I’m 39 and I met a girl at a bar a few weeks ago, randomly started chatting it up, bought her a drink, got the phone number, and I’ve seen her a couple times a week since then. This was the first time I met someone without a dating app and I was quite proud of myself.
I’ve been told I look younger than my age, still somewhat fit, I’ve got all my hair and no grays yet.
Turns out her birthday is coming up soon and she said she was turning 29 and that’s when I told her I was 39 and she was pretty surprised. I don’t foresee it changing things all that much, by that age they know what they want and the maturity level is there, unlike when I was younger dating a 21 year old and I was 29.
But when I saw her a week later she said she was telling her friends about me and it went something like:
“I told my friends I’ve been seeing this guy and he’s 39 and they’re like “omg are you kidding he’s 39!!”… “I told them no it’s not that bad he doesn’t look that old!”
And I’ll admit that stung a little, that’s the first time I’ve heard that because I’ve never been in this situation before.
I’m going to keep riding things out, we live about a 10min walk from each other, she’s a lawyer and I’m in sales. I’m just wondering how it’s worked out for anyone else in this situation and the only thing I’m a little worried about is when I meet the friends and if they’ll see me as just “too old” for her.
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I’m 39 and I met a girl at a bar a few weeks ago, randomly started chatting it up, bought her a drink, got the phone number, and I’ve seen her a couple times a week since then. This was the first time I met someone without a dating app and I was quite proud of myself.
I’ve been told I look younger than my age, still somewhat fit, I’ve got all my hair and no grays yet.
Turns out her birthday is coming up soon and she said she was turning 29 and that’s when I told her I was 39 and she was pretty surprised. I don’t foresee it changing things all that much, by that age they know what they want and the maturity level is there, unlike when I was younger dating a 21 year old and I was 29.
But when I saw her a week later she said she was telling her friends about me and it went something like:
“I told my friends I’ve been seeing this guy and he’s 39 and they’re like “omg are you kidding he’s 39!!”… “I told them no it’s not that bad he doesn’t look that old!”
And I’ll admit that stung a little, that’s the first time I’ve heard that because I’ve never been in this situation before.
I’m going to keep riding things out, we live about a 10min walk from each other, she’s a lawyer and I’m in sales. I’m just wondering how it’s worked out for anyone else in this situation and the only thing I’m a little worried about is when I meet the friends and if they’ll see me as just “too old” for her.
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I got my heart broken. She realized she had all the options open and took them.
For me, about to go on 2 years of dating. So far so good
29 and 39 isn’t a meaningful age gap to worry about. That’s around the same stage of life. I wouldn’t even call that “significantly younger”.
10 years is a lot when the younger person is 20. Not so much at 30.
Saying this at 29, she seems to still be a bit immature. I can understand if they’re in their low 20s while they are either still in college or just starting to work entry but 29?? I had a chance to date a 23yo (im 35m) and I couldnt do it because of our phase difference. I thought it would be easier at your age and gap but damn now I dont want to seek for a while longer.
Depends on the eexpectations you both have. Are you looking for a serious relationship or just “let’s see how it goes”? How about her?
My husband is 15 years older than me. He was one of the only men I ever dated who was actually serious about me, dated me properly, and wanted to marry me. I have always been a daddy’s girl and kind of the submissive type, so the age difference was comfortable for me. There is a power dynamic in our relationship, which not everyone would be comfortable with, but it works for us. The best thing an older man can provide a younger woman is the stability, seriousness, and maturity than a younger man many times does not. More financial security is another benefit.
Only you can determine how well her maturity is matched to yours regardless of the date on the birth certificate….don’t let ANYBODY tell you what is and isn’t right for your own situation… you will find on here that some people have some very fucked up views on age gap relationships without much logic and automatically assume some nefarious actions on the part of the older party regardless of who actually initiated the relationship.
M48/F33 long term very stable, balanced and happy relationship.
The age is not a problem, dating a lawyer is the risky part
At that age it’s no problem. For me it was fun having a hot younger chick. I still date much younger women and I’m far older than you.
Forget about the friends.
Im 39 also, was hooking up with a 26 year old for a few weeks… same boat, her friends got involved that same way.
