While I think it depends on the person, the situation and how they carry themselves, I've had this theory for awhile, that women tend to not age as sharply as guys do.

For instance, it seems basically acceptable and even cool for a mom in her 40s to be into what their kids are, or to be up on current fashions (as long as they don't overdo it and pretend they're still 15). Whereas, if the aveage man that age blasts hip hop out of his car windows, people will probably think he's some pathetic middle-aged guy trying to hold onto his youth and looking ridiculous.

I can't entirely explain what I'm saying, but has anyone else noticed this?

I think in a lot of cases, it's the woman that ends up spending more time with her children (not ALWAYS the case...but mostly).  She gets to be around them more (think...soccer mom), and perhaps it makes her feel young to listen to their music, keep up with the styles, etc.  It really depends on the person and their situation though. I know some 40ish year old women that are really hip....and some that seem like they are going on 70...whereas, I know some middle-aged men who could pass for in their late 20's...but some appear to be in their older years.

some women do..  I tend to think that it all depends on your outlook and attitude. Take for example.. I am nearly 40.. but I feel alot  younger than that. and it reflects in my tastes, my dress, my friends , everything.  There are women I work with that are just 2 or 3 yrs older than me, and they act and look a lot older than their stated age.

One thing of note.. I think kids probably age you too.  I don't have kids, so it's easy to act carefree and do what I want.. But when you have kids, you are 'forced' to be adult, mature, responsible and everything that goes with child rearing.


As for men.. well my father-in-law is 83, looks 50.  My now deceased mother-in-law was younger than he was, but because of illness she appeared older than him.  I know it bugged her when people commented on how youthful Jack looks.  My dad who is passed on, was 61 when he died, but he looked 80.  I think if you live a hard life, it reflects how you age.

My husband is 44 almost 45 , still digs rock and roll music, parties, etc...  but when I went through this 'rap phase' a few years ago, he brought me down a peg or two.. saying I'm not 16 anymore.. and to give it a rest! :P I think he just hated the music.

Yeah, ^ and ^^

I think having kids can go one of two ways (although it depends on the individual and their circumstances too). It can make you more hip/aware of things by observing what they're into. On the other hand, if you're raising them, you're not going to be acting as young or having the time to worry about what the hottest movies or Top 40 stuff is.

I find the latter to be more the case with people who have kids really early, say in high school. Once they're like, 30 with a 14-year old, they're going to probably seem more uptight, old-fashioned and "adult/authority figure-ish" than their peers who haven't yet started a family.

That's not a knock on young parents or anything, it's just generally true that when you become responsible for somebody else's life, it can put a 180-degree turn in your lifestyle or your ways of acting (which it should, at least to an extent -- I mean, nobody wants to see some burnout, deadbeat parent who doesn't take good care of their kid).


In recent years, it unnerves the hell out of me when I see people, sometimes only 3 or 4 years older than me suddenly acting like this stereotypical picture of "the grownups". It was one thing when I was younger, to think Man, that 30-year old is so young but acts 60, and it's another thing to have it become personal to your age group.

Since I'm 25 now, it freaks me out because I don't want to be lumped in with that and thought of as "the adults" in the authority figure sense. Honestly I feel more like 19 or 20 (not super hardcore partier 19, but just a laid back, joke-around and have fun-type 19, if you know what I mean), and no one ever thinks I'm much older than 22 anyway.

After the older generations perceived folks my age as the no good punk, Beavis and Butthead clones for so many years, it can be hard to see that changing, even if it has nothing to do with you personally.


Oddly, I see more "adultlike acting" young mothers than young fathers. Although it does seem slightly more acceptable for women to act 21 when they're 35-40 than it is for a man.

Maybe it's a time thing, though? Like as the demographic for what's cool has gone younger now, it's harder for some people to get into it. My mom was 26-35 in the calendicular '80s and liked alot of current things (particularly music) and didn't feel too old or out of place for it. Today though, it would be harder for me to imagine a 30 something woman feeling the same way.

I hope I am always a cool mom. I have tried (and succeeded) to get Vaughn interested in the things that I like. For instance...he LOVES to go thrift/antique shopping....and he loves to listen to the Ramones. I want it to be that when he is in school...he will wear his little Ramones t-shirt....and be a retro hip kid! LOL!

^ I'm sure you'll have no problem with that. And yeah, he'll probably be the cool kid on campus in 2011.

My theory is, if you catch kids early enough, when they're still literally kids (especially under 8 or so), they're bound to like what you introduce them to and stick with it later on. Kinda like how I never stopped liking '80s music, and even once I got old enough to potentially be embarrased by it, I was imprinted so much by it that I didn't care.

It's if you wait till they're 11 or 13, when you're more likely to get a "My gawwwd mom, this is lame, what are you into? Don't let any of my friends see this!"-reaction. ;D