With the recent news that Cherrie Blair is expecting her fourth child at the age of 45, the question this week is 'what is the ideal age to become a parent?'

Pamela Frowde, mother of five said: 'People need to go out and do things before they settle down to have a family.'

When asked about the age situation concerning Cherrie Blair, Pamela said: 'I had my last child at 37 and that was old enough. The physical pressures get greater, so yes it is more difficult.'

Former Miss Great Britain 1947, June Humphries (neé Mitchell) said: 'If you are younger and having a baby it is not so physically dangerous and you could cope better with a child. However you can be more sensible and mature when you are older and able to provide more security. If anything, parents should be married as it is a more stable family atmosphere.'

Sally Pitts believes that people should be in their mid 20s to early 30s before starting a family. She said: 'People should get out and enjoy themselves before having children as it is a lot of work and responsibility. I stopped work to look after my child as it was the right time, but that is really an individual choice.'

Ann-Marie Collins with her daughter Olivia was asked, and she said: 'I had Olivia when I was 24, I would have liked to have waited really. If you are older you would have more patience and can cope better with the responsibility of being a parent. Not only that, but, being older people are more financially and emotionally secure as well.'

Views were mixed on the age that people should have children. Some gave actual age limits between which children should become part of a family, however some decided not to mark people with the ideal age to have children as they felt that it was more an individual choice.

Andrew Hawkins, his wife Elizabeth and their children, Charis and Josiah were asked.

Andrew said: 'I would say the best time to have children would be late 20s to early 30s, during that time most people have had the time to do what they really want to do and therefore when the kids come along they are not resented.' He continued: 'You are more secure at that age as well, not only financially and emotionally but more secure in yourself. You know who you are.'

Andrew's wife Elizabeth said: 'It depends on the individual. Personally it was better to have my children later as I had done everything I wanted to.'

John Rylatt said: 'Age is irrelevant, it's social not biological. Society gives people their age, it's not physical. If you are an older parent you have lived your life and you are financially more secure before children are involved. I wouldn't want children to be a hindrance to a parent or for the parent to resent them.'

One of the main issues bought up many times was the fact that it doesn't matter what time in life you become a parent as you wouldn't have had any experience anyway. John Rylatt described an incident many years ago where he apologised to his son and said: 'I apologise, I haven't had any training to be a parent.' His five-year-old-son replied: 'Well remember I haven't had any training to be a child either!'