Age difference for dating

There are a lot of things to consider when you start a relationship with someone. You might need to reevaluate things as time goes on as well. People change and grow and so too can your priorities. Though you might feel as though you have all the experience in the world when it comes to dating, if you've only ever dated people that were around your same age, you may not be completely prepared to date someone significantly older or younger than you. There are some things you should be aware if your relationship involves a large age gap.

Ever heard of the rule that men should date women who are half their age plus seven? Some celebrities - think Leonardo Di Caprio - take this to extremes with a roster of something models regularly appearing on their arm, but do you know where the saying comes from? But does it stand up to scrutiny, or is it just a baseless rule perpetuated by men who want to justify dating younger, and less mature, women? We asked three relationship experts to weigh in on the rule - and their responses were surprising. Mid-century, the reason for the elevated age gap would've been economic.

I once thought I'd fallen in love with an adorable lawyer who started chatting with me while we waited at a crosswalk in Manhattan. I felt an immediate spark, and after we exchanged numbers, we planned our first date without ever bringing up our ages. Then he excused himself to the go to the bathroom while I sat wondering what our relationship age gap meant: Would he want to move faster in a relationship? Would he be thinking about children already? Would he be appalled by my tiny studio apartment, which I could barely afford?

Age disparity in sexual relationships is the difference in ages of individuals in sexual relationships. Concepts of these relationships, including what defines an age disparity, have developed over time and vary among societies. Differences in age preferences for mates can stem from evolutionary mating strategies and age preferences in sexual partners may vary cross-culturally. There are also social theories for age differences in relationships as well as suggested reasons for 'alternative' age-hypogamous relationships.