It’s the best time of your life after all, right?
Hitting the big 4-0 can bring with it a long list of worries – some big, some small. But if you can manage to deal with some of those concerns, it’ll be easier to enjoy what should be some of the best years of your life.
Here are five things that fortysomething women worry about, but really shouldn’t.
1. “I’m going to be invisible soon.”
Oh no, you’re not. It used to be that women disappeared from public view after the age of 40, but not anymore. A lot of today’s biggest movie stars – think Cameron Diaz, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy – are 40-plus women. Same with the stars of some of the biggest TV dramas, including Mariska Hargitay on Law & Order: SVU and Julianna Margulies on The Good Wife.
As far as Australian TV goes, look at Sonia Kruger, Lisa Wilkinson and Rebecca Gibney, just for starters. Even reality shows are casting older women (who can forget Deanne on The Block?). Women over the age of 40 have never been more visible. As it should be.
Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Frostbland. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.
2. “I’m screwing up my kids.”
You know that saying, “Behind every great kid is a mum who’s sure she’s screwing it up”? Well, it’s true. If you’re worried that you’re not a good enough parent, you probably are, because you care enough to worry.
The fact is, very few children grow up to be serial killers. Most of them grow up to be happy, productive members of society. The majority of parents are doing a pretty good job. Kids just naturally grow out of a lot of their problems, from bedwetting to an unhealthy obsession with One Direction. What seems like a nightmare at the time can turn into an amusing story to be told at a 21st birthday party.
3. “I’m starting to look old.”
You’re probably being too harsh on yourself… but if you genuinely feel that way, do something about it. Advances have been made in skincare, with the development of ingredients such as Lysedine.