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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Husband’s attitude towards aging

416 replies

Lolabear38 · 03/12/2025 05:27

I’m 43, DH 41 and we’ve been together 15 years with 2 kids. We both keep in shape but obviously we both look our ages.

A couple of weeks ago, during a jokey conversation with my husband I asked him which of my friends he thought was most attractive (yes in hindsight a stupid question, not the point). He thought for a moment and answered ‘none of them really, they’re all old now’. They’re the same age as me! I called him out on it and reminded him of that, said his attitude was horrible and I found it disrespectful. He apologised.

Tonight, watching I’m a Celeb, I said something like ‘ooh you used to fancy Kelly Brook, didn’t you?’ (I promise neither question was loaded in any way, just casual and typical of a usual conversation between us) and he pulled a face and said ‘yeah, but eww she’s really old these days so not any more’.

I again told him he was being really rude - while yes, all the women in question are getting older - they’re all similar ages to me and it made me feel a bit shitty to think he might think of me like that too. I told him it was demeaning, hurtful and particularly disrespectful considering I’d called him out on comments like this so recently.

AIBU to be this upset? It’s not just the comments, but the face pulling and ‘eww’ when thinking about their ages. I told him clearly what I thought and he initially said ‘well don’t ask questions you don’t want to hear the answer to’. Yep, ok, fair point, but it’s the fact he obviously does think like this that is making me so sad/ angry.

I also reminded him he isn’t 25 any more and not getting any younger himself. We’ve left it with him apologising and saying ‘there’s nothing else I can do now’. I’ve told him to think about his shitty attitude and have some more respect.

OP posts:
MooDengOfThailand · 03/12/2025 05:29

It's better just not to go there.

Howtogetthrough · 03/12/2025 05:34

There was never going to be a good outcome from asking ridiculous questions like those.

IamNotBeingUnreasonable · 03/12/2025 05:37

Presumably he's an Adonis? 🧐

crscrs · 03/12/2025 05:38

These questions are always going to get an answer you don’t like, that’s why I don’t ask them ! To be honest they’re questions a teenager would ask !

FiveShelties · 03/12/2025 05:39

There are some questions it is better not to know the answer to.

BatshitCrazyWoman · 03/12/2025 05:42

These women are pretty much the same age as him. What a twat he is.

I agree that those questions are best not asked, but it does mean you've uncovered his misogyny (women are only attractive if young). I'd be pointing out his 'oldness', too.

Alexadidzammomarryjackie · 03/12/2025 05:44

Given the fact you are using every time he opens his mouth as a lecture learning opportunity, maybe he's now over egging it just to piss you off.

ETA - i am in my 50s. I would far rather a night of cocktails and dancing sex with young Antonio Banderas than old Antonio Banderas. That's not me hating men, or old people, or pretending I'm young.

Tablesandchairs23 · 03/12/2025 05:46

Im assuming he's Benjamin Button

JustMyView13 · 03/12/2025 05:50

His options were:

  • on the spot pick a friend that was good looking for you to compare yourself to
  • find the first excuse that came into his head to move the conversation along
Then again, you left him in the same awkward spot. It doesn’t sound like there was an answer where he’d win.
dottiedodah · 03/12/2025 05:54

Probably best not to ask if you won't like the answer! Most me find younger women attractive. Just a fact of life.doesnt mean they are going to run off with them.personality and shared values are key to most mature relationships. Older men are often out of shape and old fashioned to boot!

Celestialmoods · 03/12/2025 05:55

Stop asking him silly questions and you’ll stop getting answers you don’t like.

Bikergran · 03/12/2025 05:59

Very standard male reaction. Any group of middle-aged blokes with beer bellies and combovers will happily lech over teenage girls, and in their deluded little brains believe they'd be in with a chance. Still totally ick, though, and extremely unconducive to any kind of sex life with him, I'd be so self-conscious I wouldn't even want to undress in front of him.

