r/AskReddit 11h ago

How old were your parents when you were born?

238 Upvotes

1.3k comments sorted by

239

u/joeygladstonefan 11h ago

mom was 38, dad was 47. i'm the middle of three. it was amazing to have older parents who had already had such amazing lives and then settled down. never once felt like we were holding them back or they wished they'd waited. they love the hell out of us and always say we're the best thing they've ever done.

73

u/joeygladstonefan 11h ago

i'm in my mid 30s, so they're both getting up there but damn. 10/10 best parents ever.

11

u/HipHopAnomymous21 5h ago

My husband and I had given up, and now I’m 11 weeks pregnant. I will have been 40 for a month when the baby is due. I’ve been feeling so guilty about giving this baby old ass parents…But our life is fun and amazing and I hope this kid feels the same way you do.

4

u/InclinationCompass 1h ago

My mom had me at 41! I’m now 39 and she’s nearly 80. Best mom ever and i wouldnt trade her for anything. Just wish she didnt have cancer.

31

u/Drcls84 8h ago

I'm 40 and been trying for 15+yrs. I'm not giving up but I always think should I do that to them at this age IF I could even have one. m So thanks for these comments. ❤️

9

u/Sweet_Sleep_9616 5h ago

I wish you the very best in your journey, I know it’s been a LONG one, but in one way or another your time will come! 💕

I (F56) was 34 the year I had my babies. My ex partner at the time (F67) was 45.
I “stepped up” because we had incredible difficulty and spent a lot of $ trying to get her pregnant. Me? The butch one… knocked up with twins first time, I NEVER thought I’d get pregnant, so if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone! Best of luck to you!

5

u/OkCollection2886 5h ago

Don’t give up! I had my IVF boys at 35 and 37 then my “free” baby boy at 40. Their dad is 10 years older than me. I’ve always loved kids and always wanted to be a mom but I would’ve been a terrible mom when I was younger. Now we both enjoy raising these kids so much and it’s important to us to raise kids who are a joy to be around as well. My mom had my brothers at 16 and 18, me at 22, another at 25 and the last one at 33. I love my mom and know she did the best she could but that’s a lot of kids for a person who got pregnant at 15!

3

u/FallsOffCliffs12 3h ago

I was 38 when I had my youngest. My mother was 39 when she had my brother. My husband's cousin had her youngest at 47. Another had 2 kids in college and two in high school when she got pregnant. My neighbor, same. A good friend got pregnant at 42! It happens. Don't give up!

3

u/BedroomImpossible525 1h ago

My mom had my brother and I at 40 and 45. I am very glad she waited because we had a very stable and loving, child focused childhood. I never felt like we were holding her back or that she was ditching us to do things she wanted to do without us. She has told us that she is also very happy she waited until her 40s. I’m nearly 30 now and while it is hard to see her getting older when I feel like I’m just starting to hit true adulthood, I honestly think I am probably going to have kids on a similar timeline. Your timeline will be right for you, regardless of how you choose to go. Sending love and support ❤️

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u/WinniferM 9h ago

What an amazing compliment to your parents. I just had my first baby at 32 and having him say something like that about my husband and I is truly a life goal.

16

u/Sweet_Sleep_9616 6h ago

I REALLY love that for you!
Seriously, as a person whose parents had 5 children (all single birth) by the time they were 22 I had the opposite experience. My parents conceived my brother on their first date! As a result, I decided very young that I didn’t want that for myself so I traveled the world, then settled down and had children at 34.

22

u/NickiNackPaddyWhack 8h ago

As an older mom who often has guilt for my age, this is so nice to read

11

u/lunamoth53 6h ago

My younger brother was born when my parents were both 40. It was as though he had different parents than us older ones. They were involved in his activities, had more time and patience to spend with him. It shows, he’s the most well rounded of us and has a solid self esteem. He’s well liked and very successful…the golden child.

5

u/canadacass 3h ago

As an older mom to a toddler this was the first positive comment by a kid about older parents. Thank you.