Pros: Fun, energetic ( made me feel young again when alone), great sex
Cons: No similar cultural references, somewhat immature, being around her friends made me feel old.
im in my 40s, my gf in my 20s. bout to hit 4 yrs. it really depends on the person. if you click with a person, you are both adults, why the fuck do you care what others think? It only matters what you and the other person think.
I met my wife when she was 28, and I think I was 36/37. She worked in a hotel and I was a bartender. Ends up we’ve both evolved into different people over the years. Now she’s 42 and I’m 50, and although we do have our differences, we’re incredibly happy together. My girlfriend before her was 22/23, a coworker and had a level of immaturity that I really could t deal with. Thinking about it, the ex might have been 25, but she was enough to get me to stop chasing young “hotties”, and look for better qualities in a partner vs finding someone to just have fun with.
39/2+7=26.5
You’re in the clear. It’s not that big a gap and to your point, someone who is 29 is old enough not to necessarily worry about a maturity gap or worry that you’re taking advantage of someone who doesn’t know better.
Younger women (20+ age gap) have the latest hardware but very little on the hard drive.
Depends on the age gap, dating someone in their younger 20s was a big what am I doing moment for myself as I reached my younger 30s. While yea, they’re pretty, but trying to connect with someone still in their formative years was a struggle for me.
I didn’t purposefully seek out younger women but met them organically, now I just avoid them altogether. Your gap is similar but she’s outta her 20s. She’s way more likely to emotionally mature enough for a committed relationship.
39 and 29, in theory it’s not an issue. Short-term should not present much issues, but long-term is where the gaps start to show, if any.
I wouldn’t worry about it for now. If you start seeing this gap widen, that’s when you should be concerned. If you two are happy and are able to get along then that’s all that should matter!
I was 29 when I dated a 20 year old. Man, that was bad. But if I were 39 and her 29 I doubt much of an issue would arise as those extra 9 years would’ve taught her a lot about being an adult already.
As long as she is mature minded herself and is ok with the age gap its fine but if she is not sure or depends on her friends or peers a lot, this means she is not sure and will see that as an issue later. Whenever someone is worried about age gap, just leave! Those who like older men never talk about it, they would rather shower you with compliments or statements glorifying the maturity and her preference for maturity.
As long as your both happy who cares
I’m 11 years older than my wife and so far so good.
I have. A few times. I used to live in a college town and would often get hit on by young women. I’m 48 now. Before I go married nearly 5 years ago I was with a 25 yr old when I was 41. It great. She was a grad student studying Behavioral Neuroscience and we both filled a void in our lives. Honestly, it was one of the best relationships I’ve been in. But it was temporary and we both knew that going into it. She graduated and moved on. I stayed in my blue collar career.
My guess is her friends who said this are probably younger than her. Water off a duck, a decade is not a huge gap.
At that age it’s barely an age gap.. I thought I was gonna hear 20 or 21.
My wife (33f) is 11 years younger than me (44m). The only issue I have run into is a difference in maturity and less life experience.
I was always in the same boat. Looking much younger than I am. I remember getting carded for a CD with the “parental advisory” sticker on it. I was 24! I’m 49 and nobody guesses I’m out of my 30s. So don’t worry about her friends. They’ll see you and say “oh ok. This is fine.” Obviously you’re asking because you’re wondering how a relationship is going to go. Well she’s young and may not be done becoming who she’s going to be. Definitely going to go through some situations you can chalk up to inexperience. Younger women are more likely to be clingy. On the good side, if you want children, women your age probably already have kids and are past the point of wanting to put their bodies through that again. So if that’s something you want, this girls age is perfect. I’ve only dated younger because women my age always would’ve looked like I was out with my aunt or some shit. More than anything is just life experience. She’s missing that. She may not see it. You may not think so. But it will come up. So be patient.
After I got divorced I dated a 22 year old when I was 32 for about 6 months. It had its pros and cons. She had tons of energy and made me feel young again which was helpful after the previous few rough years. Her friends seemed to like me and it helps that I look younger too but I did feel a little weird trying to hang out with them when we were in such different places in our lives, kind of how do you do fellow kids.
