If they know your age, you know their age, and they’re intelligent and mature enough that you’re interested in being around them and being friends with them, what the hell’s really wrong with dating them? As long as you both know what you’re getting into and don’t have unreasonable expectations, of course…
So, how you doin’? (42-year-old here)
When I was 29 I dated an 18-year-old. In many ways she was more mature than me. It did raise a few eyebrows though. Especially when I met her father. 
I’m male, and have gone out with a woman 15 years older than me and 16 years younger than me and it doesn’t matter at all. The only thing that matters is your maturity. Heck, you’re only dating. You should know better than anyone what your limits are, and you’ll never really know what another woman’s limits are.
I think life-stage is more important a consideration than age. If you go to the same school, have the same friends, do the same things and have the same concerns, I would say go for it without thinking about age.
I’m 39 and male; a Generation Xer, Atari subgroup (as opposed to younger Gen-Xers, who are the Nintendo Xers.)
Gen-Xers were, in the early days of MTV, supposed to be the first generation that was to expected to take youth culture into middle age. With many of my peers, though, it’s not the case. Whenever I see someone in their late 30s with kids, a minivan, all-above-the-ears-like-a-pear mom hair, mom jeans with the nine inch zipper, and a suibscription to Good Housekeeping, I perceive them to be much older than their biological age - and so, I lose interest.
When it comes to biological age, the lower line is drawn at the point where I don’t feel like I’m some dirty old man, the upper line where she doesn’t perceptibly look much older than me. Pretty much, it’s 30 to 44.
Children and teens below the age of consent (and maturity), obviously.
Beyond that? Age ain’t nothing but a number. But more than twenty to twenty-five years difference and I start feeling a little creeped out.
My 23 year old daughter got married this summer. Her new husband is 47. I have no problem with that at all. (Well I might have had a problem with it if he had taken a liking to her when he was the age she is now. 
) A lot of people do have a problem with their age difference, but like I told her, pay no attention to them, it is your life and if you are both happy, that’s all that counts.
When I was 18 and freshly at Uni, I was fine with dating guys up to 30. But now looking back I really respect the guy who knew his boundaries and, well frankly freaked when the age gap dawned on him, (I hadn’t lied, he knew academically (no pun intended) how old I was, it just hadn’t sunk in, I was mentally mature for my age and have always looked older) and let me know he had a problem with that. It was really a different life-stage thing, so I respect that. Though I was annoyed at the time.
Depends on the girl, depends on the guy. Depends on where you are relative to each other in terms of emotional maturity, whether it’s a serious or casual thing. Only you and the young woman or women in question can make the call. I don’t regret dating men in their late 20s. I am glad I never had a chance to make a move on the crushes I had who were in their late 30s.
I only date men who are at the max 10 years older than me.
I’m 21 and my guy is 56. 
No, I’m not especially attractive and he’s anything but rich. We have an excellent relationship and we have a good time.
Personally, if someone had asked me before I had met him, I’d have said ‘No, I probably don’t want to be dating a guy in his 50’s.’ Now, however, there isn’t anyone I’d rather be with. I never had a real ‘creep-me-out’ issue with age-difference relationships, I’m only bothered when I think one or both parties are being used and/or tricked.
We’re not kidding ourselves, we realise people are going to have problems with the difference, we realise we’re going to have lots of non-standard things to sort out in the future, he’s still terrified he’s going to ‘muck up my life’ and I’m still sure I’m going to annoy him to death with my energy - but for the moment we’re both in a relationship we feel is the right one for us.
But it really depends entirely on the people involved. Some people mature faster than others, some are painfully slow. If you feel you have comfort-limits, set some age-barriers, but don’t cast them in stone. Be prepared to break them on certain criteria - say, maybe if you feel you know the other person well enough to make a call on whether they’re mature enough for the sort of relationship you want.
If two people just click, and are willing to try, they can probably make it work.
How funny.
I live in the same area, went back to college and got my engineering degree when I was 29 (okay, no one needs to ask- was 7 years ago)
Point blank, I dated and almost fell completely in love with this woman in my first year, almost, because then her fiance showed up fron Ohio or something and that killed all the fun that we had-- and she swore me to secrecy please-please-sorry-sorry type stuff. Hey, I said okay…she had more issues to deal with than using me I figured. (nuff bleedin heart memories)
Fact…Me-29 , her-19
And I loved and still cherish every bit of it…period.
Besides still the love of my life thus far was my girl way back when I was 22 and she was 37 when we met…and we made it for 5 1/2 years.
Love, very very much like life is what you make it…and on the same note don’t listen to anyone but you for the answers.
Mr. S and I met when I was just shy of 21 and he was 32. Now I’m 38 and eligible for membership in AARP, as my spouse just turned 50.
I think, as others have said, it depends on the people. I was almost out of college when we met and not some flighty bimbo looking for a sugar daddy. He had actually pulled himself “off the market” after some horrible dating experiences, and liked me because I was smart and funny and had an actual personality. I liked the same qualities in him and we just clicked.
My arithmetic might be off, but I can’t quite see how such a thing is possible, unless you allow for time travel or consider a person to exist before he or she has been conceived.
I met my boyfriend when I was still in college. I was eighteen and he was 28 when we met. Add a year to each before we started dating. At 20, with me starting grad school, we started living together. I see no problem with it. Sometimes he says he should feel like a dirty old man, but other than that, what difference does it make. We’re happy.
That being said, freshman are way to immature in general for anyone other than more freshman. I met my guy during my junior year and I was just about to graduate when we started dating.
I second that. If they’re both comfortable with it, I see nothing wrong with a 88 years old dating a 18 years old.
My ex-girlfriend is now 22 and dating a 39-year-old.
shrug
You French!!
My 33 year old best friend just married a 19 year old girl. They met at church and (after the initial shock, I assume) the relationship was sort of “sanctioned” and fostered under the auspices of the congregation. Believe me I layed into him several times about the wisdom of the relationship. A part of me wants to give him a High Five and the other part is worried that she’ll get a bit of independent wanderlust after college like a lot of young women.
Personally, when I see an older man dating someone my own age (I’m 20) I tend assume that that person can’t attract people their own age. Of course, I am not always right and often there are cases where age isn’t a big factor in the relationship but I still have a bias against them I suppose. I think it’s resentment from high school when all the hot chicks were getting picked up by losers from college that can’t find college girls to date. I think sheer novelty of an older man is something that they abuse sometimes. Although after a certain age, it goes from novel to creepy.
Well good call either way. I don’t think you want to be exploitive or creepy. Don’t do it.
I am 37, my wife (the lovely nocturne) is 22. We met here. NO problems for either of us. My father, at age 63, had a good relationship with a girl of 18 (ended by her untimely death in a traffic accident). She was younger than I was at the time.
Age is, ultimately, irrelevant in terms of ability to have a good relationship. I have dated women substantially younger than I am (and I still pass for 25 easily enough) as well as older. I was also ina relationship with a guy some 30 years my senior. No big deal