Age difference and love

[Pryderi]

how important is age in a relationship?

[LeftyFingerPop]

1. I have always believed that you should be within 30 days of the age of your partner. n/t

[Pryderi]

2. I say 7 years.

[LeftyFingerPop]

3. Seriously...I don't think it matters all that much once you get older...

The most important thing is the mental connection. If you have it you have it, if you don't, you don't.

[Captain Hilts]

37. It does if you end up spending the last years of your life as a caregiver for an older spouse. nt

[bluesbassman]

4. Really boils down to compatibility...

common interests, experiences. If two people are compatible in many areas, I don't see where age really makes a difference. I've known many couples that were 10+ years apart and had wonderful relationships. Just depends on the people.

[elleng]

5. NOT

[Moondog]

6. Just so long as Tab "A" fits into Slot "B", what difference does it make?

On edit - well, as long as both are above the age of consent, that is ....

[Bucky]

28. Thanks for that correction. Some people don't like the taste of Tab

I didn't mean it that way, ya pevs...

[seabeyond]

7. depending on the distance in age, factors will be brought into the relationship

up to the couple how they deal with them

[Skittles]

8. to me it gets weird when you're old enough to be their parent

[EndersDame]

9. I personally believe that Maturity level difference makes more of a difference

and lifestyle choices but that is just me

[Bertha Venation]

10. In our relationship, it doesn't matter a bit.

Mrs. V. was born eleven years before me. If anything the difference in our ages strengthens us.

I just love her. Cherish her. Nothing else matters.

[Fleshdancer]

11. It's as important as you want it to be.

For me, I don't think a big age gap would be important at all. Then again, my father was 18 yrs older than my mom and they were madly in love.

[Taverner]

12. Depends on the indiviuals and their bank accounts

[FedUpWithIt All]

13. I am 13 years older than my partner. We really do meet somewhere in the middle.

I have never found another human being to be so compatible. We have excellent communication, mutual respect and a realistic understanding of the difficulties of relationships in general.

I think that age is not simply calculated by a person's number of days so much as it is their view of the world.

[Bucky]

31. Hey, watch it with the smutty innuendo!

Also, congratulations. Whatever works, works, and should be enjoyed to the fullest. :thumbsup:

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. It's very important, because our age partly defines who we are.

Just as the questions "How important is education to a relationship?" and "How important is leg length to a relationship?"

:shrug:

That's not the question you want to ask, though, is it?

I assume you meant to ask "Can a relationship work successfully if there is a gap in ages?"

[Captain Hilts]

32. Good points. Not necessarily a determining factor, but still often a factor. nt

[mike_c]

15. My SO is considerably older than I am....

Twenty days older.

She is SO going to kill me if she reads DU! :rofl:

[lizziegrace]

16. lelapin and zombienixon are 13 minutes apart in age

I think that's about right. ;-)

[Pryderi]

17. The one aspect where age makes a difference is when one partner reminisces about the times

they grew up in. However, I do agree that love knows no age divide. My first wife, who passed away a few years ago, was 7 years older than I, and my second wife is the same age as I am. Sometimes I felt left out when my first wife would talk to friends her own age about their childhood/young adult experiences.

[treestar]

18. They should be 4 or 8 years older or younger

At least, that's what the year descriptions on Chinese restaurant place mats say.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

19. I passed on dating a girl I really, really liked when she was 19 and I was 27

I felt she was just too young, although she was probably more mature than me at that point.

Now she'd be 26........it wouldn't really matter now, and it feels like a lost opportunity.

[Quantess]

22. Look her up! Chat her up and see if she's single...

I might, if I were you.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

33. I've tried

Sent her an e-mail a few years back, but for all I know it was no longer active. Part of me fears she looks at me as some "creepy older guy" in hindsight. But that's likely just my hangup.