Anyway she wanted her own kid(s) and I had no intention of having more so we decided being friends would be better, and she ended up marrying a very nice man who’s older than me (so she has a type) and also has a kid, and they have two more together now. And I’m happily with someone my age and completely on the same timeline with in life.
In your case she’s 29 and much closer to you in where she’s at in life. Either way you should definitely give it a chance.
The amount of 28 year old girls hitting on men around 40 is staggering.
I too was hit on my a 28 yo girl when i was 39. Just go with the flow and see where it leads. Young girls are fun and if she is independant and mature the age difference isnt a big deal.
My girlfriend is 24, she’s 11 years younger.
For an age gap relationship to work she has to match you in maturity and wanting to settle down, I’m way past the point of clubbing or going to festivals or staying out late. If she didn’t want that I’d show her the door no hard feelings.
Typically I go older but she makes life easy for me and I do the same for her so it works.
I was 38 when I met my wife and she was 26. I’m 50 now and she’s still here making me put up shelves n shit.
45 and have a 29yr old partner and usually date younger than my age. First off 10yrs is not a huge age gap when your older. But to answer your question they are still just people, they may talk a little more and be more immature but thats about it
It is great!! Age does not matter. It how the person is.
The age difference is not that signifiant and timing is everything. If, at your age you are serious about moving onto the next stage of your life, getting married, and having children, this probably aligns perfectly with her objectives and allows for an optimized reproductive window without a massive rush.
I wouldn’t sweat the fact that she’s talking with her friends about you and your age. It shows that you’re seriously being considered for a relationship. The important feedback will come after you are introduced to them and they can do a full assessment on you and how well you treat her.
Consider how different the dynamic would be if you were 47 and she were 35. In addition, if you date for a while, and it doesn’t work out, the opportunity cost is not at panic levels for her yet.
As you get a bit older, you’re going to start to notice that the age gap that you have is going to become quite common because it didn’t acceptable range for women that have postponed their reproductive efforts to their late 30s. You are also going to see quite a bit of it in second marriages as you start to know more people that have gone through divorce.
If you managed to turn this into a long-term relationship, just make sure that you stay very fit and attractive so that you don’t look out of sync with her.
I briefly dated an 18 year old when I was 29. She used to work for me which was how we knew each other. She contacted me after she turned 18, we had some fun but quickly realized we didn’t have much in common, we were at completely different stages of our lives. We tried to reconnect several years later but the timing wasn’t right. Since then I’ve just dated women within a few years of my age.
I’m 39 and she’s 29. We met 3 years ago. She’s now my wife.
When I was 25 I stated dating a woman who was 36. We went out for 4 years.
When I was 35 I started dating a woman who was 26. We eventually married and were together for 15 years.
Now I’m 73 and with a woman who is my age. We’ve been together for 14 years and counting.
All 3 worked very well.
I don’t feel the age difference should matter in your case as long as you are both comfortable with it. Her friends sound immature though if they are freaked out by it.
Last year, I was 39 and dated someone who was 29 (turned 30 right away though).
It was fine, I’d say it felt a little “weird” but never “creepy”. There were some differences. She had more energy than me. She would drink more than me. Both seemed weird for a bit until I remembered what I was like at 29.
This age gap is enough to see the difference in social media immersion. People our age that are really immersed in social media usually have at least some shame and humility for it. Pretty much everyone younger than us, it’s all they’ve ever known, so they are just unapologetically immersed and driven by social media. That’s one I never got used to. I could tell a lot of the things she would think/talk about during the day were driven by what she saw while scrolling. Sort of like my dad and fox news XD.
We had our little jokes, like she would ask if I wanted to eat pizza and I’d respond with “No, I dont’ want to feel like crap” and she wouldn’t understand. Give it 5 years, kid.
I’d do it again. It’s not what I’m looking for but I’d do it again.
Age gaps under, say, 25 creep me out. By 29 she’s mature enough to understand things out there. When we’d have some differences that made things awkward (like me being tired and wanting to go home right after a concert instead of going out drinking), I’d always feel like “Well, she knew what she was getting into”.
