And yeah, it sort of does. Or has done for me, anyway.

Maybe it depends upon your kids, their their interests, and the nature of your relationship with them.

It worked like this. When the kids were born, I kind of stopped going to gigs - which had been my main 'going out' activity all through my teens and twenties.

Soon as I turned thirty, I just stopped. Still carried on buying and listening to music though, and my youngest got the bug.

When he started going to concerts at around 15-16, we started going together. And he wouldn't let me hang round the back with the dads - he wanted me down the front.

Then it was festivals - for the last three years, we've done Glastonbury and the odd Latitude together - either just me and him, or - more often, me and around fifteen of his mates. He's now twenty and will both be at Glastonbury again this year in a big gang.

And you know what? It's great. I get to hang around with 'da yoof' again, without being made to feel like the old man, I see lots of great performances and get to share them with my lad as well. There's a bit of 'what happens on tour, stays on tour' but we're both actually pretty well behaved.

My only regret is the fifteen or so years between 1990 and 2005 when I must have missed loads of great nights out.

Exactly the same as you, I'm mid 30s, two kids (18 months and 4 years). I used to go to a few gigs a month, until I settled down. Recently, I've really missed going gigging.

So I went to A Word in Your Ear on my own, with Mr Husband babysitting.

Once in a blue moon, we get a babysitter and go to a gig. It's Randy Newman next week, wooo!

It's also lovely to share music with my family: They Might Be Giants have a family concert at the Royal Festival Hall next month, so we're all going to that. We all went to Dan Zanes last year, which was pretty magical. And we've been to a few classical gigs. We also have a festival lined up, we're off to Camp Bestival. Wish we could have done Latitude too...

So I'm doing what I can to reclaim the gigs now, I don't want to wait til I'm 50!

Paul, 1990-2005 were my peak gig activity years, if you need me to fill anything in! I am looking forward to bringing the kids to gigs when they get a bit older, but am wary of being RockDad(tm). The 20 month old can request her favourite songs off Revolver though, which is a good start ("Beekles daddy, put the beekles on! Sunshine! Submareeeeene! Sleepy song!")

Hannah: The new one is only 10 weeks old so we've really fallen off the gig radar, but there was a window where a babysitter got us to a few gigs once the eldest was sleeping through the night. Me & MrsDrJ have done the alternate-nights-out-on-our-own thing. Would love if they were a little older to bring them to TMBG, as it stands I have a pass to be at Glasto that weekend and squeeze a year's worth of gigs into a long weekend. Seriously considering a family trip to Latitude for Summer 2011 if the lineup is anywhere near as solid as this year.

married for 25 years with two children 18 and 15 and my Mum still asks me "When are you going to grow up?".
I choose to take this as a compliment!

and the Father of 3 kids, (1 boy,2 girls)...I also have 2 g/children...1 boy 1 girl, and as I type, my eldest daughter is in labour in Newcastle with her first child. This is the sixth birth in my Family, and I am as nervous now as I was when my first was overdue. It WILL turn out OK, but I sure wish it was all over.
Oh, and my sons wife is pregnant also and due in November. Six months respite and it all to do again. Life is good at 50+....AND I still get to gigs!

But almost (48) and I can certainly confirm Dr. J. that in my own experience that gig going and many other social activities, such as enjoying cinema and reading for pleasure, are revitalised as the family grow up.

The early 90' when my family were little, was a cultural desert to me and remains so. I'm sure there is a whole seam of stuff I would have enjoyed that remains unknown to me as I was too busy with the nippers.

The advent of the net brought home the vast amount of good stuff out there that I was missing and a good friend started dragging me along to gigs in Sheffield at places like the Leadmill, Borderline and the Memorial Hall, reminding me how much fun you could have simply listening to a live band over a couple of beers. This remains my absolute favourite way of spending an evening out (Mrs Beach does come along on occasion) and I expect if you enjoy music as mostof us do here then you will follow suit.

Having said all that, enjoy the children while they are young it really does go in a flash.....