To think a friendship with such a large age gap at this age is odd

[User700800]

My 16 year old god daughter has recently started a part time job in retail. She's become friends with a young woman who works there who's 22 and they are now spending a lot of time together. I myself have friends quite a bit younger or older than me. I just think at this age the difference is surely too great?

Not remotely weird no. Some of my best friends now are my colleagues I became friendly with at the pub we all worked at. I was 16 when we first met, they were mostly early 20s. Still all friends 15 years later and counting.

I have friends from 20 through to 70, all met through different means and at different times. A 20-30 year age gap here.

I was friends with a 31 year old woman at college when I was 17, oh and a 22 year old woman outside of college. I don't see any issue.

It's more unhealthy to insist that people should only be friends with those of a similar age. People whose friends have to be Just Like Them (in terms of age, cultural background, social class, sexual orientation etc) are likely to be fairly thick and lazy-minded, and incapable of coping with anything challenging.

No not weird at all.

However, I would be a bit wary if she wants to go out with her (evening/night,) as someone of 22 is much more mature than someone of 16.

16 is still a child really.

I am friends with people whose lives are completely different to mine with pretty much no shared life experiences but I still manage to be friends with them because neither of us are small minded.

One of my friends is 12 years older than me.
Been friends since the 90s from working together. It’s not that odd- unless there’s a reason that your worried? Have you met them?

Why is it odd? I have friends who are mid teens to mid 80s... I'm early 50s.

I'm 30 and one of my greatest friends is in her 70's! She's a better laugh than a lot of the others!

I think I get what you mean. Its not so much the age gap, but that its a time of great transition and you'd expect a 16 year old and a 22 year old to be at quite different stages.

At 16 i'd never had a kiss- at 22 I was married with a flat. Im sure I'd have got on with my younger self but I'd have seen 16 year old me as a child still really. Still at school. Wheras 21 to 101 seems to be the same stage so it wouldn't surprise me.

I think a lot of 22 year olds are very young still though so they probably are more similar than not.

A 6 year age gap is generally nothing, like if one is 21 and one is 27, but there is a lot of difference between 16 and 22. If they are just colleagues and going for coffees/pub lunches and facebook pals etc, I see no issue. But, as I said, if it was night time stuff (pubbing an clubbing) I would be a little bit worried.

Exactly what @grasspigeons said.

Not remotely weird. I met one of my best friends when she was working with another friend and she would come to the cinema etc with us.
She was 16, I was 22 and my friend was 23. My friend is getting married next week and we are both bridesmaids. I turn 30 this year.

What an odd life you must lead OP.

I don't find this odd, I think it lovely they are friends and find things in common to talk about, however the age difference will possibly have its complications as they can't really go to the pub together as your god daughter is underage but as long as they have other interests then I wouldn't be overly concerned.

They will both be chatting about love island, boo hoo, kylie Jenner, Instagram stories, and other similar youngster interests.

Not weird at all to have his age gap with a mate.

If the 22-year-old is nice it could be a really positive friendship for her! It might be nice to have an older female friend, who's a bit more mature!

I’m 36 and two of my best friends are a couple aged 69 and 74......we’ve been friends since I was 21!

I was good friends when I started my part time Sat job she was 24 with kids I was 15. We were a bad influence on each other and had a great time.
My mum hated her

Ive collected friends from school/college/uni (i was a mature student also!) Hobbies & interests, jobs, through people I have dated or they have dated, the pub, thrpugh other people, the gym or sports.

A whole range of friends from range of places who are a range if ages.

We get on, we have things or interests in common. Age doesn't factor into it.

I’m 28, one of my colleagues is 63 and we get on like a house on fire - we even text each outside of work and chat on facebook.

I don’t think you’re ridiculous for thinking this op, as I get where you’re coming from, that you change a lot between the ages of 16 and 22. But, I started university a year late as I took a gap year, so I turned 20 in the middle of my first year at university. In the same year group there was a 17yo! We were doing the same exams, coursework etc as each other. I honestly couldn’t have told you the difference between the two of us as we were both starting university at the same time. Your dd and her friend are both working in the same place, so it isn’t surprising they’ve struck up a friendship.

Sorry, turned 20 in the middle of my first semester, not first year.

Perfectly normal and reasonable. If you have concerns about the older person that is different.

I'm 64, my youngest friend is 28. Neither of us give it a thought.