She was very attractive for a 29 year old and I never really understood why she was with me, that type of sentiment is usually unhealthy but if you’re attractive and young, it seems strange to forego finding someone your own age. Still haven’t figured that one out. Reddit likes to pretend there are lots of young women into older men because apparently reddit likes to fantasize about this type of thing. It’s not as much as you’d think, but I guess it does happen.
10 years is a big age gap but it isn’t always a big maturity gap so just based on that you might be fine.
HOWEVER, you mention being 29 and dating 21 year olds in the past too, and if dating women 10 years younger than you is a pattern of yours, that’s an issue you should look at because it suggests either a high level of emotional immaturity and/or a discomfort with partners who are on an even playing field with you.
I’m not saying you’re sitting there twirling your mustache and preying on young women. The pattern might not be intentional on your end but it might still impact the outcome and/or quality of your relationships. For both partners.
If you consistently feel you relate better to women 10 years younger than you than women closer to your age, it could be that generationally, you share more values with that group which is fine. It could be that you’re stuck and as she matures, she’ll outgrow you which sucks for both of you. It could be that you aren’t accustomed to being held accountable in a relationship or you’re uncomfortable when you’re not in a position of power and control which, doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person but it can turn a good relationship toxic if left unchecked. It could be that you’re self-sabotaging by seeking out relationships that are likely to fail. Or it could be a coincidence or a million other things.
You owe it to her and yourself to just do your due diligence about it. Age gaps ARE something that needs to be navigated. Even in a very good and healthy relationships, gaps that large can cause friction in a number of ways. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it or possible but it’s something to be aware of.
Hi, I am a 28f, dating a 41m. The age gap is not significant at 30 and 40. The life stages can be significant. If the older has kids, or if the two of you have different goals. Besides that, the sheer age at this poit is insignificant
It’s normal for girls to react that way tbh, especially if they’ve only dated ppl around their age. I’m sure once they meet you, they’ll understand what she sees in you and will quickly forget about the age difference (which isn’t that crazy)
My girlfriend (f26) and I (m49) have been together about 2 and half years. Hands down the best relationship of my life.
29 to 39 isn’t that big.
.
the youngest I’ve ever dated was 5 years younger than me. Generally there are maturity issues
I’m in my 40’s now and would still like to have some kids so I’m about to start trying to date women 10 years younger than me and I’m dreading it
I married a woman almost 11 years younger than me though. We met when she was 27 and I was 38. It’s pretty nice to have a younger woman at an older age.
One thing I’ve noticed about hitting 40 is the girls keep checking me out.
I believe the average age gap across all relationships is 7 years. Meaning, men are generally older in a relationship. By on average, 7 years.
I’m currently dating someone 15 years younger than me (45, 30). Sometimes it feels weird, sometimes it doesn’t.
Most people around us don’t seem to think it’s weird. Occasionally we’ll get a comment, but usually in an endearing way.
I look at the relationships around me, and the man is almost always older. It seems to work. That’s been a pattern for all of human civilization really. Older man, younger woman.
I was surprised to learn I am still very attractive to women at 45. Heck, I might be at my most attractive point right now. I have no shortage of feminine attention. It’s kind of nuts actually. Very unexpected for me.
I also work in an industry where I get to meet a lot of elderly couples, and see their birthdates. Very often I’ll see a 10-20 year gap between couples. Almost always the man is older. It’s very common. It becomes especially more common as you start hitting your 40s.
It works because it works.
Women are attracted to men who are confident, established, and more financially secure. Men are attracted to youth and beauty.
Men in their 40s also tend to be more gentlemanly. We know how to date. We know how to treat a lady. We’re fun, because we know stuff and have experience.
I’d say embrace the age difference. Show her some old movies you liked from the 90s. Tell her about the songs that were popular when she was born. Joke about “ah, you kids these days”.
We have a great banter. She loves hearing about the 80s. I like learning about what TV are currently popular. She enjoys my strength. I enjoy her softness.
It works.
It works because it works.
Even if this particular relationship you’re talking about doesn’t eventually work, it’s a theme you’ll start noticing into your 40s: Women are still attracted to you. In fact, even more so than before.
It’s an unexpected but strange bonus about being a man entering your 40s. You’re still attractive. Women are still attracted to you. Your value, is actually increasing.
