Jeffery Compton said age didn't necessarily bring him wisdom as a first-time father, but it did provide perspective.
"It gave me a leg up on appreciating my children more -- a different perspective on what was important," said the Chattanooga man who was 41 when the oldest of his three children was born.
Mr. Compton is part of a trend toward men becoming fathers for the first time at age 40 or older.
In the 2005 book "The Male Biological Clock," Harry Fisch wrote that the number of first-time fathers over 35 in the United States increased by 50 percent from 1970 to 1999.
Several local first-time fathers said their first 40 years gave them advantages younger fathers didn't have.
Robert Philips of Chattanooga, who was 45 when the first of his two children was born, said many older fathers are better financially equipped to support children and have life experiences.
But their are intangibles too, he said.
"You just come to realize that jobs and careers and things change," he said. "There are certain things in life that are more enduring. I appreciate (my children) and what they mean in my life more than I would have than when I was trying to have some successes in business (or) traveling 50 weeks a year."
Stan Townsend, who was 50 when his son, Samuel, was born, said he was more emotionally prepared for fatherhood and past a point where he might resent the intrusion of a child.
"We have been through a lot of things in our own lives that, if we were younger, we may not have been equipped (to deal with) with," he said.
Mr. Compton, who married when he was 37, said he was fortunate enough to travel abroad when he was single.
"Now some people my age have grandkids," he said. "They're thankful for their freedom (to travel), but I don't bemoan that. I tell them I'm excited you've got that. But I have no regrets."
Brent Taylor of Lookout Mountain, who married at 37 and was 41 when his twin daughters, Grace and Elise, were born, said he has the acquired wisdom of having watched his friends raise their children.
"I would say my maturity level (to raise children at his current age) is much better than it would have been if I were younger," he said.
Similarly, Mr. Compton, now 50, said he had seen his nieces and nephews grow up.
"I'm still learning (about raising children)," he said. "I certainly haven't arrived."
Several local post-40 dads said fatherhood presents physical challenges but nothing than can't be overcome.
Mr. Philips, 49, said he and his brother-in-law, who's also an older father, joke that fatherhood is a young man's sport.
ADVICE FOR DADS"Love your wife to the best of your ability. Enjoy your kids. I always want for them to know I care about them. I tell them, 'I will always love you.' That's my motto."-- Jeffery Compton"Don't take things too seriously; make every day fun."-- Robert Philips"Start saving money now. Enjoy (your children) as they grow up."-- Brent Taylor"Probably, that we've never regretted it. It's probably the best thing I've ever done in my life. He is a joy to be with. We wonder what it would be like (if we had a child earlier)."-- Stan Townsend
"My (2-year-old) son is not quite ready to outrun me," he said, "but there definitely is the energy of chasing and playing. You feel them testing your stamina more than in your 20s." Yet, he said, "they entered my life not exactly by design but at the best time for me personally."
"I vividly remember the pediatrician saying you will be sleep-deprived," said Mr. Townsend, now 59. "Those words rang true."
With younger children, 40-plus fathers have mixed thoughts about their sons and daughters entering college around the age they might consider retirement.
"It enters my mind every day," Mr. Philips said. "We took that into consideration in moving here (where he grew up), believing the line between retirement and work and raising a family had truly been blurred."
"I fully plan, Lord willing, to work until I'm 80," said Mr. Compton, who has three surviving children, daughters Corley, 9, Margaret Grace, 5, and Catherine, 1. "I don't think about retirement."
Mr. Taylor and Mr. Townsend both said they had tried to plan for their children's education.
"That will work out, probably, well," said Mr. Taylor, now 46. "Hopefully, we'll be done with their education (by the time he and his wife, Betsy, retire)."
However, he jokingly wondered if, "when I walk them down the aisle, will I have a cane?"
Mr. Townsend said he and his wife, Peggy, have set up a fund toward their son's education.
"We've taken steps and measures to be prepared for (his future)," he said.
Mr. Philips said he always imagined children would be a part of his life, but he looked up and his 20s and 30s were behind him. Yet, he said, that span of time didn't automatically qualify him to be the perfect father.
"Certainly," he said, "I think it's a blessing to have children at any age. But I don't think you're ever ready for it."