#482 Older Parents: Selfish or Sensible?
The Niall Boylan Podcast (They Told Me To Shut Up) · Niall Boylan
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Show Notes
In this episode, host Niall asks a sensitive but important question: "Is it selfish to have children over the age of 45?"
With the average age for first-time parents steadily rising in Ireland and across the world, more women and men are starting families later in life. Advances in fertility treatments, shifting career priorities, and cultural changes have all contributed to this trend — but is society ready for it?
Niall speaks to Laura Perrins, journalist, barrister, and mother of four, about her own family experiences and her perspective on why so many people are delaying parenthood.
The phone lines are open too, with callers sharing a wide range of opinions:
Some argue that having children later in life is empowering and reflects personal freedom and modern opportunities.
Others worry about the challenges older parents may face, from health risks to the prospect of not being around for key milestones.
A few highlight financial stability, maturity, and life experience as real benefits to later parenthood.
Meanwhile, some callers question whether the growing reliance on IVF and fertility treatments raises deeper ethical questions.
It’s an honest and sometimes heated debate that tackles the changing face of family life in Ireland today.