And at the end of the day, you really aren’t that much older than her.
Embrace it! Have fun!
You’re fine.
There is a 25-year age difference between French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron.
Really depends on the person. I dated someone 15 years younger and it was a lot like having a pet – too big of a difference in life experience. With someone 5-7 years younger it would be less apparent. As your relationship progresses you get more in sync since you’re living through the same experiences. I know multiple couples with over 10 years age gaps happily together for decades.
29 and 39 is fine. But she sounds kinda immature for a 29yo tbh
My brother and his wife just got married at 37 and 27. When it’s meant to be it’s meant to be. Good luck to you
Once everyone’s past 25, nobody seems to give a shit, and the people who do were going to find something else to judge you for anyways.
I was 29 and my wife was 22 when we started dating. She had her shit together and was very mature for her age. I was still living like a 19 year old but really trying hard to find stability and guidance. Funny enough, this girl that was 7 years younger than me fresh out of college was who I needed. Shit just happens that way. We’ve been together 18 years now, married for 13, two kids, a dog, a cat, a beautiful.
What happened to mods enforcing rule #4 about dating advice posts?
I’d say after 29/30 is not that much of a big gap anymore. I was 9 years older than my ex, met her when I was 34 and she was 25. Even though she was mature, I did feel sometimes that there was a certain “lack of experience”, which is absolutely natural around that age.
I’d say keep going for it. If you like each other, then the age gap shouldn’t be an issue really…
If i said there is only 5 year gap, you wouldn’t think it’s significant. Especially when im currently in my mid-40s. When we met, however, I was 24, and she was 19. That’s a significant 5 years. Turned out great. But anyone dating someone in their early 20s should be ready to help someone transition from childhood expectations to adult expectations. Yes, 19 is adult. I don’t think I robbed the cradle by any means. But in those 5 years, a person is figuring a lot about who they really are. You just need to be ready for that. She’s amazing now as she was then, but I pushed her more than she deserved.
My gf is 39, I’m 33… A friend of mine she’s also 33 and her bf is 42…. I think past a certain point, some age gaps really don’t matter specially not if you’re genuinely compatible and work well together. 🤷♂️
Dude 29 and 39 isn’t that deep. She’s nearly 30, you’re both on the prime of your life. Go for it and enjoy yourself. See where it goes.
Heavenly! I’m in my early thirties. Once I started dating and hooking up within the 18-23 age range, I never returned to dating women my age or older.
Not a 10 year difference, but my wife of 8 years is 8.5 years younger than me. We probably get along better than many couples of the same age. It helped that I was established in my career field with a good salary.
I’m in a 10yr age gap relationship (going more than 20 yrs). From my experience it generally doesn’t really matter once you are both firmly into adulthood.
My ex was 18 years younger than me and it was the best relationship I ever had.
I wouldnt overthink these things.
When I split with my ex four years ago I was 31. I went out with a 21 year old I met off an app, really because she was hot, but we also had good banter. After spending more than a few hours with her, I realized that we have nothing in common. Our pop culture touchstones were entirely different (she’d never heard of Seinfeld,) I stopped using new social media after instagram and still only use it for photos and messaging sometimes, (she was a chronic tik tok user,) she had the egotism of a young person who hadn’t experienced much, but wanted to play around in adult spaces (not her fault, I did the same at her age.)
Overall I realized that I’m not really interested in dating anyone more than 3 or 4 years younger than me. And a lot of it comes down to how we use social media. We used to have more drawn out eras of content that were almost universally experienced. Now everyone exists in their own bubble and we move from one trend to another before the dust from the first can settle. It’s exhausting trying to engage with someone on that level.
You’re gonna be riding it out, alright.
On a serious note: they difference is fine. The most important is that you both are happy.
My wife is 10 years younger than I am and we’ve been married 33 years.
29 is not significantly younger than 39.
I don’t understand why she shared the details of her conversation with her friends. You obviously didn’t like hearing it, and I doubt her friends wanted you to hear it.
But now you know you have to be careful with what you share with her. I wouldn’t trust her to keep anything between just the two of you.
