Marrying a younger man may invite a lot of judgements from society but that is nothing compared to the happiness and contentment you will feel in the marriage. And ladies, if you love experimenting, definitely marry a younger man, it will keep you thrilled for life!
Age should not be a barrier to love and companionship. There is no reason why a relationship between an older woman and younger man cannot work long term, provided both partners are committed and willing to put in the work.
For those who'd like to put a number to things, usually, a gap of 1-7 years can be considered an acceptable age difference between adults. People whose ages are within 1-3 years typically do not see much of an age difference, while years 4-7 might begin to feel a little bit more pronounced.
In the past, romance between younger men and older women was considered taboo by many. Recently, though—as notions about love and relationships continue to evolve—age-gap partnerships that involve a younger man have become more commonplace and accepted.
In short, research seems to indicate that in many cultures, an age gap of 1 to 3 years is considered ideal — but some researchers suggest even a relationship with an age gap of less than 10 years will bring more satisfaction. Still, numbers rarely tell the full story when it comes to love.
A person with such a sexual preference is a gerontophile or gerontosexual. The word gerontophilia was coined in 1901 by psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing.
A relationship age gap bigger than 10 years often comes with its own set of issues. “While there are always exceptions to rules, a good rule to remember is that dating someone more than 10 years older will present challenges now or later that add to the preexisting challenges any relationship has,” he says.
The truth is, there is no ideal or appropriate age gap in a relationship. Whether it's a 20 year age gap relationship or a 5 year age gap relationship, there will be both challenges and benefits to your situation.
"Half-your-age-plus-seven" rule
According to this rule, a 28-year-old would date no one younger than 21 (half of 28, plus 7) and a 50-year-old would date no one younger than 32 (half of 50, plus 7).
Is it wrong to date someone 20 years younger than you? As long as you're both old enough to be consenting adults, it can only be wrong if you two think there's something wrong with it. Unless you have an issue with the dynamics of your relationship, there's no one else who can say what you're doing is wrong.
If an older woman and a younger man have compatible personalities, interests, and goals, they can be just as happy together as any other couple.
Falling in love with a woman 10, 15, 20 years older, or more can be exhilarating. These so-called age-gap relationships with the woman as the senior partner are more accepted now than in previous times, some observers say. Even so, making the relationship last involves tackling some thorny -- and sensitive -- issues.
“Even if the age gap is small, like 4 to 5 years, different levels of maturity can be observed,” says Brandy Porche, a licensed professional counselor with MindPath. “When there is a significant difference in age, like 10 to 15 years or more, life experiences can be vastly different.”
However, it's never too late to find the love of your life. There are countless men and women who have found happiness with a new partner in middle age or even later. You could be one of them.
Researches have stated that married couples who have reached their late 40s or early 50s are likely to have sex once in 10 days. However, it is not the same for all couples as a very small percentage of them feel that sex is even better now that they have turned almost 50.
The dating age rule to determining a socially acceptable age difference in partners goes something like this: half your age plus seven (40 = 20 +7 = 27) to define the minimum age of a partner and your age minus seven times two (40 = 33 * 2 = 60) to define the maximum age of a partner.
In Western countries, of male-female couples have an age-gap of 10 years or more, rising to 25% in male-male unions and 15% of female-female relationships. For some the gap is even larger – data suggests that around 1% of heterosexual couples in the US have an age difference of 28 years or more.
Traditionally, it is believed that there should be a gap of 3 to 4 years between a man and a woman and the man should be older than the woman. However, there have been marriages with age gaps of more than 5 to 10 years of gap and still have been successful.
Fitzpatrick says that the general age gap usually accepted by society is about ten to twelve years, after which you'll probably start raising some eyebrows; "Once one partner is old enough to be the other's parent, people tend to frown."
Most people don't think age-gapped relationships are a big deal. A 2008 study found that couples only face societal disapproval when their age difference is over ten years—I'm in the clear! Woo! Even big age gaps tend to become less taboo as people get older, and it certainly matters at what age the couple met.
The “creepiness rule” states that the youngest you should date is “half your age plus seven.” The less commonly used corollary is that the oldest you should date is “subtract seven from your age and double it.” According to this rule, society should accept a 50 year old man dating a 32 year old woman.
It is no surprise that men tend to gravitate towards older women because they marvel at their maturity and sense of independence. There are certain things in older women that younger men admire a lot. Older women's ability to handle situations efficiently is what pulls men in.
If you're looking for something light and fun then having a younger man by your side may be the right decision for you. However, if you're looking for a committed relationship, you might want to consider someone a bit older who is in the same place.
While men seem to be genetically predisposed to be attracted to women in their mid-to-late-20s, women tend to be attracted to men around their ages, if not older; this means men in their 30s have the best of both worlds. Men in their 30s are attractive to a wide range of women, from 20-somethings to women in their 40s.
Experts note that as you two become closer, age becomes just a number, and the gap between you two won't matter as much. Ask him questions about his past, his childhood, and his family. Check in with him about his emotions, and make sure he feels safe enough to open up to you.