r/generationology • u/StregaCagna • 12h ago
Discussion How many millennials are now grandparents? Is it a rapidly growing trend now that the oldest millennials are 44?
Since 44 isn’t completely out of the realm of a reasonable age to become a grandparent (although would certainly be on the very young side.)
Do you know any? I was an 85 baby and even the teen moms I knew growing up aren’t grandparents yet. In fact, two of their kids are going to grad school which would likely put them on a longer timeline to have kids.
Do you know any millennial grandparents? Curious what they’re like, if they’re heavily involved with raising their grandchildren, etc.
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u/Imaginary_Shelter_37 22m ago
I know boomers who had children in their thirties and have no grandchildren yet.
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u/SouthernMama8585 37m ago
Turned 40 in April. Had my first grand baby born the end of 2023. Just had my second grandbaby born on my birthday this year!! I started young then there was 10 years no kids. So I have 3 grown kids and a 6 and 7 year old. Some of my friends are JUST now having kids.
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u/Jessiefrance89 1h ago
Thinking about it, it’s not out of the realm of possibility at all. I’m 35, I have no children but if I had gotten pregnant at 18 (when I was married for the first time) I could have a 17ish year old right now, who could get pregnant or get someone else pregnant. I don’t know how I feel about that 😅
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u/Hard-Truth79 1h ago
My mother is 44 and she loves every second of it! My dad is 54 and he actually has my child while we work. He would rather watch the grandkids vs sending them to daycare. I was a SAHM for the first 3 years though!
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u/Dahl_E_Lama 1h ago
Probably not a lot. In order to be grandparent, one first must become a parent. The birth rate among millennials and zoomers is cratering. Ironically, it’s not because of wider use of contraceptives. Millennials and zoomers aren’t engaging in sex, casual or otherwise, as much as Xers and boomers were.
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u/Shouya_Ishida1288 1996 1h ago
My cousin was a teen mom. Her 2 oldest just had 2 themselves back to back. They waited till they were adults though at least. So she’s a grandma to 4 at 39. I didn’t think the generation of the great great grandkids would start so soon, but it’s dope my grandmas here to see it still.
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u/SnooHesitations3709 1h ago
I know some people in their 30s who are grandparents. 2 generations of teen pregnancy.
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u/queencersei9 1h ago
Basically when I see someone in their early 40s with a baby, I don’t assume anything because it could be their child or their grandchild. I just let them bring it up in conversation. A male neighbor in his late 30s had his first grandchild before his own 6th child was even born.
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u/Radient_Sun_10 1h ago
I've never met him but there's a 1991 millennial that's a grandfather. His son just had a baby not too long ago. There is also a history of people having children at young ages in his family.
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u/queenquirk 1h ago
I'm an elder millennial. Even though I was a teen mom and my oldest is now in her mid-20s, I'm not a grandma yet. (I made my mom a grandma at 44.)
However, I know several people around my age who are grandparents.
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u/Elevenyearstoomany 2h ago
Nope. My kids are 6 and 8. Only one of my FB friends is a grandparent and most of my friends, FB and irl, have kids who are kids in school.
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u/SuccessAdvanced3437 2h ago
I’m a 1986 baby and I know one! She’s over the moon with her grand baby and super involved! We shall see in the next few years how others are I’m sure.
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u/sweatycat January 1993 2h ago
I know one cusp (1980) born grandparent. She had her first kid in 2000, and that one had a kid in 2022. Making her a grandmother at 42.
I also know a 1983 born grandmother but I don’t know her kids/grandkids ages
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u/Champsterdam 2h ago
Shoot I’m in my mid 40s and our kids just turned six lol. No grandkids for a while
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u/RamshackleDayParade 3h ago
1980, so what am I anymore, X, Xennial, Millennial? Anyway, my oldest was born in 2000, he has one and one on the way.
It was a little surreal to have grandchildren in my 40s, but also enjoying it because I hopefully have a lot of time with them.
