Do you think it's okay for someone to be in a relationship with someone their child's age?

[ChangedUsernameJanuary2018]

Think 20 and 50 or 18 and 45?

I can't imagine finding someone my child's age particularly attractive, even if they are adults.

Well yes. Its probably less likely for that relationship to work out long term because of the difference in the two peoples stage of life... however its not impossible for it to be a healthy wonderful relationship.
If two people are over the age of 18 and both consenting then its not really anyone else place to say if its 'okay' or not.
Im married to a man who is 16 years older than me so I guess he is nearly old enough to have fathered me. I love him and we have been together a long time and have two children. He has no other biological children however but he does have a step child from a previous relationship who he sees who is only a few years older than me (her mother was ten years older than my husband)

Yes. Fancying someone my nephews age (so 18 and 37(my son is 2....) doesn't in any way equate to fancying my nephew, which is where I assume part of the question comes from.

DH has a DC my age.

We have been married 15 years.

I suppose he doesn't see me as his 'child's age' because I am an adult and was an adult when we met.

I just feel like if you have a child that is that age, you have watched them grow up, their friends, etc.

Most 18 year olds don't really look any different to what they did at 15 (especially the ones I know) so it just seems a bit odd to me.

It's not odd to be 25, have a 3 year old and fancy an 18 year old, but I know what I mean.

These threads are done often on here, and loads of posters will tell you how happy they are with their 20-year older/younger partner.

Personally, I don’t think it’s the size of the gap but the age of the younger partner that matters.

An 18-year-old and a 38-year-old? Not cool.

A 38-year-old and a 58-year-old? Meh, whatever.

No, never acceptable. If childfree it’s slightly different but having children the same age should alter your perspective. Never seen that sort of thing received well by the children.

I just feel like if you have a child that is that age, you have watched them grow up, their friends, etc.

That's right. But you have watched your child not anyone else.

I met DH as a 20 something when he was a 40 something. I can't imagine for a minute that when he met me he ran some comparisons against the adult DC he watched grow up.

My Dad met his wife as an adult. She's a year younger than me. Its odd to think that when he is with her he'd compare her to his children. When you kiss your partner you don't think about they were like at 14 and get off on it so why should anyone else who has only ever had a relationship woth someone as an adult.

Had it been someone he'd actually known grow up I think it would be weirder but I would still assume he was attracted to the adult they are now not the memory of them as a child

Sorry but everyone I know views their children as 'young'. Wether they are 10 or 20. I'd absolutely hate to have a mother or father in law who was younger than me!

I mean step parent

Well I'd absolutely hate to see a parent miss out on a chance of happiness because I didn't like their partners age

16 is legal. You'd be happy with a school kid in their uniform dating your parent?

Depends on age, surely? 16 and 35 (for example) -not so hot. 45 and 65- why not?

For me the age of the younger person usually determines my view on it.

Someone who is 16 with a 43, wouldnt sit right with me. A 40 year old with a 65 year old would not bother me.

I think it’s weird and I don’t see how it doesn’t come up in some way. Say you’re talking about childhood toys/tv shows and it would be “oh yes my dd watched/had that too”, that would make me feel off. I couldn’t date someone who had more in common generationally, with my parents than they do with me.

I’m only 20 though, although my parents were young so the age gap wouldn’t be as big as in the Op. So maybe as I get older it wouldn’t seem so odd.

No I agree there's a minimum age, 16 might be legal for sex but they're not an adult.
I think once they're out of school age / out of teens its different and to assume anyone is dating a 20 yo and imagining them as a 14 yo or 8 yo is weird.

My friends brother is 8 years older than her so can remember then being born , has watched them grow up. If he dated someone our age would you assume it's weeks because he watched someone that age grow up so must be woth her imagining her at a younger age just like his sister??