Age difference
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Age difference
| Fri, 08-20-2004 - 1:51am |
Is it at any way possible for a 16 year old and a 22 year old to start a relationship? My friend is 16 and turning 17 very soon. However, the guy she is "seeing" is turning 23. At the age of 23, what is a guy looking for in a relatioship? At what age do men start thinking of settling down and considering marriage?

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Having said that, I WOULD NOT recommend it. I grew up, I changed, and we grew apart and that's what broke us up. I also missed a lot of the normal teenage things and find it hard to relate now to some things that other people view as 'normal'. I just didn't experience them. I was doing adult things and living an adult life when everyone else my age was doing teenage things.
I wouldn't say outright not to do it, because I'd be a hypocrite. But she has to consider that with the age difference comes things that he can do that she can't, places he can go that she can't. Things like that build resentment and frustration over time.
You have to have two pretty strong people who are confident in themselves and in the relationship and who know what they want, to be able to make it work.
Been there, done that, don't recommend it....but it's not impossible.
M/M
So I would seriously caution your friend about seeing this guy.
At 16, she's a minor, and probably not very mature, as far as relationships go. At 23, the gentleman is not a minor, yet is probably not very mature in relationships if he wants a 16-year old. In most states, this is generally frowned upon, in terms of legality. If they were to have sex, it would be considered "statutory rape" and is punishable by jail time, should her parents have anything to say about it. When she is 17, it may be considered "the age of consent." Then it would be more legal.
When I was 17, my boyfriend was 22. That extra year may be just what she needs. Yet nothing you say to may change her mind. Just don't be too judgemental, and look out for her, even if it causes you both a lot of grief.
When she is 17, it may be considered "the age of consent." Then it would be more legal.
But I do know the age of consent varies by state/country - I've heard Hawaii's age of consent is 14, the same as Australia's.
To the OP, I worked with a woman whose 16 yr old daughter meet a guy that was 20 (so he said) later it turned out he was almost 23, but he was willing to do anything to see her, so he followed her parents rules - came over twice a week, once for family movie night, once on the weekends (afternoon bbq's) so the whole family could get to know him and so they wouldn't be alone. Now, years later, they are married and have a child.
No one knows his true intentions and the young girl may be flattered by an older 'man's' attention.
Carrie
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