So I met this girl by chance and we really hit it off, once I learned of her age I decided to just be friends as I think that 19 to 25 is an age were we mature a lot and I remember myself as a 19yo and I was not mature enough to be a good partner and to be good to myself.
I talked to a female friend of mine and she said that I’m over thinking it and that I should ask her out and be open minded, and so I did and we are going on a date soon.
The thing is, she seems really mature but I can’t put aside the age gap.
Am I over thinking it? Should I really just take it slow and just be vigilant about the situation and notice if this isn’t healthy for me or her?
Or should I let her down easy and continue as friends?
Update: We went on a date and it was great, I read all of the comments and there were some really good advices that I took to heart. I will take things slow and try to be as aware of the situation as possible. I hope it will go well :)
Thank you everyone!
Check to see if there is a power differential here.
Are you an established adult with a Real Job and a nice apartment while she is struggling to figure out how to get out from under the thumb of her controlling family? Or is she happily making her own way in the world as a small farmer or boat salesperson or something while you have been futzing around painting skateboards and playing in a minor punk band?
Older people dating younger people can be wrong because it is easy for the older person to have too much power in the relationship. If you have something she really wants or needs that you can provide or withdraw at will or as a condition of the relationship, you should not date.
Wtfh why do you pretend like people can’t be nice if there is a power differential? A couple with a moderate power differential like you describe is only a problem if the powerful one decides to be a dick about it; it’s literally fine as long as they are a nice person and can commit to not taking advantage.
Yeah, probably more of a ‘proceed with caution’ rather than a flat no.
Plus in any relationship there are wants and needs being met by the relationship that would be withdrawn if the relationship were to end. Mutual benefit is why you get into a long term relationship in the first place.
The moral panic about age gaps for any relationship where both people are over eighteen is so ridiculous.
You’re fine. Just date her in you want to.
I don’t think it is, while age ia not THE determining factor it does point to a possible lack of maturaity, experience, etc
So for some 18yo it night be okay to date a 21+ while others might have a 16yo mindset and really should’t date anyone.
This is a good take, and you seem like a decent person. I think after a couple dates, you would quickly know if she is as mature as she seems and if it feels like the relationship is unbalanced or not.
My wife and I are similar distances and met at a similar age. I couldn’t stand most girls her age, or even my age. But she has always been an old soul, and was more mature than most women I would have met, and certainly more mature than I was back then.
you can’t be 100% sure about a relationship until you try it. it might work out, it might not. age is not going to be an obvious problem upfront if she seems mature. you just have to accept that you’re taking a risk.
Ffs date her and see what happens, you know find out what she’s like and all that…
Date the person not the number…
Also cuz I know the internet likes to be ridiculous with stuff don’t take the above statement and say some dumb shit like what if a 12 yr old was the number, this thread is about an 18 year old who is of legal age for the most part in most places
I mean, does the girl know what she wants and can she fend for herself in a romantic relationship? If so, then no, what are you worried about? The legal age is 18 in this country and if my nieces and their friends are any indication, women are maturing much faster than they used to and they matured faster than boys since almost always.
A more stringent test though is, are you taking advantage of her immaturity? As some others said, only you can answer those questions. But don’t base it on how mature YOU were at 19, that’s apples to oranges my friend.
Your age, divided by 2, then add 7 = minimum age that most of society will deem okay.
For example:
25 ÷ 2 = 12.5 + 7 = 19.5
So the acceptable age for you to date that avoids the ‘ick’ is around 19 years old. Honestly it’s not a big deal in the long run.
For me as long as your above 18 and it’s consentual (ie. not forced, pressured, or groomed, etc), it’s fine.
The age gap might make a relationship difficult, but it’s not wrong. Just make sure you have clear open communication and understand each other’s expectations. You’re both adults.
Thank you!
As for what other people may think, the “half your age + 7” rule is pretty consistent
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Half-age-plus-seven-relationship-rule.svg
But yea you guys will know the situation best. Communicate well :)
The only problem with the chart is that it doesn’t account for stuff like independence. If a 19 year old has a stable job and is living on their own I would be a lot more forgiving than if the 19 year old was still in college and living with their parent.
Also a 19 year old who never dated vs. a 19 year old who dated a few different people already.
Relationship experience is important to help us be safe in our relationships…
I dated a 19-year-old at 25. We’re almost at our 18 year anniversary. The further out you go, the less it matters, and 19 and 25 isn’t bad.
She often states if we met earlier, we would have never dated.