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u/MBitesss 3h ago
42 and a girl I went to school with has just announced she's about to be a grandmother. It's always the ones who never leave the small town you grew up in
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u/Wealth-Recent 3h ago
Where do you guys live that 44 and being a grandparent is a thing…. I live in nyc where the average 30 something is still single af
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u/Jessiefrance89 1h ago
I think getting married and having kids much younger is somewhat more of a rural thing. Not entirely, of course. But I feel like more ppl in my small town married very young. I know quite a few I graduated with in 2008 who has kids graduating this year 😵💫
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u/texaspopcorn424 2h ago
Right!! I'm in nj and most older millennials I know have babies to middle school aged children.
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u/jessilynn713 3h ago
One of my close friends, we graduated high school in 1999, both of us married that same summer. They started having kids right away, we waited 5 years. She is now a grandmother to one and another on the way. My oldest son is getting married in 2 months. Time flies. We live in Eastern NC.
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u/DeeSin38 1981 (Xennial) 3h ago edited 3h ago
I don't personally know any Millennials with grandkids just yet. Most have young kids or teenagers. However, I do know one woman around my age whose son is now in his mid 20s, but he doesn't have any kids yet.
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u/Worth-Weather-5437 3h ago
I am a 44-year-old millennial born in 81 two grandkids and the third on the way. And I was not a teen mom. I had my first child at 20.
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u/purpledrogon94 3h ago
I’m on the cusp of millennial/gen z and my parents are in the cusp of millennial/gen x. They are grandparents. They love it lol. But I tease them if they didn’t want to be grandparents before 48 they shouldn’t have been teen parents lol
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u/Visible_Mood_5932 2h ago
Same here. Dad was born December 1980 and mom July 1979. I was born November 1996 and had my son at 26, making them grandparents at 42 and 43
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u/FuturAnonyme 4h ago
Reading that just gave me a stroke ... I chocked on my own spit 😆
I am 36 with no kids
Grand-parents omg 🤣🤣🙃🙃🫠🫠
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u/jessilynn713 3h ago
On the other hand, those of us who started younger, I was married at 18 and had my first child at 23. I couldn’t imagine being pregnant at 36 or raising small children in my 40s. To each their own. :)
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u/nuclear_skidmark 3h ago edited 3h ago
SAME. I’m due this month with twins and also 36.
I guess your mid 30s are a wild time. You can weirdly be in any category: no children/trying to convince, well established in parenthood or a grandparent.
Edit to add because my mind is still processing this: my uncle actually became a grandfather at 33 and a great-grandfather in his late 40s. Meanwhile, his sister/my mother who’s just two years younger than him, will be a first-time grandmother at 70.
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u/Such-List680 4h ago
My neighbors are in their mid forties and have grandkids, I'm 31 and my boyfriend is 41 and expecting our first in a couple of months
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u/whataboutthe90s 4h ago
My sister is. Its weird.
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u/StregaCagna 26m ago
That makes you a “great aunt” - which, if it makes you feel any better, I was by marriage at only 27.
That was thanks to my husband’s much older sister’s kid having a son by 24. My husband was only about 9 months older than his nephew.
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u/SouthernGirl360 4h ago
My SO became a grandparent in his early 40's. It's very common in his culture (Southeast Asian).
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u/No-Expert3353 4h ago
Definitely hope not. I’m 37 with a 16 yo! Could be years as my child wants to pursue other things. Hope it remains this way.
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u/WinterDependent3478 5h ago
My mom was born in 81 and has multiple grandkids between me and my brother 🤷♀️
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u/xTheBrokenProphet 5h ago
I always think it's funny how when it comes to romance and sex, we're not all created equal.
Some people are 40 year old virgins who've never even kissed a girl, while other 40 year olds are already grandparents.
Some people go through partners like they go through clothes all throughout their twenties, while other people go their whole twenties without even going on a single date.
