know you can't have a good run at bringing it up. I think the story is being panned with the 'impossible love has no barriers' angle - and sadly babies are often seen as the ultinate product of such a relationship. In my mind that is sad and selfish. Babies are not toys - they have rights too. On the other hand how many people are parenting in strange circumstances? It is odd to me that there are no (or few) barriers to having children - no qualifications, no interviews - so little control.
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
6 Jul 10
Well, since babies are made in the bedroom between two people, it seems kind of ridiculous that there would need to be qualifications or interviews. I mean, I understand that certain people shouldn't be having children and things like that, but the first time the government makes a law that says I can't have children unless I qualify and go through an interview, it's time for me to find a new country. To be honest, I just found out I was pregnant. We had been trying, but then stopped trying and the month we stopped trying we "accidentally" got pregnant. We're thrilled, but I can't imagine the process if we would have had to qualify or something like that. We probably wouldn't have passed, to be perfectly honest, with that situation we're currently in. We're not bad off financially, we're just not exceptionally well off and we're pretty young still. But I understand what you're saying, that people should be more careful and think more before they have babies and I completely agree with that.
• Philippines
5 Jul 10
with the 25 years old mother i guess theres no problem with it, but with the 78 years old guy then i guess his good to be a grand father instead, perhaps the guy have money thats why the 25 years old girl accept him.
• South Korea
5 Jul 10
Good point. I will have to go back and re-read the article, but I don't think he is especially wealthy. What creeps me out is that they first met when the old guy HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GIRLS MOTHER!!! Ummmm, so when he passes will her Mum be around and willing to raise a child made with her ex lover and her daughter. And exactly how old was she (the new mother) when this relationship with his mother in law (at present) was going on? Ummmmm.
@Cutie18f (9546)
• Philippines
5 Jul 10
He is even too old to become a grandpa. At 78, and that's close to 80, when the kid reaches school age at 5, he'd be 84 or 85. I wonder if he would still be alive to see his kid in grade 1. That is not right.
• Philippines
5 Jul 10
Is this incest?? yikes. I dont understand why some are so thrilled about it. But maybe he wants to have more kids thats blood related but anyhow, he can be a father at his age although we wont be able to see his kid grow up, and have a family of his/her own because of his old age.
@dsrp82 (676)
• Brazil
5 Jul 10
I think so! And it's NOT discrimination, it's because you probably will leave your son/daughter really soon. You must think about the kid growing up withou you, is really sad, dont you think?
5 Jul 10
Why a 25 year old would find a 78 year old attractive is beyond me. Yes 78 is far too old- the poor child will be lucky to have a father at ten years old. Bizarre!
@megamatt (14291)
• United States
5 Jul 10
Seventy eight is really way too old to have a child. I mean, even fifty is kind of pushing it in many respects. I mean, that child will be barely grown up by the time the father passes on. Even if he does live into his nineties, he'll be lucky to see is child to go into college. Of course, given with all of the absurdity that goes on this world, this does rank rather tame all things considered. And the fact that he first had a relationship with the girl's mother, um, yeah. That just completes the entire circle of being messed up all things considered. This is quite an absurd story to say the least. Then again, I'm becoming more and more numb to these things. Still seventy eight years old, is about twenty five years too old to be a parent and that's at the absolute maximum as far as I am concerned.
• India
5 Jul 10
Hello welcome to mylot, i have read similar stories, such things are common in some countries, where rich aged persons marry very young girls..in my city some thing happened too in 1979 if i remember correct..but later it was learnt that he was NOT the father of the baby, but the exlover of that girl.. Thanks for sharing. Welcome always. Cheers. Professor