Many men will boast that life begins at 60. By then their children would have left home, reducing family responsibilities.

But how about men who start second families at age 65 and beyond? How do they cope with raising babies and making the necessary lifestyle adjustments while planning for retirement?

Studies have shown that older men who begin second families with a younger wife at 65 and beyond are in better physical health compared to men in a one-time marriage with wives in their own age group. Late fatherhood creates excitement and a sense of well-being.

Mental distress

This prevents these older men from spending extra long hours working and from becoming depressed about ageing. According to a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (June 2008), men with higher levels of education who did not work long hours are less likely to be mentally distressed and would enjoy a vibrant sex life.

As life expectancy increases, men live longer today and are less likely to suffer from common lifestyle diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, which can have debilitating effects on sexual performance. Thomas, a new father at 69, attributes his sexual prowess to exercise, good nutrition and an understanding of the foods he eats and how they affect his body.

With the prospects for marriage diminishing for professional women over 30, several will readily opt for a relationship with an older man who has status and financial security. Older men are no longer sceptical about marrying younger women for fear of being ripped off as they now sign pre-nuptial agreements to protect their assets. In the senior years, many men are active in church and would opt for marrying rather than 'shacking up' and having a baby with a younger woman. Social acceptance is important to their self-esteem at this point in their lives so they would not do anything to be rejected in their community or social circle.

In an effort to please a younger woman who may be the second or third wife, men in their twilight years will agree to father more children because of financial security. Financial planners agree that when men plan for their financial future soon after they start working, by age 65 they would have accumulated enough wealth to start a second family, even after a divorce settlement from previous marriages.

A question that outsiders may ask of a wife in a union with a man in his twilight years is: How do you cope with his moods associated with ageing? Older men expect their wives to be friends and lovers, understanding their moods and attitudes as they go through the male menopause or second adulthood.

For better or worse, that is the dilemma for the man in his twilight years.

*name changed for privacy.