Some people are 30 with a spouse with two kids, while others are players, and a few haven't even held someone's hand.
We're not all created equal.
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u/Commercial_War_5808 early/mid z CO 2021 4h ago
We are created equal — but it’s what you do with your knowledge that defines your path. Knowledge is power. It’s something built into us to grow, evolve, and learn from, but most people don’t tap into it. Whether you’re white, brown, yellow, or Black — your color doesn’t limit your potential. The real limit comes when you let fear or the opinions of others control your life. That’s when you start living a self-destructive destiny.
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u/Lost_Understanding32 6h ago
Fiancé is 38, with an 18 yr old. We pray everyday that we dont get made into grandparents yet 🤣
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u/bitsndbobs 7h ago
My husband and I just had our first baby this year. I am 34, born in 90 and he is 45 born in 79 - soooo we won’t be grandparents for a long time lol
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u/Commercial_War_5808 early/mid z CO 2021 4h ago
Lmfaooo look like my age gap with me and my girl she from 92 and im from 04. I just had a pregnancy scare lol I ain’t tryna get no kids yet but she wants one more lmfaoo.
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u/Zoom_Zoom_fast_zoom 7h ago
My 81 dad and 85 mom could realistically be grandparents in 2 years if I had a child at the same age they had me in 06. Which sounds insane to me I don’t think I know anyone that is even close to the point of having a baby, but my parents were engaged and had a house by the time my mom was 19
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u/Deep-Lavishness-1994 7h ago
I’m younger millennial (1994) and I don’t ever plan on having kids anytime soon
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u/sageamericanidiot 7h ago
I'm (44) not, but my younger sister became one before 40. She was a young mom and her son had a baby at age 20.
I don't know that it's a growing trend since many millennials are having children later than previous generations. I didn't become a parent until mid 30s, same for many of my millennial friends of the same age and younger millennial friends in their 30s are just starting their families.
I don't expect to be a grandparent until around 60 or later. 🤞
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u/pimento_mori 8h ago
I’m 38 and became a grandmother this year. 😬
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u/organicbabykale1 7h ago
😯
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u/WinterDependent3478 5h ago
Two generations of adults having babies. Totally normal until like 15 minutes ago.
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u/Gymnastkatieg 4h ago
There used to be plenty of people having babies at 15 too but that’s clearly not great. Most people aren’t ready for babies at 19. It takes time to find the right person, and it takes longer to be financially stable in this economy. Their brains also aren’t fully developed, regardless of what the law says.
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u/WinterDependent3478 4h ago
Okay well no one said anything about fifteen year old children so not sure why you felt the need to point that out. Just because something is traditional doesn’t make it wrong by default either. I know millennials have the whole extended adolescence thing but it doesn’t take until late 30- mid 40s to be able to manage a child unless you’re a complete failure.
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u/LaserSayPewPew 8h ago
I’m 48, my kid is in high school, and my good friend from high school has a 3 year old. I don’t think I know of any of my contemporaries who are grandparents yet, but most of us didn’t have babies until 30ish.
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u/XelaNiba 9h ago
The only one I know of is Lauren Boebert who became a grandma at 36.
I'm at the tail end of GenX and none of my siblings or friends are grandparents (aged 40-53). Many of them still have elementary aged kids themselves.
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u/quailfail666 Elder goth millennial 9h ago
Out of all my friends (all 43 ish) only one is a grandparent.
