Age Factor in relationships?

[Miss Serendipity]

What's your take on age in relationships whether dating or marriage?
Do you think its wrong to have S/O be much older than you? like 5 to 10 years? Is age really an issue? 4 years? 8 years?


what are your thoughts?

 

[Bohemianne]

When I was in the dating years I have preference for older men of at least 3 years or so but not more than 10 years. I would prefer those who are way superior than me in many levels. He has to be confident on what he does.

 

[Dialon]

For me it doesnt really matter much, 10 years older would probably be max. 1 year younger is the lowest age ill go. Although there will always be exceptions.

 

[Artoo]

"The rule" is as follows; the youngest age you can date is half your own age plus seven years (so in my case 18).

Following the rule backwards, the oldest person I can date is 30.

Not that I stick to it, or anything. 😛

 

[ikaiyoo]

"The rule" is as follows; the youngest age you can date is half your own age plus seven years (so in my case 18).

Following the rule backwards, the oldest person I can date is 30.

Not that I stick to it, or anything. 😛

Well that explains alot. I actually like that rule... though I have never followed it. Personally I do not believe age is a factor. I feel if the connection is there then it is there and age shouldnt be an issue.

 

[TicklesFemales]

Age is just a number.....As long as two people are 18 or over adults in our society then it makes no difference to me I would date anyone 18 to 60 especially if I was attracted to that person in someway or another. Tickling is one of those attractions if a lady is ticklish and I want to go out with her then age means nothing to me. The same for a marriage or relationship if I am attracted in whatever way to her I have not problem marrying someone older than me or younger than me.

TicklesFemales

 

[maniactickler]

Meaningless. im 43 and id date an 18 year old girl in a heartbeat.

 

[Musicroxmysox]

I think it depends on the connection and what people are doing in their lives.

I would find it hard to go beyond a 5-6 year difference because at that point, we probably would have very different goals. But I think that people are entirely entitled to do what they want.

 

[Libertine]

Age Gaps

What's your take on age in relationships whether dating or marriage?
Do you think its wrong to have S/O be much older than you? like 5 to 10 years? Is age really an issue? 4 years? 8 years?


what are your thoughts?

Well, you did meet KittenToes and I at NEST and may have noted a slight age gap.

We've been together for 4 1/2 years, married for 2 1/2.

I'm 53, and she's 26.

I do admit that, as poet Andrew Marvell (mid 1600s) wrote in 'To His Coy Mistress',

' ... at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near',

(and I freely concede that in my case it's not only 'hastening near' but parked at the curb, honking its horn...)

but the past is gone, the future's a blank page, so the present moment is all anyone has in which to live.

And at present, we're happy.

 

[rhiannon]

I like it if the guy is older than me. The biggest age gap I had was 20 years.

 

[kered]

Well, you did meet KittenToes and I at NEST and may have noted a slight age gap.

We've been together for 4 1/2 years, married for 2 1/2.

I'm 53, and she's 26.

I do admit that, as poet Andrew Marvell (mid 1600s) wrote in 'To His Coy Mistress',

' ... at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near',

(and I freely concede that in my case it's not only 'hastening near' but parked at the curb, honking its horn...)

but the past is gone, the future's a blank page, so the present moment is all anyone has in which to live.

And at present, we're happy.

Just what I would say if I were lucky enough to find myself a Kittentoes. And I think it should be said of any romance between people of any age. Prepare for tomorrow but live for today.

 

[Sanhael]

KarateGirl18 and I have a gap of almost exactly 9 years; she'll turn 20 a couple of weeks before I turn 29. Initially, we had few misgivings; there were those amongst our family members who had a few more than that, but at present her family seems to like me (and vice versa; mine adores her, almost as much as I do I think).

 

[venray]

There is a 16 year age difference between Tracy and I. I truly believe that age differences have very little to do with the relationship. It is all about the people and personalities involved with one another...

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

Drew is a few months younger than I am. But, we dont' let the drastic difference get in the way...much. 😉





Yes, I'm kidding. As long as the personalities of the two people are good for one another, I don't think that age makes much difference.

 

[Sandrock74]

Going by "The Artoos Rule For Dating", the age of the lucky girl I get to date would be 24. So, I guess I have to date a 24 year old. Which ladies here are 24? LOL

 

[penny lane]

"Age is a matter of mind- if you don't mind, it doesn't matter." This could be true if both of you are aligned when it comes to requirements, needs and wants.

But in my opinion, age does matter. To me, a persons age is a good indicator of how they grew up and what experiences they have had. It's an average and one of you may be above average for your age. That is why it becomes less important the older you are.

Let's take a 10 year difference. If the man was 50 and the woman was 40- that could work. However, if the man was 30 and the woman was 20 then I seriously doubt the relationship would last. I know these are very broad generalizations, and there are exceptions to every rule.

 

[desdemona]

I don't consider age a factor when deciding if I'm going to get involved in a relationship. However, it may play a part in how things transpire or wind up in the end. When I was 32, I dated a man twice my age. While we shared many interests and cared about each other, we were obviously at very different stages in life and as someone else stated above, our goals were not the same. But I agree with Penny Lane, a decade's difference may not matter once you're past your "youth." I think it depends on the individuals and their circumstances.