[Bucky]

29. You probably made the right call

A couple of years ago I found myself dating a 24 year old. All that great friendship chemistry means nothing when you try to fit it into a romantic relationship. 41 year olds and 24 year old just have different goals and expectations. We've stayed friends, but damn was that a bad call on both our parts.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

34. Maybe

Even if it hadn't really worked out, nothing ventured, nothing gained. As far as goals, I'm sure she's already far beyond me in her career than I am.

[Lilith Velkor]

44. I was in the exact same situation a few years back

We stayed friends, no romantic bullshit, but every now and then I hit that like the fist of an angry god. :nuke:

[Iggo]

39. I was 28. She was 19. I did not pass.

EDIT: That last part was gross. Lemme just say "we had fun."

[Orrex]

20. Do you mean like a creepy Edward/Bella relationship?

[XemaSab]

25. 147 and 17?

That's like February/February OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR. :o

[Odin2005]

21. As long as they are adults? not much, quite often.

My best friend is 21, her BF is 31.

[MiddleFingerMom]

23. Friends of mine met...

.
...when she was 18 and he was 29.
.
Married within a year or two and had a 7-year-old boy when I knew them.
.
He was an ex-wildman (Harley tat on his bicep) who had gone "straight"
and was at the point I knew them a senior VP with an insurance company.
.
When he turned 40, he told his wife he wanted a Corvette for his birthday.
.
Always the more conventional of the two, she told him she thought he
should have a Mercedes or Beamer -- something "more in keeping with your
station".
.
My friend was a SMART man, if nothing else. He immediately told her that
all married men, when they turn 40, go through a midlife crisis and either
get a sports car or a mistress.
.
My friend's wife was a SMART woman. She thought for a moment and then asked
him, "So... what color 'Vette do you want?"
.
No joke.
.
And the answer was 'Red'.
.
Of course.
.

[murielm99]

24. Nobody in this thread has addressed any significant age

differences. My first husband was 22 years older than me. He was the love of my life.

My daughter is engaged to someone 17 years older than herself.

Maturity is the key, not chronological age. Age does not matter as much as common interests, education, goals.

[XemaSab]

26. I dated someone 20 years older than I was, and it was great

We had a lot in common.

I would totally date someone 20 years older than me again, but I would never date someone 20 years younger than me.

'Cause dating a 12 year old would be gross and sketchy. :o

[sakabatou]

27. My fiance is 3 years younger than me

[Captain Hilts]

30. Older men with significantly younger women is often about control or 2nd childhood. nt

[raccoon]

35. And often about having a trophy wife. nt

[Captain Hilts]

36. That too. nt

[Burma Jones]

42. I don't know.....I'm 10 years my Wife's senior....I attribute it to skipping my first marriage.

And while my Wife is indeed a treasure, I don't think of her as a trophy.....

[RockaFowler]

38. My husband is 17 years older than me

We seemed to be OK. We like the same music, the same design and the same movies. I think you just have to find the right person and age doesn't really matter (unless you're under 18). I met my husband when I was 20 and he was 37. I just grew up faster than some girls I guess.

[brendan120678]

40. I firmly believe in the standard rule of...

half one's age plus 7.

[Burma Jones]

41. I am ten years' older than my wife, her parents are older than mine

I am the eldest child of young (Mom 18, Dad 22) parents and my wife is the youngest child of older parents (Mom 31, Dad 33)

We get along just fine, the only difference is that I like schlock 70's Pop Music and she likes schlock 80's Pop Music

After age 25, it all sort of blends together

[MilesColtrane]

43. There's an old rule of thumb that says...

Take your age, divide it by two and add seven. That number is the youngest you should date or become involved with.

I have to say that the only time I dated someone younger than the formula, it ended in disaster, so maybe there's something to it.

[Recovered Repug]

45. I'm 17 years older than my girlfriend (44 and 27).

For the most part the age difference isn't a problem. However, we did start dating around the time my 25th high school reunion took place. That was a little odd.