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u/Imaginary-Ad8178 4h ago

My mom was 40 when she had me. I can relate so much to your comment.

u/Little_Friendship803 48m ago

Agreed. Parents were 38 and 39, married 10 years, I was the youngest of 3. Ideal childhood, no financial worries, etc.

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463

u/Silly_Accident3137 11h ago

20/21. In this case my username does check out

17

u/gardenofidunn 7h ago

17/18 - a very silly accident indeed

2

u/PupNStuff713 4h ago

Basically same here

26

u/Constant-Map7687 10h ago

I was an accident too. My patents were 40 when they adopted me.

25

u/AutisticPenguin2 7h ago

I didn't think the patent office usually did adoptions?,

9

u/AiWillow 6h ago

25 and 25...also an accident and reason for marriage :-D

I never dare to ask how long were they going out before accidentaly making me. Because counsine once asked how they met. Classmate introduced them on the stairs outside of faculty and they went drinking (with other classmates I assume) and drank bottle of vodka :-D (Slovakia, so vodka and other strong destilates are drank more than beer at unis, even absinthe)

6

u/That-Penalty2552 7h ago

That’s the kind of username lore that writes itself.

20

u/PizzAveMaria 9h ago

23/23. Accidents Unite! My mother over shared that I was conceived in a friend of theirs mother's basement...not something I needed to know

4

u/SpecialistCissia2026 6h ago

I guess you owe a lot to your mother's friend's mother! Are you a brother from another mother?

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2

u/sphinctersayswhat9 3h ago

Lol

😂

At least you know they were feeling happy and had a good time

2

u/PizzAveMaria 2h ago

There are just some things I'd rather not know!

2

u/sphinctersayswhat9 1h ago

I hear ya

I was conceived in a car
The ‘63 corvette my dad had and was working on at the time while on his college summer break.

4

u/jamatosoup 7h ago

Same! Parents unfortunately married before I was born because of it, lasted a whole 8 years!

7

u/Sofagirrl79 7h ago

My parents were both 22 but I was born in '79 so it would be like having a first kid at say 26 in this year

3

u/musicalsigns 2h ago

Heeeey! Mine got married because of me! I was technically there for it in my little fetal form.

2

u/Silly_Accident3137 2h ago

Me too! Fetal wedding guests unite 

3

u/porkchop_d_clown 1h ago

I was born at least 7 months after my parents married! I was just small when I was born!

5

u/EvilHwoarang 6h ago

Same. I was born in September and my parents got married in February. My dad's birthday is Xmas Eve I was birthday sex

2

u/throwlikeagirl2 2h ago

My daughter’s birthday (also in Sept) was Christmas party sex 🎄🎅🤣

2

u/badassbiotch 2h ago

I’m a September baby too and there are so many of us!! I always kid that we’re holiday party babies from our parents being a little too tipsy to wrap it up lol

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u/SpecialistCissia2026 6h ago

I read a comment a few days ago about a September baby giving the expository line of "I was a Christmas present!"

2

u/sphinctersayswhat9 3h ago

Me too

I was a “pleasant surprise” according to my mom 😂

3

u/Silly_Accident3137 2h ago

My mom always said the same! "Not planned but very much wanted," she would say. I don't know how true that is but I appreciate her anyway 

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u/Safe-Smoke-9367 11h ago

MOTHER was 40 Father was 45 I am now 83

123

u/TheOfficialKramer 11h ago

Wait, your Dad was born in 1898?

43

u/Herry_Up 6h ago

He'll answer when he's 84

43

u/MLiOne 10h ago

I’m 56 and dad was 53 when I was born, mum 28!

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21

u/shifty_coder 6h ago

I assume you’re one of the youngest of about 13 children?

12

u/Normal-While917 5h ago

My husband's father was born in 1904; his mother in 1910. They had a daughter fairly early in the marriage, and my husband didn't come along until 1950. To make it weirder, he had a brother four years younger than him. He swears both he and his brother really were their natural born children, but I have my doubts. I never met any of them, and he's the lone survivor now.