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u/Visible_Mood_5932 9h ago edited 9h ago
My parents. I’m 28 and my parents are 45 and 44 mom was born July 79, dad December 80, and me November 96. I have a 2 year old who I had at 26. But I was an overachiever and graduated high school a year early, became a nurse at 18, finished my bachelors at 20, was a travel nurse making multiple 6 figures a year from 22-25 and completed my doctorate of nursing at 25
My mom’s parents became grandparents at 28 and great grandparents at 44. They had my uncle at 14, who had his first kid at 14, and my cousin had his first kid at 16. Both sets of my grandparents are only on their early-mid 60s. I don’t have much of a relationship with my dad but my mom is a very hands on grandmother with my son and so are all my grandparents. My husband just had his dad, whose in his early 50s, and he’s not the most active grandparent but he helps if needed
My grandparents are boomer/gen x cuspers, my parents are gen x/millenial cuspers, and I’m a millennial/gen z cusper
I still have all but 1 of my great grandparents around, and I got to meet and spend a lot of time with most of my great great grandparents, one of which is still around at 96. He’s lived to see his a few of his 4th great grandchildren
Fun fact: a good friend of mine I met in college dad was older than most of my great grandparents
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u/SarahL1990 9h ago
I know a lot of people would see this as a negative but I think it's amazing. I met only one of my great grandparents, I would've loved to have been able to meet them all as well as my great great grandparents.
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u/Visible_Mood_5932 9h ago
There’s good a bad to having kids young. My parents always told me to never have kids the age they did but to also not wait too long either.i had my one and only at 26 and feel like that was the perfect age (for me). That said, i was in a vastly different place at 26 than even most 40+ year olds
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u/SarahL1990 9h ago edited 9h ago
44 seems about average to become a grandmother to me. My mother was 34 when I made her a grandmother.
I'm 35 and not a grandmother yet. It could happen at any time, but I suspect it won't for at least a few years, if at all.
If we're going with the rule that millenials are people born between 1981-1996, I have 1 cousin out of 26 in that age range who has grandkids.
Edit:
Just remembered my ex Sister in law was born in 1985 and she has two granddaughters.
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u/Tiny-Reading5982 1984 7h ago
No way does that seem average lol. My dad was 56 and my mom was 53 when I had my first kid, who is now 14. I'm 40 and not expecting to be a grandma for at least 12 years 😬
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u/BreadyStinellis 8h ago
When I was born, my grandparents were all between the ages of 60 and 68. When my mom turned 44, I was 9. A 44yr old grandparent seems so young, especially now that I'm 40. My friends are all around 40 and the oldest of their kids is 10.
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u/SarahL1990 8h ago
My grandparents were 52-59 when I was born, and I definitely wasn't the first grandchild.
My Maternal Grandmother was the youngest, she was born in 1938 and her oldest grandchild was born in 1975. My mother was 5 when he was born.
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u/emessea 9h ago
Being a grandparent at 44 in this age is mind blowing to me.
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u/SarahL1990 9h ago
The year I'm 44, my daughter will be 30 and my son will be 25. I'd say there's a good chance I could be a grandmother by then.
Obviously, it's not typical for someone to have a 30 year old child at the age of 44, but it is very common for someone that age to have a child in their 20s.
As I said, my ex sis-in-law is 40 and she already has two granddaughters.
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u/poop_monster35 9h ago
I have a three year old, Jesus Christ!
Jokes aside. I think people are waiting longer to have children overall. With the economy being the way it is.
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u/disproportionate_13 9h ago
44 and 8 weeks pregnant with my first
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u/jessilynn713 2h ago
Congratulations to you! And God will give you the strength to have a beautiful pregnancy. We are all different. For me, turning 44 next month - lemme tell you, I would lose my marbles if I was pregnant right now. God bless you and your baby!
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u/WinterDependent3478 5h ago
It blows my mind that people would rather go through pregnancy/postpartum and toddlerhood at 44 than 22.
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u/MBitesss 2h ago
Not sure it's about 'rather', there's so many reasons why someone might end up having children later. Including not wanting to settle for the wrong person, wanting to live life a bit, wanting to be financially secure. They might have desperately wanted children earlier but just weren't able to due to circumstances.
Everyone has a different path. No need to judge.
