18 & 27 year old?

[theure]

A friend of mine is 18 and is dating a 27 year old.

I find this a bit weird and looking for opinions as to whether I'm just being ridiculous and having too many opinions?
Would anyone else consider this a bit strange? Or is it socially acceptable after someone's 18?

I was 19 when I met my fiancee 10 years ago when he was 44! Very happy, both high earners and own houses together! Keep out of it!!

I was 17 when I met my exH - he was 26. we were together 10 years, got married and had a kid. total non-issue

@hellhavenofury what on Earth has your income and houses got to do with it 🤷‍♀️

I do think people's views would be different though if the man was 18 and the woman 27. Especially some of the women saying it's ok, how would they feel if their 18 year old DS was dating a 27yr old woman? I honestly don't think they would like it.

@endevo because PP have mentioned that there is usually an element of control from the older man in these relationships. What I was saying is despite the 25 year age difference we are both equal and on the same page and no sugar daddy/daddy issues.

Been with Dp since I was 17 and he was 28. Now 36 and 47 and coming up to 20yrs together. Should I break up with him as you think it's a bit strange?

I lived with a 27 year old at 19. It was fine. We split up as I didn’t want to get married. It was no different in terms of ‘power’ than any other relationship I’ve had.

Not a big deal. At 18 I’d been living away from home for a year. My flat mates were in their mid 20s. I agree that I felt a great deal more mature than my peers when I met up with old school friends in my two week summer holiday, but I think that’s what happens with a lot of nursing students.

I married my husband when I was 21, and he was 32. We're still together 44 years later!

I think to me it would depend on the 18 year old - 18 and still in school, probably would feel weird about it. 18 and out working, probably wouldn't think much about it. 18 and in uni? a little more of a grey area

If the 18 year old is financially independent and emotionally independent, o.k.

Otherwise not.

It’s creepy I’m 27 and I wouldn’t touch anyone under 25

Im

I bet if it was a woman 27 and man 18 people would say different

This is creepy as fuck

18 you’re in college living at parents and talking about the kardashians
27 you’re working well into your career, own home, drive etc

No man who is 27 and isn’t a loser would go near a 18yr old

Not everyone who was 18 was in college. I wasn't 20 years ago, I was working full time and bought my own house when I was 19 with my creepy/pervy fiance.

x2boys you are talking nonsense. Most 18 year olds in the REAL WORLD will be in school

An 18 and a 27 year old? No props.

AN 18 and a 57 year old? No!

I was 19 when I met my fiancee 10 years ago when he was 44!

There is something seriously wrong with a man of that age who seeks a teenage 'companion'. There just is.
No matter what your income and asset portfolio looks like. Which is NO indication of the 'success' of such a relationship btw.
I'm quite sure a 44 yr old knows exactly what he's doing when he finds himself a teen.

My dd is 18 and I would not be happy if she was dating a 27 year old.

I'd be horrified if she was dating a 44 year old at age 19.

Same would be true for my son.

I would think it's a bit wierd. A relative who is 26 is marrying a just turned 21 year old this year, the difference in maturity between them is really noticeable.

I was dating a 33 year old at that age. Married him actually. Seems like it’s very much a personal right to date who you want.

Also a bit surprised why so many people are confused about what a man of 27 would want with an 18 year old. It’s pretty obvious surely. Women hit their physical peak much earlier. They also seem to start declining much earlier too. The socialisation aspect is a bit irrelevant because it’s just so variable. An intelligent 18 year/an 18 year old raised in a culture where maturity comes much earlier would be developmentally quite similar to a stupid/British 27 year old. Even if they aren’t developmentally on the same page so long as they are both aware of the imbalance and the more mature party doesn’t use this to their advantage what’s the harm?

x2boys Hardly 'only on MN', when the law says all young people have to remain in education or training until they are 18. Yes, that includes apprentices, but a significant proportion of all 18 yr olds will be in school (massively higher if you count 6th form colleges as 'school').
southnownorth - but we aren't talking about 20 years ago. The law has changed (see above)

There's nothing wrong with that. It's not much of an age gap. They're probably at similar life stages

I know the law has changed. I have a 17 old myself. A few of her friends actually aren't in education at all and are working full time. No ones come after them or fined them, the government or whoever couldn't care less.

Met my exDH at 19 and he was 28. for 10 yrs, 3 DC. Never an issue.

@PossiblyPFB I've been the older woman in this exact scenario. The man had a house, car and full time job. He lied about his age for around six months but we stayed together for a while. Obviously I knew he was a bit younger but he'd added on a few years! Drifted apart naturally over time but parted friends. There was nothing creepy about it or weird. Similar also happened with a friend of mine. So yes the female can be the older one