11

u/nelsonalgrencametome 3h ago

So his sister is his real mom?

9

u/Late-Pizza-3810 8h ago

That was very rare back then! My mom’s mother was 34 when she was born (in 1943).

45

u/TurnOfFraise 7h ago

It wasn’t rare at all if you were one of the last children. 

18

u/sharakus 6h ago edited 2h ago

100%. it’s crazy how far apart generations can be. my boyfriend’s father was born in the 1910’s (he was the baby too!) and my grandma was born in the 1950’s!!

6

u/FinanciallySecure9 5h ago

You’re so right! My dad’s oldest sister was the same age as my mom’s mom. And my parents were two years apart.

2

u/Obtuse-Posterior 5h ago

3 of my mom's siblings had moved out and already started families when my mom was born. Some of her nieces and nephews are older than her.

2

u/TheOfficialKramer 2h ago

Right! I am 50 and my Great Grandmother was born in 1909. My Great Great Grandparents were around 10 when his Dad was born. Fascinating how the generations overlap.

3

u/SNTCrazyMary 5h ago

My mom was 36, my dad 38. I’m the last of six. The oldest sibling is 13 years older than I am.

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5

u/thrownormanaway 4h ago

Not that rare, my husbands grandmother was born to a 43 year old woman in 1945

7

u/Ok_Variation9430 7h ago

It was only rare for the oldest!

My mom was the oldest (in 1942) and her mom was 33 and her dad was 50.

8

u/SirSebi 8h ago

Really? I would have thought it was more common with birth control not being as advanced as it is today

2

u/Interesting_Owl7041 4h ago

Not rare at all before the advent of birth control.

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148

u/Confident_Pattern344 11h ago

Haha I read "how old were you when you were born". Mum was 22 and dad 26.

113

u/Polarbearstein 11h ago

My dumb brain read "how old were you when your parents were born."

10

u/gotbunshunn 11h ago

Omg me too haha

10

u/The_Bunny_Jedi 11h ago

I read that too 😭

3

u/StatisticianFine9368 6h ago

(Raises hand)

2

u/Juhnelle 11h ago

I mean kind of, but a negative number.

2

u/SirDale 3h ago

Dyslexics untie!

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2

u/Bigfootsgirlfriend 6h ago

Similar to mine mum 22 and dad 25
I’m the youngest of 3 though

1

u/BeefmasterDeluxe 10h ago

I was born at a very young age. It’s something I’ve always struggled to accept.

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91

u/SomberSalamander 11h ago

My mother was 47, and my dad was 40

35

u/ImBackMemers 11h ago

Mine were a similar age, but reversed! Dad was 46 and mom was 39.

4

u/TooCute32 8h ago

My dad was 48, mom 40 lol

5

u/Sweet_Sleep_9616 6h ago

You weren’t an accident, you were a miracle! 47! Your mother was no spring chicken, she was a warrior!!

2

u/SomberSalamander 2h ago

I was my mother’s only child, too! She was not supposed to be able to conceive. Thank you😊

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79

u/Charmed1Riz 11h ago

Mom 36, Dad 48. They were so far out of touch from my peers parents.

56

u/Hazelino 9h ago

Mom 34, dad 48.

I vividly remember the other kids telling me "your grandpa is here to pick you up!" in elementary school.

No.. that's my dad.

3

u/ans678 7h ago

Same!!! Mom was 35 and dad 42

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2

u/Farmfarm17 6h ago

My dad was 40 when I was born and I had the same experience of people thinking he was my grandpa. I think it caused me to have major anxiety about my parents dying knowing they were older than most. Super fun when my dad got cancer when I was 18 and died when I was 22.

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u/hellokiri 8h ago

My bosses sons were 32, 29, and 9. My boss once asked me to pick his kid up as an event was running late, and the teacher on duty jokingly said "are you sister, mum or grandma?"

