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If you're ready to accept that age is just a number, then your pool of eligible bachelors just got a hell of a lot bigger—and might include some much younger dudes.
Plus, all the cool kids are dating younger these days. Kourtney Kardashian allegedly hooked up with Justin Bieber not long ago, while Carole Radziwill, the 50-something star of The Real Housewives of New York City, is currently dating Adam Kenworthy, who's more than 20 years younger than her. And, we all remember the OG cougar from Sex And The City, Samantha Jones.
Curious what it's like to get serious with someone lacking as much life experience as you? We asked real women to spill all the details of dating a more youthful dude.
"I once dated a guy who was 10 years younger than me. I was 36 and he was 26. We were at two different stages in our lives: He was still working at his first post-college job and I was the chief marketing officer of a tech start up. I was working long hours and making six figures. He was working eight hours a day and making $40,000 a year.
"What I loved about the relationship was that I felt empowered. I made all the decisions, like where we went on vacation or what spot we ate at. I would also pay for almost everything, like food, plane tickets, or a night out at a bar. I liked that, though, because I felt like I didn't need to rely on him for anything. I was able to have independence while also being with a person who made life fun. Whenever I was too caught up in work, he encouraged me to go out with him and party till 4 a.m. or ditch checking my email to hang with his friends. I liked that aspect of our relationship. However, we ended up breaking up after a year of dating because he cheated on me with someone two years older than him. At that point, I realized I didn't see much of a future with him anyway. He was, essentially, a kid." —Tamara K., 38 (This 20 Function Bullet Vibrator from the Women's Health Boutique is the only bullet you'll ever need.)
"When I was 41, I dated someone who was 33. I liked the thrill of it at first. He still enjoyed going to concerts, bars, and doing fun activities that weren't just dinner and a movie. We dated for three months. Honestly, he made me feel younger, and when we first started dating he thought I was his age. When he found out I was almost 10 years older them him, he was shocked, but said I seemed younger than my age. Ultimately, the age factor didn't matter much to him. We were both successful in our careers, we constantly talked about current events, and had similar political and social views. But, to be honest, it was exhausting to date him because he could never relax. When I suggested just spending a night at home eating dinner, he'd beg to go out and try a new restaurant or get a table at a club. Deep down I was more of a homebody, so it didn't work out." —Amy V., 43
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"Back in 2012, I ended up dating someone I worked with who was 15 years younger than me. We found ourselves in a romantic relationship when we slept together after our company's holiday party. At the time, I had just gotten a divorce, so getting into a fast and fun relationship was a whirlwind post-divorce experience. It felt refreshing to date a good-looking younger guy. He said I was the oldest woman he had dated, but that he liked to date women older than him. We didn't have much in common, but that didn't matter. We had a great time together.
"Despite the fact that our relationship was going well, everyone in my life told me I was crazy for dating him. When my two kids found out (they were 8 and 11 at the time), they wouldn't even talk to me. They were mad that I had moved on from their dad so quickly and also found it weird that I was dating someone so young. My friends thought I was just trying to get revenge on my ex-husband, who had cheated on me. However, the only reason we were together was because our relationship made me feel good about myself. We only dated for five months, but that wasn't because of the age gap." —Wendy P., 47
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"I was 43 and my now ex-boyfriend was 29, which actually isn't that much of an age gap. However, there were four or five times when we were out and people thought that I was his mother. It didn't help that he looked very young because of his baby face. It was embarrassing when I had to tell people that he was my boyfriend." —Olivia C., 44
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"Everyone assumes that when you date someone younger they're more wild and immature, but it was the opposite when I dated a guy who was nine years younger than me. When we met online, I wasn't looking for anything serious but he was actually looking to settle down. He had just finished law school and was working crazy hours. On the other hand, I was working two part-time jobs, while auditioning as an actress. Despite me being older, I liked to joke around and party, while he liked to Netflix and chill. Ultimately, it didn't work out because he was looking for a wife and I had no marriage goals for my near future." —Alexia L., 37