I don’t think its a big deal. I think its a bigger deal when someone who is 30 is dating a 20 year old because of where the two people are at in their lives. At 29 usually most people are more settled in and have a better idea on what they want in life and their future. If the relationship continues you may want to bring up the “do you want children subject”.
Over around 25, should be fine to date any age. Under around 25, just date with 25 yo more or less
I’m 38 and currently entertaining two women in a more casual way. One is 23, the other is 26. No one cares that matters.
I’ve dated younger. 11 year gap, 14 year gap. They weren’t very mature, but were of legal age. My wife is 6 years younger and we’ve been married for 15 years. My grandparents were 30 years apart, with my grandmother being the younger. They were married for 30 years before my grandpa passed. He was the love of her life. It’s all about maturity and whether or not you click.
The friends’ reaction is pretty normal (people always have opinions about age gaps), but what matters most is how you two relate to each other and whether you’re in similar life stages regarding goals and values.
My last gf was 22 when I was 44. It was workable. She freaked out a little about being “literally HALF my age” but we had good chemistry.
I’ve done it a couple times (15 and 21 year difference) and they were both great experiences.
But that’s because we communicated expectations beforehand.
I maybe 29 but look 10 years younger, I still get ID
ed buying rating M for mature games at the store or at times, R-rated movies. Hell bouncers have to double take me at times, one even went as far as having the cop parked at the front check in his system if the ID is real.
Once met these group of four younger girls on a lyft trip. We all hit it off and they invited me to this cowboy bar with them. Everything was fine until I told them how old I was (29). So the leader of the group was 22 but her bf was stationed overseas. The big girl was 23, the thin brunette was 20 and the short girl was 19.
Anyway, according to the leader, I’m a senior citizen at age 29. She wasn’t comfortable anymore.
Its ironic because the big girl and the short girl were the only interested ones, the thin girl also had a bf but didnt mind me around. But since the leader was no longer down, she just walked away with them in tow.
Tbh, the leader came off stuck up in general. Just hearing her talk in the car about the guys shes been with while her man was overseas and judging other women she’s met for their looks, etc. it put me off. Really immature. Rich girl energy too.
Im 38 and I get flirted with by young 20-something all the time… her friends are either incredibly shallow or she was just trying to let you know that she was talking about you to her friends
It’s not the age gap you need to worry about, it’s about the difference in maturity. If you are on the same level, there probably won’t be any issues
When I was 44 I met a girl who was 34 and we dated and wound up married.
It was pretty good.
Just keep trying . Sometimes girls will try to mess up their friends and keep them single, especially if they are used to hanging out in a group. If she’s happy and you’re happy go for it.
Honest to God, if you’re 30+ and dating 18 y/o you’re a sick fuck who should be thrown in a volcano.
Good for one thing, and you are both adults. The “different place in life” thing is real.
Do you want to have kids in the house until you are 70? Because that’s the question you’re really asking
I dated two women up to 12 years younger than me when I was single a few years ago. I was a 48m they were 36f and 37f. They often seemed like children to me, were emotionally immature, incredibly needy, and it didn’t work out.
Note. I’m sure there are plenty of women in that age range and younger that aren’t those things, but you asked my experience.
My parents were 10 years apart, but that was back in the 60s. Though, I know a few younger couples that are nearly 10 years apart, and it doesn’t bother them or anyone else.
Not a big deal.
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys that she calls friends.
10 years at 29 is nothing. Have fun. Be good to her.
Young girls are fun in the short term, but if you’re looking for marriage, you may have to overcome social pressure, which becomes more difficult the bigger the gap is.
Ultimately, for maintaining a long term relationship, there’s not much difference between dating older or younger: just be your awesome self. Kick ass, take names, be strong, handy, versatile, fun, and happy.
My gf lied about her age initially (she only saw us as a hookup at the time). Turns out she is 38, and yes she gets insecure about that at times but I just remind her that she is my little person, and that’s all that matters to me (9 year age diff).
I personally couldn’t care because I am happy.
Before I met my wife, I was dating a woman who was more than 15 years younger than me. While it was fun, I could tell right away it didn’t have a long shelf life. I broke it off with her, and we’re still friends (I’m even friends with her husband). Biggest issue was just our life experiences were too different.