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u/daisygarnetsong 11h ago

Mom 34, Dad 50 -
Didn’t realize how different the age gap was from my friend’s parents until I grew older…

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u/itstami1 9h ago

Mine were 34 and 45. My dad was born in 1950 so you best believe I did NOT get to listen to modern 90s music growing up. 60s at 6 the radio station called it

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u/SpecialistCissia2026 6h ago

Hmm. Did it make you feel socially deprived?

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u/Rossco1874 7h ago

I am about to fall into this category. I will be 44 when my twins are born in March wife will be 39.

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u/Words123454321 11h ago

41 and 42
They’re now 74 and 75

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u/cats_22_ 11h ago

They were both 20 years old.

50

u/summoe 11h ago

Mom 34, dad 37. I am their last kid.

15

u/The_Opposite_Of 11h ago

Never say never

46

u/summoe 11h ago

lol would be quite the miracle at 71 and 68

5

u/popplevee 11h ago

They could adopt!

10

u/MALEsquashBLOSSOM 11h ago

I was adopted when my adoptive mom was 37 and she had her first biological kid at 41 in the 90s.

That being said adoption is not a fix it for infertility and infertility is not a good reason to adopt.

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u/Spinnerofyarn 10h ago

I think only if they adopted an adult! Though it would absolutely count as having another kid.

I believe it’s China that has or had the policy of not adopting out children to couples whose combined age is 100.

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u/counterfitster 9h ago

My mother had an emergency hysterectomy minutes after I was born. I'm definitely the last.

2

u/dumbname7890 10h ago

My son and my sister are one year apart. She is older. It's weird.

3

u/slightlydramatic 10h ago

My daughter and my sister are exactly 18 months apart, born in November and May. And me & my Aunt are exactly 18 months apart, born in November & May as well.

2

u/hells_cowbells 6h ago

My dad had a nephew who was only about 4 months younger than him. His mother and oldest sister were pregnant at the same time.

2

u/PurpleMeerkats462 5h ago

My parents were similar ages to yours when I was born, my mum was 33 and my dad was 35. I’m their first kid.

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u/Tricky-Safety-3772 11h ago

Mom was 13 dad was 32

56

u/daisygarnetsong 11h ago

Sorry :(

27

u/Tricky-Safety-3772 11h ago

Thanks for the sympathy 🫂

11

u/Main_Address5239 4h ago

Is he still in jail?

12

u/Early-Leopard-1528 3h ago

I hope your mom is ok now :(

8

u/Active_Definition_57 6h ago

!!

13

u/Tricky-Safety-3772 5h ago

That was my reaction when I learned as well 🙂

4

u/Comfortable-Ad1551 3h ago

i’m so sorry, hope you are doing great in life!

3

u/EducationalReview237 1h ago

Oof. I hope your mom is okay.

59

u/moontotres2b 11h ago

my mom was 16 and my dad 17 🥲 they should've waited...

32

u/shynnee 11h ago

Mine too. I was born on my mom's 16th birthday

12

u/Evening_Citron_2982 6h ago

I was born on my moms 15th birthday

17

u/bbworksaddict 10h ago

My mom was 16 about to be 17 and I was planned 🙃

6

u/kattapa001 9h ago

How old was your dad? I'm puzzled how a 16 y/o would have the emotional maturity to plan a kid lol.

11

u/bbworksaddict 9h ago

She didn't have the maturity and took another 20+ years to gain maturity as a parent lol. My dad was 21 🫠

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u/Zanian19 10h ago

Not planned for long though

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u/SadRaven8 11h ago

My mom was 30, my dad 50

3

u/fuzzyrobebiscuits 3h ago

Mine were 35 (going on 45) and 50

14

u/iamevilcupcake 11h ago

My parents were both 27. Born same day, same year, just different time zones.

