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?

When I was 16 I knew an older group of people and sometimes hung out with them. It never occurred to me they were so much older even though they were. They definitely didn’t try to influence me or see me as different. My dad died when I was 16 and my friends deserted me before his death. I suppose they didn’t know what to do or say so I was lonely and had to find some new friends.

@stayathomer
My experience is exactly the same as the one being described. Good to ignore it though so you can make your point.

Bloody hell I was going out with 25 year old men at 18, and my best friend when I was 21 was 37, I actually dated her brother too who was 35.
Thought you were gonna say something shocking like a friendship between a 13 year old girl and 30 year old man.
Two young women being friends what a non thread. AND she’s not even your DD!

One of my good friends was 16 and I was in my mid twenties when we met through a sport. We used to go out together and although the rest of the group would looks after a her a bit there was never anything odd about it.
We are still friends now over a decade later .

I've just started a new job. I'm late 40s and all my colleagues are early 20s. Would you prefer me not to mix with them in case they catch my 'old'

Hi DitheringBlidiot Sorry I don't know if I missed something (sorry if I have), I just mean for eg a 22 year old is in the going out eg mentality, where a 16 yo is just finishing school/ about to finish school so I can see why OP would wonder why a 22 yo would want for them to go about together? Don't think I ignored your post, just made my own point too!

It sounds like you really need to come to terms with the fact that your DD is almost an adult or you'll really struggle over the next couple of years. There's obviously a back story but from this snapshot you sound very controlling