I was stuck on that same age range until I was about 46 and got divorced for the second time. I started dating older women and haven’t looked back. When I was doing Match.com. I found I had much better dates when the age was closer and I actually got to the point where I looked forward to the dating process just for the sake of having fun on dates.
Male, 42. I’ve been happily married for nearly 8 years, so this is pretty much hypothetical, but I’d think my range would be about 12 years either side of myself, +/- 3-4 years.
By that, I mean that I wouldn’t disregard a particularly great 26 year old simply because she was 26, any more than would a great 58 year old, but that in general, I’d be casting my net in the 32-52 range.
Much outside of those ranges, and it starts getting into "Old enough to be my mother "/ “old enough to be my daughter” territory.
Mid 40s. I’m with girls in the early 20s. Wouldn’t mind someone a little older eventually when I settle down a bit in a few years. Perhaps late 20s, but never seem to meet any in that age range. Let alone older. On account that I travel a lot, and my line of work. Whatever, younger people are funnier, more creative, and have firmer tits. Dumb as shit though, but intelligence is overrated anyway and older women tend to have a lot of baggage.
53 and married. If I were doing the dating scene again, I’d be looking in the 45 to 60 range. Not interested in starting another family at this point and would prefer a partner with mid-life crises already behind hir.
Wait - so half your age plus 7 rule means the min age you could date would be 21.5 plus 7 = 28.5, correct?
Also - I’m 46, been married for 22 years and hope to stay that way. If I were to date I wouldn’t go below 30 or above 50, but if the person is smart, has a great sense of humor and I find her attractive, all bets would be off.
I’m 56. I don’t have any absolute (or even “strong”) rules so when I first set up my OKCupid site (when last I was seriously looking, age 51) I put 18-99 or whatever extreme ranges they had. So that’s the theoretical age range.
In practice I got a lot of Find results when I did my searches that were for women in their 20s, 30s… umm OK so while I would not turn away from someone in that age range, I sure wasn’t going to send them messages and cause them to shudder about the creepy middle aged guy, you know? So a quick edit, made the lower limit 45.
I wasn’t having a similar problem with the upper border, but if, hypothetically, I had, I would have set it to 65 or thereabouts. So those are sort of the limits on people towards whom I’d consider directly expressing sexual interest without advance reason to think it was going to be reciprocated. (above and beyond their presence on a dating site, I mean.)
My wife doesn’t allow me to date, but my dating habits have always been with people very close to my age. Maybe minus four years to plus two years, although, in practice, it’s been even tighter than that. It’s not a “rule” with me, it’s just what ends up working out.
I’m 32, and I think I’d be uncomfortable dating anyone who isn’t old enough to drink or anyone much older than about 40ish. So, let’s just say 21-40.
Married and planning to stay that way. My usual joke goes like this:
Speaking seriously, I think Shagnasty pretty well nailed it in post #5. Which won’t be helpful for me if I ever find myself looking again. I’m pretty youthful for my age, but not youthful (or rich) enough to make that age gap work for her.
I have no age restrictions as long as they are of legal age and healthy minded.
Unfortunately that second requirement drops the list down considerably.
Rich is a relative term. The average American is pretty well off compared to the average person in Moldova or the Dominican Republic, and consequently has an advantage in the dating market.
58 year old straight female. I usually look for man in the range of 53 to 65, but would prefer someone more my own age. The older the man, in my experience, the more health problems, or more previous-relationship baggage, or both. Unfortunately, a lot of men in their late 50s and early 60s want women in their late 30s and early 40s. The search goes on . . .
Male, 52, married - if I was looking I expect I would be willing to go down into the late 30s and up to the late 50s if the chemistry was right. Realistically though it would probably be +/- 5 years.
I’m a 52 year old female and tend to have a range of 45-55. Bigger than a specific age are his family status (no kids or kids raised has an edge) and health (I can’t play nursemaid). So, the forty year old who wants no kids: yes. The sixty year old in reasonable health: yes.
Female, straight, 43
This.
Female, 46. My usual age range is +/- 10 years, but it depends on the person. The last two dates were my age - one had middle school aged children and was whining about how horrible his ex was and the other was counting the days until his daughter gave him a grandchild. Neither went more than a first date.
:smack:
Arrrgh dating. As someone who married her first real ‘love’, dating as a grown up after my husband passed away was a (very) strange and (not so) wonderful experience. I decided, when I embarked on the process, not to exclude anyone within a reasonable age range - at least not until I’d tried it once. I was 50 when I started the process and had a date or two with individuals between 28 and 65. AFter doing the ‘research’, I narrowed it down to no more than 10 years younger and no more than 10 years older. I’m told that personality-wise I skew younger than my age (57) and I think that’s been born out in my dating efforts. I seem to be happiest with gentlemen between 50 and 55.
Of course all of this could be complete bunk as in 7 years I still haven’t found anyone I can’t live without. Still hopeful, though.
Female, 38. I’d probably date guys as young as 32 or as old as his early 40s. I prefer somewhat younger than much older than me, though.
Male, 58. I will only date Helen Mirren. Sorry, ladies.