MaggieBsBoat · 03/12/2025 06:00

I agree with pps that questions like that are never going to get an answer you like. They’ll either be lies or painful.
The point is he thinks younger women are more attractive and he doesn’t find aging women attractive Many don’t I guess. It’s just what it is. Most of the famous men I think look ok, also looked better young.
The real problem is how it reflects on how he looks at you, which no matter what he says, you’ll now know to be negative, as you’ve gotten older. The only way to balance this is to remind him (even if it’s not true) that he’s not as attractive to you now he’s older. Ok it’s juvenile (irony! Like the questions in the first place) but that’s what I’d be tempted to do.

PollyBell · 03/12/2025 06:02

Well the point is a person asks silly questions they get silly answers

Bringemout · 03/12/2025 06:07

I think people just associate youth with beauty if they are being honest (men more so than women). I don’t think it’s fair to berate him for being honest though. I doubt Dh finds me as attractive as he did when we first met.

Jk987 · 03/12/2025 06:07

You seem to be reprimanding him like he’s a child!
You’re his wife and he’s got a history with you which goes way deeper than looks. If you’re giving him a choice of women in a hypothetical situation of course he’s going to prefer more youthful looks!

Mummyoflittledragon · 03/12/2025 06:08

Apparently a lot of men continue to see young women as the most attractive as they age, whereas women tend to like men closer to their age. I remember this being discussed a few years ago. https://metro.co.uk/2019/02/22/men-regardless-age-will-always-attracted-women-early-20s-8718590/

Two graphs add evidence to the theory that men keep chasing after young women

Brilliant.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/02/22/men-regardless-age-will-always-attracted-women-early-20s-8718590/

Financial · 03/12/2025 06:13

I think you both need to accept you’re getting older tbh.

Your attitude isn’t great either

rickyrickygrimes · 03/12/2025 06:14

I would imagine that most men think the same, if they are being asked to rate women based purely on their physical attributes and whether they ‘fancy’ them: some of them are clever / kind enough to lie. Unfortunately your husband isn’t one of them.

why did you ask? Were you fishing for a compliment? Disappointing.

Yamahahaha · 03/12/2025 06:16

I don't think you come out of this terribly well either, what with the serial stupid questions and the lecturing and haranguing. Can't you find something else to talk about?

purpleygrey · 03/12/2025 06:21

stupid question = stupid answer

LamettaTime · 03/12/2025 06:23

you asked him ridiculous questions then got upset at the answers - what did you want him to say to the friend question? If he’d given you a couple of names then you’d be annoyed at him for that! Especially if they didn’t look like you

lots of people find more youthful looks attractive. It doesn’t mean they’re an old letch. Kelly brook hasn’t aged particularly well so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him not fancying her any more.

I should just stop having these “jokey” conversations

Gallowayan · 03/12/2025 06:25

I think you are being disingenuous here, because you setting traps for him to fall into.. He is stupid for falling into them though.

JudgeBread · 03/12/2025 06:28

The reality is on a completely surface level people tend to be more attractive when they're younger.

But that's all he's talking about, surface level attraction. The things that hold you together, that you love about another person, that make you want to spend your life with them and grow old and wrinkly and saggy with them, are rarely physical. He's not saying he doesn't find you attractive because I'd presume the things he's attracted to in you run deeper than surface level. I'd hope so anyway!

He's being tactless and oafish, yes, and a better bet probably would've been to just not answer because you've kind of asked him a question with no winning answer. Why on earth would you want to know which of your mates he's thought about shagging?

MrsPrendergast · 03/12/2025 06:29

Bikergran · 03/12/2025 05:59

Very standard male reaction. Any group of middle-aged blokes with beer bellies and combovers will happily lech over teenage girls, and in their deluded little brains believe they'd be in with a chance. Still totally ick, though, and extremely unconducive to any kind of sex life with him, I'd be so self-conscious I wouldn't even want to undress in front of him.

I agree with this. I do think (most/many) older men (over 45) prefer young/er women (16 to 28) and most wouldn't admit it

I also think many men have an overinflated opinion of themselves, no matter what the mirror and scales tell them