While singer Janet Jackson was subject to harsh criticism when she had her first child at 50, men get let off decidedly easier in this regard. Forgetting the fact that their biological clocks aren't under the same pressure as ours, men are generally celebrated for having children (usually with a much younger partner), later in life. Think Mick Jagger at 73 or Billy Joel at 68. They almost get clapped on the back while women can get criticised for having children too early, too late or for not having them at all.
Divides in attitudes aside (though they are big divides), what we can overlook is that the men that become fathers in their later years have their own worries, namely that they won't be around for all the important milestones in their child's life.
Irish actor Gabriel Byrne became a dad again last year at the tender age of 67 and said he felt the decision to take on fatherhood in his late sixties was a "brave move."
"It's like, everything, you think 'oh yeah, I did that thing in life', but now this is a new journey again. Looking into the eyes of a creature that's full of innocence and wonderment makes you reflect how out of touch we get with that feeling; the way we take everything for granted as we get older, while a child will sit and play with a shoelace for 10 minutes because they are amazed by it.
"But it is also a bittersweet experience, for obvious reasons," he told Independent.ie
Byrne and his young wife, Hannah Beth King welcomed their first child - a daughter - last year. The Usual Suspects star also has a son and a daughter from his previous marriage to Ellen Barkin.
He added that he tried not to worry about the future as no one in life was guaranteed more time in life.
"Life is precious and it is short and there is not one person here tonight who can put up their hand and say 'I will be here tomorrow'. Nobody can," he continued.
"Am I worried about the future? Most people are worried about the future. We live in really unstable times. You think about it."
"So I can bring love and commitment and compassion as I have tried to do with my other kids, and that's all I can do. It is a brave thing to do."
The actor was in Dublin last week, picking up a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs)