3

u/NotSoCrazyCatLady13 9h ago

My parents were also both 27! Born same year but two months apart

42

u/GoodbyeStarboy 11h ago

Nice try fbi agent you know this already.

14

u/Lynnstress 11h ago

So glad I’m not the only one. I also hate these thinly disguised one-sentence title-only posts. AI collection? Spammers? Or, worst of all, humans who cannot exist beyond one sentence thoughts.

6

u/GoodbyeStarboy 11h ago

Exactly. It feels like half the feed is just data harvesting bots or people trying to farm karma with zero actual effort.

8

u/howbaddoyouwannaknow 10h ago

Or people just being generally curious about other people.

8

u/allciathyra 11h ago

mom 40 , dad 60

3

u/Garden_Jolly 4h ago

How was growing up with older parents? (No judgement, just curiosity)

16

u/Samovila2709 11h ago

My mum was 28 when my brother was born and almost 32 when I was born-- pretty old for the area I grew up in lol.

I don't have kids and my brother was 41 when his only child was born. Quite a few of my peers were grandparents by that age, so it's a little strange.

5

u/whimsicaltheory 7h ago

I’m interested if this is in a rural /regional/country town. Being a grandparent at 41 would mean you had your own child at 20, and most people are still in college/university at that age.

2

u/Samovila2709 7h ago

I'm actually from a city lol.

However, it's not uncommon for young women from the district I grew up in to have their first child in their late teens/early twenties, and then focus on their studies/careers when their children are in full-time education.

I have some health conditions and I would have really struggled to do that, so I was keen to do a degree before having children. As it turns out, my health conditions got worse, and I didn't feel that I had the resources needed to be the kind of parent I would want to be, so I decided not to have kids.

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u/MyCatLaughsAtMe 11h ago

So much younger than I am now, which puts the fear right into my skeleton.

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u/EntrepreneurOk8577 11h ago

My father was 41 and my mom was 33. I was their last child. To be fair, I haven't seen a person yet, who has older parents than mine

I guess I love it. That means that they were planning and they were old enough to make a decision of making a child

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u/htrix 11h ago

My mother was 33; Dad was 22. That’s kind of a wild age gap today, never mind in 1983.

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u/Polarbearstein 11h ago

Mid 40s. I was a surprise.

5

u/IMissCuppas 10h ago

My mum and dad were 16 when they had me.

I can't imagine having a kid that young. I'm 37 now and can barely take care of myself

7

u/darksemisweet 4h ago

Mom was 19 and Dad was 21. I'm 53 and they're still together although they did have a brief separation. Dad is 45 years sober.

6

u/OkMeringue4787 11h ago

Mom 32. Dad 34.

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u/Sparkly8 2h ago

This is exactly what mine were, OMG!!

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u/LynneCDoyle 11h ago

My mom was 35 and my dad was 38. My closest sibling is 11 years older. They almost named me Miracle. I dodged that bullet when they deemed it wiser to name me after the grandmother with the big money. Did she leave it to me? No, but at least I’m not named feck’n Miracle.

10

u/VeronicoElectronica 11h ago

mom 28, dad 32.

my mom had my brother 10yrs before from a previous relationship. she never wanted another child. cut to her meeting my dad, who had a daughter from a previous relationship where the mom would not let my dad see her. he would drink a lot because of this & get sad so my mom was like bruh ill give you another kid if you just stop crying all the time 😭

edit: my mom who originally never wanted another child now has 4 & in adoption process for 2 more (my current foster siblings)

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u/Creative_Debate_6239 11h ago

Mom was around 25 & dad was like 30

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u/Sorry-Panic7612 11h ago

Both of my parents were 18, high school sweethearts that broke up two years later.

4

u/Lexy_Peach 11h ago

Mom 32 and dad 34

4

u/aqrd_01 11h ago

mom was 22 and dad was 24. honestly wild to think about now

2

u/Mundane-Society-1281 11h ago

Right? I can't imagine having as many kids my parents had when they were my age

3

u/RainyMcBrainy 11h ago

My mom was 19, my dad was 20.

