22 y/o female dating 18 y/o male?

[Semicharmedkindalife]

Just that.
What are your thoughts on this?

It’s the same ages me and my husband got together, cannot see the problem at all.

i wouldn't find it bad at all o_0 there both adults and its only 4 years apart.

when i was 19 i dated a 28 year old...

I wonder if the people not seeing a problem have 18 year old children......

Perhaps your 18 year old is just especially immature/ vulnerable Bert?

perhaps Bertrand and I have actual 18 year olds and recognise the difference

When my dsd was 18 she had an relationship with a 23 year old man, he was horrible to her but even his age and the fact he had much more power and expriance over her was worrying to me. She's now 22 and the thought of her going back and dating an 18 year old boy still at sixth form would make me equally worryied, her current boyfriend is 26 which although is a 4 year age gap still is completely different.
How long have they known each other? If she knew him when he was under 18 then that is more of a problem. Its not the age gap 30 and 34 is fine, its the fact one is only 18.

I have a 16 YO and I don't particularly like her dating at all Bert to be honest. Especially the fool she brought home recently who didn't think females fart because of their different biology Oh, and he plans to study medicine

But I don't think it's dodgy or alarming that she dates other people of around her age. In school that is generally defined as same school year or a year above or below. But once they turn 18 I think that within about 5 years is what is generally accepted, as hat is who they meet and socialise with. In that way that at university you first ask people what year and course they're on, and age isn't really considered, to a point, as so many are not with their age-cohort like they are in school.

Surely like any relationship it depends on the people involved? 18 could be still at school, could be at uni, could be working and living independently. 22 could be at uni still, working, living at home, living alone etc. The ages themselves mean very little without context. But I knew plenty of 18 year old girls that went out with 25 year olds and no one batted an eyelid.

Perhaps the rest of us can actually remember being 18 crunch.

I think people are taking it way too seriously. They are both adults of a similar age dating. Yes it might go nowhere for lots of the reasons cited but that's kind of the point of being young and seeing different people isn't it? Perhaps the 18yo is working and the 22yo is still at uni. I think it is fairly tiresome tbh to overanalyse every dalliance to the nth degree.

“Perhaps your 18 year old is just especially immature/ vulnerable Bert?”

Yep- I’m sure that’s it.

bertrand-you and i with our vulnerable backward 18 year olds eh?

Tetchy

Not a problem at all as long as, as in any relationship, they are both happy and no one is being taken advantage of.

Unusual perhaps but I don't see it as an issue. Would be a problem if the young man saw himself as a future French President, but otherwise not!

crunchtime maybe they could get together?

When my dsd was 18 she had an relationship with a 23 year old man, he was horrible to her but even his age and the fact he had much more power and expriance over her was worrying to me.

When I was 17/18 I dated a 22/23 year old guy. He was lovely and treated me very well and adored me so much I knew I had the power in the relationship. The 'experience' of his additional five years on the planet was around the same as my own, and we got on great.

Anecdotes aren't always useful.

if you look at an 'average' 18 year old, there are probably still at school, living at home with parents, not responsible for household management. May well do their own washing and contribute to household task but certainly not paying rent etc
Have only just started to go to the pub legally- not very experienced in taking care of themselves in clubs/on the street late at night etc

A 22 year old in comparison may well have graduated from university after living alone for three years. Will have been managing own finances, own household tasks etc. Will be way more independent.
They might not have gone to uni and have been working for 4 years, might be living in their own flat etc

it's that imbalance that makes it icky to me

Bert I lived alone since I was 16. Not all 18 year olds are young, immature kids.

The average Mumsnet 18 year old appears to be living independently and has a mortgage.

Unless they are spending all day in bed, refusing to join in family days out, having baths at 2 in the morning and eating all the food bought to feed the family for a week in a single day.

I wouldn't bat an eyelid. I'd find it odd if anyone did tbh. I had a 24 year old boyfriend when I was 18.

i agree

in fact most 16 year olds on here are ready to buy their own house and have children

my average descriptor fits ALL the 18 year olds i know in real life

No issue.

my average descriptor fits ALL the 18 year olds i know in real life

So you don't know any 18 year olds with August birthdays who would now be 2/3 of the way through their first year at uni then? I never, ever went to school over the age of 18 as doesn't anyone who is youngish July/Aug/late June.

I have an 18 year old son and can't see what the problem would be

Is this one of those "eighteen year olds are babies" threads? Despite the fact they can marry, vote, serve on a jury, enter into a legal contract.....

“Is this one of those "eighteen year olds are babies" threads? ”

Nope. It’s a there’s a mich bigger difference between 18 and 22 than there is between 22 and 26 or 40 and 44 threads.