Wow thank u guys for sharing! Lots of good points all around. It’s true that no one can truly empathize with the emotional hardships of any given persons life without having “walked a mile” in their proverbial shoes. I know all too well what it is like to be judged unfairly based on appearances alone or hearsay. Proverbs touches on this: “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” (Prov 18:17). It’s always a good idea to first, consult with the Spirit, and then, hear out both sides of a story before trying to form any opinions.
Having said that, Jesus does call us to use discernment and take care in how we steward the resources and gifts He’s given us. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”
Blanket statements are like rules: they are generalizations that are not intended to apply to every individual, but to describe the majority. And just as there are exceptions to every rule, there will be exceptions to every blanket statement.
There are usually greater socio/economic advantages to older parentage: lower divorce rates, usually higher incomes, more educational/cultural opportunities, more emotionally relaxed and emotionally stable parental figures. However, in most cases, even though children are extremely resilient, there are more beneficial variables—both holistic social and psychological/health related factors—that support them being raised by younger guardians/parental figures than by older ones. Studies show small but significant increased psychological health risks passed from both parents to the child, and the children often report a constant fear of losing their parental figures and other relatives, shame of the age difference in reference to their peers, feelings of being unable to connect with their parents due to the age gap, and emotional /psychological toll dealing with the care and eventual burial of their parents at a much earlier age than their peers. Each couple or guardian should educate themselves and carefully weigh out all the variables before the Lord to make the right choice for themselves.