I dated someone 10 years younger and honestly the only time it ever felt weird was around her friends. Between us it wasn’t an issue.
As long as you’re both happy and on the same page about life goals, the age gap doesn’t matter much.
The only red flag here is her friends acting that way.
Disclaimer: I’m a woman and I’m often skeptical of age gap relationships. But I will say I think 29 and 39 is perfectly fine. She’s had time to mature by now, it’s probably just a bit of a shock to her friends to see a peer date someone a decade older than her, since a few years ago it would not have been a wise decision. Honestly, even if they don’t approve, they might be coming to terms with their own ages. I’m 29 too and watching some friends come to the realization they’re nearly 30 year old adults can be pretty funny.
FWIW I’ve seen similar relationship gaps work out quite well.
My GF and I have the same age gap and it’s far and away the best relationship either of us has ever been in. The age gap rarely even comes up, we just enjoy our time together.
I have numerous people in my family with 13-15 year age gaps. And a few where the wife is 8-9 years older than their husbands. Age doesn’t mean a thing
I would just keep on moving if she told you that…because it’s bothering you and you’re here on reddit…you will always be older than her….
If you have to date people 10 years younger than you that’s a statement of character and what the women around you think lmao
In my case it was a major mistake. She was 25, I was 45. She was also a (barely) functioning alcoholic with “crippling anxiety” and a shitty attitude. It wasn’t anxiety, it was Peter Pan Syndrome. When I broke things off I felt like a 140-lb weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
I have found there’s no real correlation between age and maturity. I’ve dated women much younger than me and much older than me. Some of the younger ones were more mature than some of the older ones. So for me, it has mostly been a very good experience dating younger. But pretty much every uninformed person will tell you that dating younger only means you’ll get immaturity
My wife is 18 years younger than me. We’ve been married for ten years in October. I can honestly say, she’s the best partner I’ve ever had. Did people think I was too old? Sure. Did we care? Nope. She’s compatible with me in every way, and I don’t know what I’d do without her.
Oh… When we started dating, I was 43 and she was 25.
My ex-wife was 12 years younger (41 and I was 53), but she identified and got along with older people. She’s the one who ‘love-bombed‘ me, not the other way around. Her former husband before me was about my age.
We were both college educated and in great careers. The only “life stage” she lacked, that I didn’t was having children. I had 4 already and she didn’t have any, and I was ‘okay’ doing it one more time (and now we share a healthy, extremely smart, athletic, musically talented, rambunctious, 11 year old boy).
Sure, she’s an “ex”, but not due to age or different stages in life. She had some emotional trauma from her childhood, loss of our baby girl (stillborn a week prior to birth), and an unhealthy relationship with her very intrusive mother (still clung to her apron strings). She even warned me about her mom before introduced to her.
In some ways an age gap or difference in life stages can have a negative effect, but not always. It depends on several factors to make it work; aligned maturity, mental and physical health, education and career goals, and whether you’d like to have a family (kids), etc.
If everything aligns, and both are ‘okay’ with the gap, it’s a GO. If not, be realistic and talk about it going forward.
I dated someone who was almost a year younger than me once. Does that count?
After 25 age gaps don’t really matter
when i was 30 i started chatting up this cute girl i met at a record store, asked if she was busy and wanted to go get a drink, she told me she was 20 and couldn’t drink. that was a YIKES moment for me lol.
interesting: i’m in my 40s now, and i wouldn’t have any issue dating a woman 10 years younger than me, in her early 30s. as you get older the size of the age gap is less important, so long as the younger partner is over the age of 30 (arbitrary line there, but i think that fits)
to OP, 39 and 29 doesn’t seem like a problem to me
I’ve almost always dated women who are a few years older than me. Not by design, that’s just the way it went down.
I did date a woman who was 26 when I was 39 for a few months. We were at totally different places in our lives and moving in different directions. We were only together for 4 months. Super sweet chick. I harbour no ill-will for her.
You’re not dating her friends, keep developing the relationship.
My grandparents were 9 years apart and were married over 40 years, I dont think its an issue here.
Age gap sounds fine, 29 and 39 isn’t wild