If you met your DH very young, for example under age 20

[Summerbreeze81]

If you met your DH very young, say under 20, did the relationship last?

Do you feel happy that you always had security or companionship, or do you feel you missed out on dating / sex / other life experience?

I got talking to a lady today who met her husband during uni Freshers week at age 18 and it got me thinking. I personally met my DH at 30 so I can’t imagine what being in a relationship with the same person since 18 must be like. But then obviously I never met someone I wanted to spend my life with at age 18, and if I’d settled down with any of the men I’d dated back then it would have been a disaster!

I’m now early 40s for context.

Met at weekend job, both 17, still very happy 18 years later, don't feel like I've missed out on anything.

I was 19. Got married at 32. DC at 36. I'm now 64, been together 45 years.
He wasn't my first boyfriend. We've done a lot together.

We met the week before my 19th birthday , still together 37 yrs later and very happy , been married for 33yrs .

We met in freshers week but took a while to get together. Both sets of parents also met at 18 and are still happily married. The advantage of growing up together is that we've formed our personalities to complement each other so life doesn't feel like a compromise. I did briefly have a time where I felt I was missing out, but it was actually a symptom of burn out, mid-life crisis and other issues that I was taking out on DH. Thankfully he understood it for what it was and we moved on.

I've been with my Dh since my mid teens.
In our 40s now.
Both only slept with each other. Our sex life started off as any teenagers sex life does, lots of passion but lots of fumbling and not knowing what you're doing, luckily we've learnt from each other and it's amazing now!
A few of my friends are recently divorced and it makes me thank my lucky stars when they tell me their online dating/one night stand tales, that I never had to go through all that!
We did a lot of growing up together before starting a family and establishing our relationship (8 years living together before dc1 was born) and now our brood is getting older, we are looking forward to the time when it's just us two again.

Met when I was 18,still together, 65th birthda

We were 19 and 20 when we started dating (although we'd known each other since early teens). We'd both had other girlfriends /boyfriends prior to this.

We married aged 22 and 23 and it's our 25th anniversary in a couple of months. We were married for 10 years before having children and have basically grown together.

We're even happier than when we were first married, I couldn't imagine life without him. We've been through cancer (both of us), chronic illnesses, bereavement(parents), redundancy; it's all made us stronger, us against the world kind of thing I guess.

I honestly believe that having all those years together before children- to grow together, experience life, travel, have adventures, take a year out travelling, be young and carefree together, has made growing older together, facing hardships, parenting, easier than if we only met in our 30s and had a family sooner.

Met at 15/16 so been together 14 years so far and married for 4. I love that we've grown together as a couple and separately and he's honestly my best friend as well as my husband. I don't feel as though I've missed out on anything, it's always been him.

18 and 19 when we got together - first week of uni. Still together aged 38 and 39. 20 years this year! It took us a long time to get married but now have three children.

Met DH at university, I was 21, he was 19. Got married 5 years later and have been happily married for 26 years. Obviously there have been bumps in the road but we have grown up and grown together. Don't regret having settled down young, just grateful to have found someone to share my life with.

Met mine at 18, split mid thirties.
Should have been around 5 years earlier

Met at 16, got together at 18. Now 40 married and mostly happy

Met DH at 16, together from 18, married at 22 and still together in our 30s. Who knows what's round the corner but so far so good!

Met DH and hooked up once when I was 18, he was 24. Got together when we hooked up again a few years later and I got pregnant! No one ever thought it would last... We're middle aged with 3 DCs now.
I did manage a bit of wild youth (started young) and DH definitely did. I do kind of feel a bit like I missed out, but more because we had children so young. However, we'll be better off financially to have some fun when they leave home and young enough to enjoy it. Not sure how the marriage will last after they leave though, that remains to be seen. But we've weathered some serious storms so far.

Met DH when I was 18, 27 years ago. No regrets on missing out on anything at all. We’ve experienced lots in life, but together. I’m not the sort of person to have enjoyed dating lots of people, so I’m very happy!

I met exDH when I was 17 and married at 19. He was 10 years older. It was a huge mistake, not least because he was abusive in every way. Divorced by 22.

Been with my other half since I was 15 now 56

Yes. 38 happy years and counting.

I would trade in the years of experience I had including my 14 year long marriage to still be with the guy I dated for 5 years from 17. I wish we'd tried harder. I'm 50 now and divorced. Happy with my partner of 6 years but still my regret is not maintaining my first love. I might be over romanticising it though.

Met at 16, our paths had crossed a couple of times previously (he remembers, I don't - but maths and physics events didn't tend to have as many girls at them!). Worked together quite closely our first two years at uni, got together at 21 having become best friends before that. Married at 26, first child at 29.

I wouldn't say it's all been rosy but we still rub along comfortably, now nearly 50.

What is slightly disconcerting is registering that our youngest is now older than we were when we met ...

When we met we were 18 (me) and 19 (dh). Got together just after his 20th birthday when I was 19. Met at Uni halls of residence.

Married at 24 and still very happy 27 years and 3 (now mainly grown up) kids later. We only moved in together after our wedding too.

Met DH at Uni Freshers Week at 18 got married at 24. Now I'm 38. Still happy ish but I'm definitely not the same person as I was then and he isnt either. But then I have a relative who has been married for over 70 years and she said you can't possibly expect to be head over heels butterflies in tummy in love with someone every day of your life no matter how much you actually love the person.

We met at 17 and now 42. 3 dc later and despite some ups and downs over the years we are possibly happier than ever.

DS1 met his fiancée aged sixteen. They've been together over ten years and recently got engaged with a wedding planned for a couple of years time. They own a home together, have careers and are equal in all things but aren't planning children for a good few years. They seem to have grown up together, enjoy travel and have plenty of friends each and separate hobbies.
I can't say I wasn't concerned how serious they seemed at such a young age but now they seem so right for each other.
I married DH at 23 and that was almost thirty years ago.

Met at 19, been together 14 years, married 12.

I definitely don’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything, we are happy and comfortable. We have our ups and downs like anyone but work through them. If we ever split I’ll definitely be staying single though as the thought of being with anyone else seems terrifying!