Large Age Gap In Relationship? Things To Remember To Bridge The Gap

Friday, January 27, 2023, 17:30

Even though people accept and understand today that love can present itself in many forms or ways, still when it comes to romantic relationships with large age gaps, social disapproval follows immediately and often raises eyebrows.

Age preferences for partners can stem from numerous reasons such as the availability of mates, fulfilling certain gender roles, and mating strategies. It can also vary from one culture to the other.

According to a study, the age difference among husbands and wives in India on the basis of the reporting of the age of the couples by the wives by using a nationally representative sample of the three rounds of the National Family Health Survey conducted at three different points of time (1991-92, 1998-99 and 2005-06). The present study uses the data of 257629 (combined data for NFHS-1, NFHS-2 and NFHS-3) currently married women who married only once. It is found that in India the age difference among the couples has decreased over the period of time from 7 years during 1956-60 to 5.2 years during 2001- 05.

Even though in Indian middle-class families, the age gap between a husband and wife is 5 years on average, when it comes to massive age in profile marriages, the same people judge everything from height, skin tone, and net worth, to outfits and even grey hair. Also, in most cases, the woman in the relationship gets labelled as the manipulative one.

Forget about dating older men, if a woman is divorced and she dares to date a man, younger than her, it will be considered sacrilege.

According to a journal published by the IZA Institute of Labour Economics on how the marital age gap affects the evolution of marital satisfaction over the duration of marriage in Australia, it was found that men tend to be more satisfied with younger wives, and less satisfied with older wives. Interestingly, on the other hand, women are more satisfied with younger husbands and less satisfied with older husbands.

While the taboo, and misogyny around the age gap still persist across many cultures even today, numerous studies have concluded that age gaps in relationships can actually be quite beneficial and it creates the possibility of being more empathetic towards one's partner, learning about new things and being fluid about complex emotions.

Here's What You Need To Remember If You Are In A Large Age Gap Relationship

1. Respond, Don't React While Dealing With Comments

Taboo and stigma around age-gap relationships exist for real, so accepting it first that is present in society is a must. There is a high chance that it will come from a place of care. However, you can choose to ignore it and focus on your relationship instead. Love as much as you want and fight for it, because all relationships deserve a chance.

2. Be Transparent While Sharing Your Expectations

It is possible that due to the age gap, the expectations may be different because both partners will be present at different stages of life individually. While the younger one may be focused on their education or career, the older partner may be looking for ways to manage their finances, settle down or even retire from their job. Whenever there is a plan, share it with your partner and make them part of it. Being transparent and clear about your expectations in the present year will prepare both of you for the coming years.

3. Provide Reassurance

You or your partner may be dealing with anxiety or personal insecurities and negative thoughts may have already crept in, but all these can change with one simple step, i.e. providing reassurance. When you figure out the need, the problem becomes easy to resolve. If you and your partner are planning to build a life together, then reassurance in terms of love, trust, and honesty can be extremely essential. Through compliments, and small and sweet gestures you can reassure your partner not just through words, but actions as well.

4. Understand Where You Stand In Terms Of Age

Accept that there is an age gap between you and your partner and that there can be differences in multiple areas of your relationship because of this. A partner may or may not be aware of the issues that come with a large age gap relationship. Choosing to ignore the existing age gap can make the partners distant from each other later, so it is best to acknowledge them in order to prevent future blocks.

5. Focus On Mutual Interests

Only surface-level romance will not sustain a long-term relationship, especially the ones that have a massive age gap. In order to strengthen your bond, focus on mutual interests and engage in activities that interest both of you. To ensure there is happiness and joy in your relationship, one needs to prioritize similar interests. Finding something common and staying engaged in that will establish a deeper bond between partners. Through this, both will be able to create memories and cherish them forever.

6. Understand Communication Requirements

This is the key element in all relationships and but understanding the requirements can be crucial. While it is essential for both partners to be happy in their relationships, in times of crisis, it is equally important to have opinions and share perspectives to understand the needs or desires of each other. While today, we rely more on texts and messages than calls, sending letters or meeting someone in person; one can avoid being judgemental and put intentional effort to make it work.

7. Be Patient And Flexible

Practice patience and make your relationship flexible so that it can stand the test of time. While one may be experienced while coming to handling tough situations, the other can break down easily. This can make things complex in many circumstances. It is essential to stay calm and give each other space to grow and develop individually in their own time. A bit of cooperation from both ends, and sharing new perspectives can help both of you to cross the hurdles.

8. Love Is Crucial

A relationship is not always a cakewalk and therefore, arguments and differences can arise from time to time. In times of crisis, focus on a positive trait of your partner. Expressing your emotions, and confessing love to your partner can bring your relationship back on track, even when it is extremely fragile. While taboo and social stigma make it difficult for people in relationships with huge age gaps, you or your partner can keep all the insecurities at bay by being affectionate towards each other.