R' 'Akiva famously spent 12 years away from his wife learning Torah, returning home just in time to to overhear her tell someone she'd be happy if he spent another 12 years away learning, Torah; at whichthat point, he turned around and went back to Yeshivah.
But the Gemara Pesahim 109a says he used to leave early to go home 'Erev Pesah to make sure his children were still up for the Seder, as well as 'Erev Yom Kippur to feed them.
So was this later in his life? When did he even have his children?