At 63 and 71, our friends are becoming grandparents. We're raising a kindergartener.
Barb Higgins, 63, shares her personal story of raising her 5-year-old son, Jack, whom she had via IVF at age 57 with her 71-year-old husband. Despite being mistaken for his grandmother, she expresses no regrets and highlights the support from her community.
Why it matters
This personal narrative challenges traditional societal norms about age and parenthood, shedding light on the growing trend of older parents and the emotional complexities and joys associated with non-traditional family structures.
Barb Higgins with her 5-year-old son, Jack. Tony Luong for BI Barb Higgins underwent IVF and gave birth to her son, Jack, at the age of 57 in March 2021. He recently started kindergarten, and she is sometimes mistaken for his grandmother. The older mom brushes it off, saying people in her community support her choice. She has no regrets. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Barb Higgins, 63, a part-time CrossFit coach from Massachusetts. It has been edited for length and clarity. Our town is very close-knit, so I already know a lot of the parents at pick-up and drop-off at the school where my son, Jack, recently started kindergarten . Nobody bats an eye when I arrive, though some of the kids seem a little curious about why I look older than their moms and dads.
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