Turning 30, is it different depending on if you're a man or a woman?

Question

Quite a few of my friends turn 30 this year or in the next couple of years, including me. While my males friends do care, they seem to be handling it loads better :-) Most of us aren't married and don't have children yet, so we're all in pretty much the same situation. Someone suggested that turning 40 for a man is the same as 30 is for a woman?
I just wondered if you could share your views in general and especially any experiences of turning 30? Also if you could do it all again, is there anything you would do differently? Thanks x

Answer 1

Sure it's different. A woman, especially one who wants children may really only be looking at say five really safe years. After 35, the chances of having a child with health problems increases dramatically. Not so for a man. Older men are still viewed generally as more handsome with age, while women aren't. A woman's body may experience more dramatic changes, that a man's won't. Fair or unfair, it just seems to be the case that 30 for a woman is significantly different than for a man. I wouldn't really change anything, then again I'm a man. But, I do see a lot of what you are talking about in friends and family.

Answer 2

Men are vainer and react to numbers. We women are a different breed, more intelligent and sensible and know that age is a state of mind. 30 is nothing, 40 perhaps a bit of a problem, but once its gone, you're no different, then you look forward to being 50, a half century, some achievement and you also can't believe that you've actually made it and have lived so long. Then you start looking forward to the next milestone 60, free prescriptions and other things (apart from Wales) You don't change inwardly, OK outwardly you might start to age a bit but who cares! Do anything differently? No, I've made mistakes, but I'd do exactly the same all over again.

Answer 3

I didn't know what to do after I turned 30. I assumed I would be dead by 30. I'm the only surviving daughter, both of my sisters died before age 18. All of a sudden, I had to think of what would I do if I lived to be 40 or 50 or more. I'd never wanted kids and had already tried marriage, so I had to think about what in the heck I would do for 30 or more years. I'd rushed to do all the things I had always wanted to do since I thought I'd be dead any day. I continued to do what I had always thought would be cool to do one day, so I have absolutely no regrets. I'm 49 and very happy with my boyfriend, home, and career. Happy Trails!

Hmm as far as men I know, if they're in their 30's they seem fine but the guys in their 40's seem really bent out of shape about how they look, their career, their kids, and if they'll ever marry (again). Guys in their 50's seem pretty cool again about where they are in their lives. Looks to me like 40's is the tough decade to turn for men, but that's just my personal observations. I agree for women, if you want kids, 30's are the deal breakers and can really hurt if you have to give up that dream.

Answer 4

Oh to be 30 again !!!! But it was a bit sad to hit that mark. I celebrated by starting a new relationship, very rewarding at the time. The worst age milestone for me EVER was 50. It, for some reason knocked me for a loop. Everything came at once, menopause, more job responsibility, and the worst was knowing I had really lived 50 years. Wow, just saying that made my hair stand up on end. I vowed to make some changes in my life, like slowing down and really smelling the roses, ect.
By the way, ages through the 30's and 40's were super hot also. Very enjoyable.

Answer 5

When reaching my thirties, I didn't feel a physical difference, not "older" as most of my female friends told me they felt, with their worries of wrinkles, saggy boobs and butts, flab and hair, etc. However, some handled it quite well.
To me, it was just another year, but in fact, have been much happier in my thirties than during the twenties. Find myself more defined as a person, yet open to discovery and learning, since the journey isn't over just yet. My grandmother is a great example of that attitude, she is a child at heart, oftentimes curious and open to change, yet remaining grounded.
Most (not all) of my male friends have told me that their thirties felt pretty much the same, but when the late thirties/fourties came along, few did become concerned about the transition, worries of impending baldness, impotence, losing the ability to lure women as they had before/finding a mate (those single), finances, etc.

Despite the manner in which most men and women approach their transitions, I think it remains an individual experience. :-)

Answer 6

I don't know about men, but the 30s weren't all that for me, a female, it was a lot of growing up, less drinking, more seriousness with every aspect of life and it sort of mellows you out for your 40s, which seem to be a lot more interesting. So as a 40 plus female, thank God you lived through your 20s, cruise through your 30s, continue to thank God and hopefully,you will look back on all of then and 40 more plus years, live life, don't dwell on worrying about what number represents time, just experience the time. God Bless.

Answer 7

I think it all boils down to the old saying
"Men grow old gracefully but women just get old"

But it's all relative. if you feel, what you think is old , at 30 chances are your gonna act that way.. But if you feel 20 at 60 then your not old at all. I turned 50 this year and about the only thing I wish I had from is to be 50lbs lighter.

I think that the 30-40 concept has more to do with how you view yourself than how the world views you. Truthfully it didn't really bother me to turn 50,, amazed that I made but not old. I think what bothers me is my little sister is now in her mid 40's!
I think my Granny K said it best when referring to age and not coloring her hair anymore... " I earned this gray. I think I'll keep it"

Answer 8

These numbers, (for that is all they are) carry more significance for women than men for several reasons. The most obvious being the so called 'ticking clock'. Men can father children into their 70's.

Society has been so ordered that men allegedly mature with age whereas women go into decline! This is of course hideously unfair and fanciful in the extreme. Nevertheless, it remains a common perception. The older man with the younger woman seems to be far more prevalent than the opposite.

Answer 9

Remember what it was like when you turned 20? Well, turning 30, 40 and 50 is just like that.

Answer 10

True, women and men mature at different ages- women usually mature faster than men. While a twenty one year old women is ready for marriage and have children, her male counterpart will need another 10 years before he thinks of marriage.