 

[Redmage]

I'm 48. My youngest active partner is 24. My oldest is 60. I don't think an age gap matters all that much, unless it matters to one of the participants. I have had partners who drifted away from me for that reason.

 

[Lamashtu]

I don't think it's really the years you've lived on this earth, but more your mental age and if your mental ages are compatible. However I don't really reccommend the average 20 and under person of north america to try dating too older. In Canada 19 is the legal drinking age, and that's typically when people start to exercise their freedoms, and explore themselves. The relationships I've seen at this age tend to be rocky as people are moving out and finding themselves, they often get ensnared with drama and drunken regrets. It's the party age, which can get old pretty fast.

The oldest interest I ever had was 7 years older than I. We had a connection, but I don't think I could have mentally entertained him for long. Although not all relationships need to be mentally challenging, that's just a personal preference. Relationships can be maintained between people of any age, as long as both are able to fulfill the various needs, and wants of their partner, whether it be emotional, physical, mental, social, financial or spiritual.

 

[SlaverTickler]

"The rule" is as follows; the youngest age you can date is half your own age plus seven years (so in my case 18).

Following the rule backwards, the oldest person I can date is 30.

Not that I stick to it, or anything. 😛

I like my fathers rule best

If my daughter is under 18 and you are 18 or older I will burry you in my garden.

Personally after 18 years of age I don't see anything wrong with a 5 year difference (as far as being older) if you are in your mid 20's or so what could you really have in common with sombody that much younger then you. Anybody over 18 who has been dating sombody under 18 is probably a loser, unless they started dating in the early teens. Even then I find it hard to understand why a 17 year old would date a 15 year old.

 

[SlaverTickler]

I don't think it's really the years you've lived on this earth, but more your mental age and if your mental ages are compatible. However I don't really reccommend the average 20 and under person of north america to try dating too older. In Canada 19 is the legal drinking age, and that's typically when people start to exercise their freedoms, and explore themselves. The relationships I've seen at this age tend to be rocky as people are moving out and finding themselves, they often get ensnared with drama and drunken regrets. It's the party age, which can get old pretty fast.

The oldest interest I ever had was 7 years older than I. We had a connection, but I don't think I could have mentally entertained him for long. Although not all relationships need to be mentally challenging, that's just a personal preference. Relationships can be maintained between people of any age, as long as both are able to fulfill the various needs, and wants of their partner, whether it be emotional, physical, mental, social, financial or spiritual.

I remember a song called "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number" it was sung by a woman named Aaliyah who was about 15 and dating a slime ball named R. Kelly who was more then 5 years older then her. The reason guys like R.Kelly date girls Aaliyah's age is because it is much easier to manipulate and pretty much controle them. They see this loser who is older and hansom and successful and they think "Wow he thinks I am special and thats why he's with me.", but the truth is guys like that hook up with women that are way too young for them because they can't handle a relationship with a woman there own age, who has lived a little and will speak her mind on what she likes and doesn't like. People like this aren't much better then pimps, and they should be wiped from the eath as though they were pimps.

 

[fireguardian]

Age to me isn't a factor overall. I don't care if a person is older or younger or same age. All that matters is the maturity level. If the couple can't meet on a maturity level I don't feel that it will work out. I also don't feel that maturity always comes with age. I know of few people are older than me but act the same age as my younger sister (10-13) and than I know people my age that some would say have old souls.

If you're looking for a casual fling this might not be an issue but to me a serious relationships require adults. I wouldn't be able to date a guy no matter what his age if he had the mentality of a child nor would I want to behave that way. That just limits any growth to me. I would feel I have to play babysitter more than girlfriend. I really just don't think age makes much of a difference in that respect.

 

[KrazieDog]

There is a 16 year age difference between Tracy and I. I truly believe that age differences have very little to do with the relationship. It is all about the people and personalities involved with one another...

Relationships can be maintained between people of any age, as long as both are able to fulfill the various needs, and wants of their partner, whether it be emotional, physical, mental, social, financial or spiritual.

Agree with both of the above. It's fun watching Ray and Tracy make it work everyday. I've known some 20 year olds more mature then 50 year olds and some 50+ year olds struggling to compete with the maturity of my 18 year old niece. It's not the number, its the person in each situation, as each situation is different.

 

[Skipadeedoodah]

I've always been interested in guys a few years older than I am, and I don't really think that's going to change anytime soon. Right now the ideal age would be somewhere between 26 and 31, although I could push it to 23-35.

I think you can certainly have healthy relationships outside of a certain age range, but my preference is to keep it within that. I can't really see myself falling in love with a guy who's 40. I just wouldn't look at him that way. As I get older, I'm sure that will change, and I'll be more open to a bigger age range.

 

[starburstz91]

For me, I would think that four or five years wouldn't be too bad, depending on how old the people are. I always vote on "true love" though. If I was deeply in love with another guy who was a few years older than me, and he felt the same, and I would want to spend the rest of my life with him, then yes, age would not matter to me. It's more of an emotional connection than physical when it comes to this. I believe in love, not rules.