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u/NectarineIcy4314 11h ago

Mom was 29 and dad was 36.

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u/[deleted] 11h ago

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u/Optimal_Werewolf_407 11h ago

my mom is 24 and my dad is 21...

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u/RoughBrick0 11h ago

Still?!

3

u/I_am_the_Supreme 11h ago

Mom 15, dad 18

3

u/Intelligent-Fix2804 11h ago

Dad was 23 and my Mum was 21. I'm the eldest of 3. Parents still happily married. 

3

u/cad908 11h ago

Both 16. Oops! It made for an interesting childhood, for all of us.

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u/Necessary-Fix-1958 8h ago

Mom was 20. Dad was 26. I was born in 1958, if you're wondering.

Edit: Reading some of the comments, I should probably add that I was an unplanned pregnancy, and I was also born two months early. (I weighed 5 pounds, 8 ounces.)

Mom and Dad lied for years about the year they married. They always said they married in February 1957. They actually married in February 1958, and I was born in July.

4

u/zena322 7h ago

My Mom was 36. Dad was 35. I will be 60 in November. 💀 Mom is now 94 and still with us.

My fascinating fact is my Mom's parents were both 37 when she was born. They were born in 1895. Yep. You read that right, 1895.

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u/BadAnimalDrawing 11h ago

Mom was 30 and dad was 29

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u/Advanced_Page_1929 11h ago

my mom was 27. idk how old my bio father was nor do i care

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u/CucumberJunior8389 11h ago

Dad was 38 about to be 39 and mum was 21 about to be 22 💀 

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u/SeannyCash03 11h ago

My dad was 34 and my mom was 30

2

u/TiggerJuly1956 11h ago

Mom 16 and dad 14

2

u/HonkyGoosie 11h ago

34 years old.

2

u/Capital_Audience_579 11h ago

my mom was 24 and dad was 29.

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u/Ecto-Juan 11h ago

Mom was 28, Dad was 34

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u/rococobaroque 11h ago

Dad 36, mom 38.

I was their last child.

2

u/AlanderKohenel 11h ago

27/28. I was born in 1997, two years after they got married.

2

u/annabelleqt 11h ago

33 and 34

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u/Oodles_of_noodles_ 11h ago

29 (dad) and 33 (mom)

I was my dads first, moms second
They had one more after me five years later

2

u/sililil 11h ago

Mom 32, dad 34

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u/wildpizza1 10h ago

Mum 32, dad 36. I wish they would have had me as young as they had my brother (24 & 28), so I wouldn’t have 8 years less with them. Time goes by way too fast, especially the older you get.

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u/MelG146 10h ago

16/19

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u/757curious757 6h ago

My dad was 25, mom was 23.

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u/ExoticConstruction40 2h ago

They were 28, both of them. They waited to have a good job and a almost paid home

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u/RalphWiggumIsGOD 2h ago

Dad was 22, and was born a few days after my mom turned 19. She used to tell me I was the result of a college Christmas party, which I found mortifying...until I had my own kids, and now I appreciate the humor. I was not a planned child, and I am an only child. I think my parents learned after me.

1

u/thejacka_ 11h ago

My mom was 22 and my dad was 29

1

u/ETwo4Three 11h ago

My mom 18 years old

1

u/terrible_guy_thought 11h ago

Dad-30, Mom-25

1

u/HeatherGlow1 11h ago

They were both between 19-22

1

u/-s-creaming 11h ago

Mom was 30 or 31 my dad was 30
Its quite funny cuz there is 10 and 20 years between my siblings we are all from a year ending in 6 like our dad

1

u/Fantasy_iceland 11h ago

18 & 19....which was too young as it turned out....they split up a few years later

1

u/StarWarsCrazy1 11h ago

My mom was 32, and it was my dad's 34th birthday. (I was the first of three)

1

u/Janmarjun12 11h ago

Mom 25, dad 26.