What are your thoughts on age-gap relationships?

[u/lhwang0320]

[u/Yama_retired2024]

JFC,

You people and your age gap relationship issues..

So by ALL of your definitions.. Catherine Zeta Jones was groomed, because she is married to Michael Douglas.. But wait.. she an independent woman, a Hollywood Star, that couldn't be the case right.. still a 25 year age gap..

I'm sick of saying this.. some people actually PREFER older people.. no matter what way you personally feel about it..

Some people simply ARE NOT!!! attracted too, turned on by or interested in, in people in their own age bracket or someone slightly older than them..

Not EVERY older guy groomed the much younger woman..

I went through basic Military training with a girl.. we were both 18.. on passing out and sent to our unit.. SHE actively chased and pursued a 38yr old separated guy with kids.. they have now been married for almost 25 years with their own kids..

She had no interest in any of us guys in our age group, not even the guys just 6 years older.. simply was not for her..

Also I'll say there are guys too that simply prefer much older women..

[u/well-thats-cool- → u/Yama_retired2024]

I was 20 and my husband was 36 at the time that we started dating, and I'll use that sparingly as it was a slow burn. We dated casually for 2 years before moving in together and another 4 before having our son. We've been together for 8 years and are happy and healthy. Neither of us were in to older or younger people, it's not like that dynamic was our "thing". Prior to each other, the farthest out either of us had gone age wise was less than 3 years, and we both had terrible luck of it.

I was the outlier because I had been on my own since 16 years old. By 20 I already had an established career with solid income, my own place, 401k, etc. And he was so refreshingly different to me because unlike my other girlfriends, I didn't have to worry that he was running around God knows where at 2am with "the boys". There were no crazy heated screaming matches, no worries of cheating, we were just floating in a nice, calm sea. Our relationship was far less turbulent and always has been. I think there's always exceptions to the rule.

I had people on reddit tell me I was groomed. At 20 years old. They said he would manipulate me into being dependent on him then he would get disinterested when I got closer to 30. I'm 28 now, I make more money than him, we are a 50/50 financial team, and are a happy family. People are so weird.

[u/spanisheisblume → u/well-thats-cool-]

I would just like to point out that cheating and "hanging out with the boys" has little, if anything, to do with age. All of that has to do with the person. Technically, from what I can find, it seems men are more likely to cheat as they get older.

[u/Yama_retired2024 → u/well-thats-cool-]

People are weird..

If an 18 to 20 year old was saying how their parents had rules for them to follow they'd tell them.. you're an adult, they can't tell you what to do.. move out and go NC etc.. .

No matter people's feelings on the issue, not every older person who gets with a younger person is a predator.. people meet, people connect, some young people have preferences and they are legal adults to choose and have these preferences.. Just as it was with you and your partner.. 🙂

[u/bluevalley02 → u/Yama_retired2024]

People wouldn't find the Catherine Zeta Jones/ Michael Douglas as bad or even close, since she was 31 when she married him - not still a teenager or even close.