Why Are We Still So Confused By Age-Differences in Relationships?
QUESTION: What should anyone should know about dating someone older than you? Why are people still so weirded out by people dating older people?
Age really is a very subjective thing and dating someone older than you is totally fine, normal, and may be a great fit for you. We're really quick, even in 2021, to denote these relationships as "weird" or "creepy" when they're actually just about humans being humans. As long as everyone is a consenting adult, it's not anyone's business what's going on between them.
If there is a larger age difference (let's use a younger cis-woman and cis-man as an example), there are things that may come up (but this won't be the case for every couple). For instance, your libidos are likely to be quite different or perhaps she's sexually inexperienced, or maybe he has erectile issues. There is nothing wrong with this stuff. What needs to happen, no matter the situation, is communication. There are so many ways to have thriving sex life. You just need a willingness to explore, adapt, and find ways of relating to each other sexually that work for both of you.
Keep in mind that age-differences can provide a whole new world of exploration - not everything is about hard penises and PIV sex. There is so much more to sex than that. Be open minded to learning about each other's fantasies, goals, and desires. Explore together. But you absolutely MUST talk about sex and be willing to be vulnerable. Trying to have a hot sex life while doing nothing to facilitate the actualization of that sex life is illogical. Sex takes works. It's not always sexy and hot, sometimes it's confusing, frustrating, and awkward. This is all a part of learning about each other as sexual beings and discovering what sexual opportunities are available to you.
If you need outside help, employ the assistance of a qualified sex therapist or clinical sexologist (like me) for some assistance in navigating these difficult sexual waters. We aren't taught how to communicate sexually and sometimes having and an impartial, trained professional to support you can be hugely beneficial.
XOXO Gigi
This article originally appeared as an interview with Elite Daily
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