I’m dating someone with about a 6-7 year gap. It’s fine, age fades as you both get older, and honestly, just find someone who makes an excellent partner. Life is too short to worry about a small age gap.
Sometimes I remember my parents have a 18 years age gap, and I can’t quite wrap my head around this.
I met my husband and we were the same ages. It was fine and we’re still together years later. Just ask her out.
Thanks!
You’re 100% overthinking it. If you like her and she’s into the idea, date her - more to the point, get to know her in that context.
If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But I mean, I’ve been with my partner for 14 years (married for 8 of them) with a 7 year age gap, meeting at the opposite end of our 20s. Sometimes it works.
Youre both young, be safe, responsible and do whatever you want.
Honestly, I’ve got no objections to that age gap myself. It does quite depend on what type of people you are.
I’ve had a mate date a girl who was still dealing with high school drama and going out for drinks for the first time and I was kinda like “holy shit you really did snatch get straight out of high school”. That’s my issue with it though, maturity levels.
At the same time I had friends who both married and moved out at 18.
The numbers being different alone mean nothing to me.
At 25 I was dating to find out who my wife would be, if that’s you and she has a problem with it… Well yeah.
Checking this thread, I’m more convinced that I missed the train by a long shot. I’m about to be 33 and due to several circumstances, I haven’t been able to date at all, or have any friends to begin with. Given the rule of half plus seven, finding a woman age 23 or higher with the same (lack of) romantic history is basically impossible.
Don’t be so pessimistic about it, i thought as you do. However, if you meet a person fitting to you, it is of no importance that you have no experience. I had my first date recently, probably ten years later than most. While i was embarrassed, it was no problem for her and she was very considerate to me.
As of me, I don’t feel as comfortable. I’d rather stay alone than having to somehow compensate for all the experience that I don’t have and will certainly be compared to and found lacking. I can’t imagine a person comparing me with her ex and saying “yeah, I can settle for him”
Oh man…
Please don’t let feelings of being less than due to inexperience stop you from pursuing a relationship if that is something you want. Don’t worry about comparison - you can’t control that. What you can do is present your best self, as you are, and let the chips fall where they may. You might be surprised.
Eh, personally I’m a bit too jaded by rejection, not romantically, but from potential friends turned bullies. So I have no intention of pursuing anything romantic unless I’m 110% sure that the relationship will work for me.
Honestly, I think that when you love someone you never settle, you are excited that this person is in your life, even though they are not perfect. This is to say that once you fond someone that truly loves you their exs won’t compare because you are the person that they want and it won’t matter if one of the exs was better at some specific thing, you are better as a whole and they choose you.
Welp, there lies part of the problem - I don’t think I offer much in the way of anything, and in fact I have more needs than what I can offer back. Which is precisely why I don’t have any friends either.
Everyone has something to offer to someone. Flaws are human, I can say that some of the people that I loved the most were also the most flawed people I knew, and it didn’t stop me from loving them and wanting then in my life.
Life is not transactional, don’t discount yourself because you might not see your own value right now.
I’m turning 31 this year, and my girlfriend is 25.
We’ve been together six years now. I didn’t realize she was still 18 until the end of our first date, and she caught that I was visibly startled by it.
I owned up that I didnt realize and assumed from our interactions that she was at least 20-22 and she laughed and apologized, saying she thought I knew her age.
After going home and thinking about how well we hit it off, and how she found my concern amusing, I decided I was being silly and that if the age gap was a problem it would make itself evident.
Best decision ever. Nothing wrong with paying attention to those things, just keep open communication with each other 👍
I’ll also note that I had skipped college and had been working, and was about to go back to school. She was about to start her second year in college.
There are multiple ways people can find themselves on the same path and there was some serendipity for sure.
To the point of many other people here, yes, over the next five years she is going to evolve more than you as a person. So just understand going that growing apart is more likely than if you were both in your 30’s.
Nothing wrong with that, just a reality to acknowledge.
I dated a 5 year younger woman in my twenties for 5 years and while the age gap itself wasn’t an issue to us or anyone else, what turned out to be an issue, was that she changed quite dramatically during those 5 years and we ended up growing apart. That’s a feature of a young age though, not the age difference.
This is the real issue. Date her and have a great time, but don’t consider moving in together or getting married for years. I got married when we were both 18 and after a few years, she turned into a different person and ended up really hurting me. 0/10 would not do again.
I think this is the biggest risk. 19 year olds often change a lot before they’re ready to settle down. If OP is looking for a long term relationship it’s more risky.
That’s a fine age gap. Y’all are both adults