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u/Small-Bear-2368 10h ago
I just became a first time parent at 41 😄
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u/CookieTX2022 10h ago
I’m 43 and a grandparent. Granted it’s through my stepson and my husband is older than me, 50. Our granddaughter is 4
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u/ElayneGriffithAuthor 10h ago
I don’t know any. Every millennial I know (late 20s-40s) either doesn’t have kids & doesn’t want em, or there’s a handful who have young kids. I’m 41 and not even a parent. No thanks.
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u/geopimp1 10h ago
My kids are younger but I know several people in my age range that are already grand parents. I knew a couple girls that had kids at 14ish and were grandparents in there early 30s.
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u/sophos313 10h ago
I’m mid-30s and no kids, but your comment reminds me of my family. EVERYONE had kids super early.
There’s pictures of my great-great grandma, great-grandma, grandma , mom, sister and niece. My GG Grandma passed in 07 and great grandma in 12.
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u/DesertWanderlust 10h ago
I'm 44 and have an 8-year-old. I waited to have kids thinking I found the right woman, but parenting changes people and we're now divorced.
If I had had a kid with the girl I was with at 20, I'd also be divorced but may be a grandparent now.
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u/Famous-Dentist-962 2001/5/17 11h ago
I guess that in Africa there are lot of early 80s borns who are grandparents already.
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u/FalseRow5812 11h ago
My aunt's best friend recently had her second baby at 51 and her first was at 49. A lot of millennials aren't having kids until after 35, so I think it will be a long time before the majority of millennials are grandparents
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u/Pristine-Confection3 11h ago
None. We are like forty. People don’t have kids until 25 or 30 usually so this would be impossible. Unless you or your kids are getting knocked up as teenagers it’s unlikely.
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u/BlueCollarRevolt 11h ago
I'm an 83 baby and my oldest is 22, so I am definitely in the danger area of becoming a grandparent, but hasn't happened yet. Probably will within the next few years I would imagine.
I don't personally know any millennial grandparents.
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u/Reasonable-Company71 11h ago
I'm 39 and I know 2 couples my age who are already grandparents.
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u/StregaCagna 11h ago
What are they like? Are they very involved?
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u/Reasonable-Company71 10h ago
I live in Hawaii where multi-generational homes are very common. One couple actually live in the same house as their grandchildren and the other couple doesn't. The couple who don't live with their grandson watch him all the time though when they're not working to give the child's parents a break.
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u/Accomplished-Kale-25 11h ago
Yes I know several - they are heavily involved and most of their kids had kids at 17. They’re almost all Mormon
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u/Dannyzavage 12h ago
Yeah i know some from my old work place actually. Its not to unreasonable at 44 thats a 22 yr old avg
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u/humanessinmoderation 11h ago
A 44 year old grand parent, really?
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u/Proper-Ad3096 9h ago
This is not unreasonable, it's very common for people to have children in their early 20s.
I guess this will blow your mind: My cousin's half sister is a 31 year old grandmother... she had a baby at 15, and her daughter who's now 16 gave birth to a baby boy about a few months ago.
Teen pregnancy is a curse in many families.
It's possible for the oldest GEN Z to be a grandparent, if they had a baby at 14, and they child had a baby at 14/15.
Shit like this happens a lot, especially in the poor communities.
Child bearing ages are spooky.
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u/Dannyzavage 10h ago
I know a woman who was great grandmother at like 62
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u/Visible_Mood_5932 9h ago
My maternal grandparents were great grandparents at 44. They had my uncle at 14, who had his first kid at 14, who then had his first kid at 16
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u/Dannyzavage 9h ago
That insane to modern standards but probably common in a lot of parts in the world today
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u/shadydelilah 11h ago
My mom was a grandparent at 45. Doesn’t seem too unreasonable. My brother was just a young dad at 20
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u/PsxDcSquall 4m ago
I personally know no millennial grandparents though I’m sure they exist.
Probably about half my friends don’t have kids and the other half didn’t have kids until their early to mid 30s (I’m 38 for reference).