Should you date an older man?

We see successful relationships with big age gaps all the time; Leonardo DiCaprio, Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, the list goes on. But we’re told to stick to people our own age, it’s easier, that way you’re on the same page. But is that necessarily true? If you’re dating an older guy (or wondering whether you should), take a look at our list of things to expect.

1. He may have a lot more – or a lot less – time for you

He may have a more flexible work schedule which means more free time for you, which is a bonus because it means more date nights. However, you could have different ideas of how you want to spend time together. He may have had enough of dinner dates and cocktails at bars and prefer to do romantic getaways and go on long walks with nice views, whereas you’d take a margarita over a walk any day.

On the other hand, he could be in an executive position after years in a company and as a result could work late nights which means date nights often don’t happen, or dinner dates get cancelled.

2. Your emotional maturity may not be what you expected

He’s been around longer than you, which typically means that he may be emotionally more mature than you. Whilst this isn’t always true, it could be an issue that could arise. It’s important that you take the time out to ensure you both have the same emotional maturity, or later down the line the lack of understanding or compassion can cause issues within the relationship.

An older man might be super direct and feel comfortable in expressing what’s on his mind. So, it might mean you require to become more vulnerable and let down guards you may typically put up when dating.

3. There may be an ex-wife and/or children

If there’s a bigger age gap between you, then it’s likely that they’ve had a couple of past committed relationships. If he has been through a marriage that hasn’t worked out, then it’s likely that he’ll bring more care and wisdom to the table this time around.

If he has kids this is something else to consider. A serious conversation would be helpful in looking at where you stand, integrating into another family can be difficult and put a strain on your relationship. Depending on the situation in the past, it can prove challenges.

4. Your life could be heading in a different direction

If you’re considering spending the future with your older man, then talking about the next 10-20 years will be extremely important. If you’re dating someone your own age, you wouldn’t want to assume that you’re on the same page and want the same things, and this becomes more apparent when there’s an age gap. Maybe you want to get married and have kids, but he’s been there and got the t-shirt for marriage and kids and doesn’t want to go down that path again.

It’s essential to understand what you both want and to listen. You also shouldn’t expect for someone’s wants and needs to change later because of the duration of the relationship. But just because someone’s been there and done it, doesn’t mean they won’t want to do them again. This is where communication is key. Ask them whether they’d consider it and talk about your options.

5. Your sex drives may not match up

Oftentimes, one person in a relationship has a higher sex drive than the other. This can become more apparent when there is a bigger age gap. An older man may have a different sex drive, he may have less energy. Or it could even be the other way round, maybe he feels excited when he’s with you and he has more energy and as a result his sex drive changes. You can’t predict these things, but what we can say is that sex drive can become an issue. Again, communication is key and discussing sex openly and whether both your needs are being met.

6. You may have to learn each other’s communication styles

Older men are more likely to have been in committed relationships that have broken down, so many are keen to get it right this time.

Day-to-day contact may be important, particularly if they’re from a whole different technological era. For people now, it’s common to send a text throughout the day checking in, but for those of the older generation, that may not be familiar to them, and they may prefer a phone call at lunch. These things will need to be discussed to avoid misunderstandings.

Whilst all these things may not apply to your age gap relationship, there are one or two that could crop up as issues and which will need discussing. Ultimately, age is just a number. What matters is that you get on and love each other.  

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