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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Need urgent advise 16/17 vs 21yr old

86 replies

wantmysmileback · 05/12/2019 18:23

Hi,
My daughter recently met someone over the summer - and we told her make sure you know how old he is etc.. before you start anything. She is 16yrs old - 17 in Feb 2020. We had told her many times and she told us he was 19 which we were not 100% happy with and gave her advise that it is better to avoid such situations. Obviously she did not take our advice and wanted to start dating. In the meantime we kept asking ...how old is he and told us he has just turned 20. After long hard discussions and trying to put myself in her shoes, and saw that she truly wanted this to happen, I decided to try to accept the idea, seeing that she will be turning 17 soon. I had told her that I am really on the borderline of accepting and if he was any older than this I would totally not accept. We had the type of relationship that she would tell me almost everything, show me her pictures and eventually met the guy to try to keep her close to me aswell so I knew what was going on and how the guy is etc.. To my dismay i saw his birth date on FB. He had just actually turned 21. Not only did my daughter lie to me on 3 occasions and totally betrayed my trust and the freedom I gave her as I trusted her and thought she deserved it. This has caused completed turmoil in our family as I am utterly disgusted about the situation, both them lying to me and that he turns out to be a fully grown man. I admit that maybe I should not have even let her see him even when i thought he was 20 :-( .....she is adamant that it is her decision and I cannot do anything about it, she doesnt care that this has broken our relationship to pieces. She thinks she can decide everything and know whats best for her. We are terribly dissapointed as I had the illusion that she was an honest, trustworthy girl - i really dont know what to do

OP posts:
Thefaceofboe · 05/12/2019 19:03

It’s only 4 years! She is a women now whether you class her as a teenager or not... there’s 5 years between me and my parent, I’m 25 and he’s just turned 30.. no biggie

Dawninglory · 05/12/2019 19:04

At 21 I wouldn't call him a full grown man op, boys are less mature than girls. When I was her age my boyfriend was 22, boys my own age were soo immature and 5yrs older felt the right fit for my own mentality. If they are happy together don't push her away with being judgemental over it.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 05/12/2019 19:05

It’s only 4 years . It’s nothing.

At 17 I was going out with a 26 year old.

wantmysmileback · 05/12/2019 19:05

@mycatthinksshesatiger - i would embrace it if she was 18 - believe me. But she is not 18 - for me there is alot of difference in these 2 yrs - her mind is still developing, and can get manipulated and hurt very easily, filled with false promises that she might base her future decisions upon - such as studies etc

OP posts:
Thefaceofboe · 05/12/2019 19:07

@wantmysmileback please remember boys the same age as her can manipulative and hurt her just as much.

MerryDeath · 05/12/2019 19:09

i remember being 17. 21yo males are not fully grown men! his age alone does not make him a predator. maybe you should try to get to know him?!

Heismyopendoor · 05/12/2019 19:09

YABU

Jellykat · 05/12/2019 19:12

Another perspective is..
My DS2 is 21, and going out with a nearly 17 year old girl.
Its his first relationship, and despite being dyspraxic, he's got his first job after years of studying really hard. Living rurally, theres a lot of driving to and from work for him, picking her up, paying for everything, trying to fit in with her party lifestyle and juggle work commitments.
But they're very sweet together, she's mature for her age as has older brothers and sisters, so they cook their meals together, he makes her coffee in the mornings whilst sorting his packed lunch etc etc, they go on lovely walks and meals out, and gigs together.. He's even encouraging her to go to college, as she left school with no qualifications.

So yes, your daughters partner may be 21, but it doesn't mean he isn't kind, caring, and supportive!

wantmysmileback · 05/12/2019 19:12

What does YABU mean @Heismyopendoor ??

OP posts:
MumaD · 05/12/2019 19:17

Get over yourself or you'll lose your daughter. Just be there for Hera d if it ends in tears then you'll be there to support her!

Heismyopendoor · 05/12/2019 19:20

It means you are being unreasonable.

BeardedMum · 05/12/2019 19:22

I went out with a very immature 28 year old when I was 18. A creepy family friend is 45 and only dates girls under 20. The younger the better. That’s creepy!!

Spitsandspots · 05/12/2019 19:23

At 17 I had a 23 year old boyfriend for 8 months. No grooming involved, it wasn’t odd at all. I was mature for my age & lads my age seemed very immature.

I’ve never thought about what my mum thought of it all but she was always of the mindset that if she said no, I would want to do whatever it was more, and she didn’t want to lose me.

Just saying, you have made your displeasure very known, it might be better to not Say anything. It will run its course.

Oblomov19 · 05/12/2019 19:26

I went to a party and snogged / 'got off with' a 21 year old when 17. He asked me out and I said no. God how I still regret that now.

Boys your own year are incredibly immature.

YABU - Your'll lose her if you're not careful!

calamariqueen · 05/12/2019 19:27

This is my life. This is literally the exact line I spun my mum when I was 16. I've been with my husband 20 years now 🤣

Tbh mum's reaction didn't influence my behaviour at all so I think you are going to have to accept this. Some of her derogatory comments actually did a lot of damage to our relationship, so I think you're going to have to support her despite your misgivings if you want her to keep you as a confidante.

notnowmaybelater · 05/12/2019 19:27

@MNHQ is all 9f MN AIBU now? Why is the AIBU vote facility enabled on a post under teenagers?

wantmysmileback you switched on a vote function to allow people to vote whether or not you are being unreasonable, which is why a poster told you YABU...

As someone pointed out his FB age may have been set when he joined Facebook age 12 and lied because the minimum age is 13.

As a parent I wouldn't be best pleased at my nearly 17 year old DD dating a just turned 21 year old.

I do however know enough young people to know that many just turned 21 year old men are more boy than man, it does depend a bit on the individual.

Your reported conversations with your DD were very manipulative - vanishingly few 16 year olds would have told you their boyfriend was 21 if you said 20 was the oldest you'd accept... You set her up, pretty much.

I'm in my mid 40s but still remember being that age and early 20s was the attractive age..

As a parent it's normal to want your DD not to date anyone older, as a teen it's fairly common to want something different.

It depends completely on the individual - is he respectful, on her level, do they have fun together or is he influencing or manipulating or pressuring her?

I'd keep the pair of them close and encourage them to hang out at yours so you can keep an eye.

Don't ban her from seeing him or she'll get a Juliet complex and you don't want star crossed lovers on your hands...

Loopytiles · 05/12/2019 19:30

I did this when I was 16 and my Mum went spare. My boyfriend was a total loser, pushy sexually and I regretted dating him. I found it hard to navigate. Luckily her making him unwelcome put him off!

I think it’s sleazy for people in their twenties to date teens, unless the age gap is a couple of years.

wantmysmileback · 05/12/2019 19:34

I dont intend to ban her. She is still seeing him on a regular basis, but am not going along with it like I was and snubbing it totally - which is why I wanted to hear peoples opinion as I didnt know how to handle it

OP posts:
Halo1234 · 05/12/2019 19:41

21 is still young. I wouldnt say a 21 year old man is a fully grown man. I think of 21 years as not being fully grown. A 16/17 year old could easily be more mature than a 21 year old depending on the person. Is a 4 year age gap (4 and a half). Not a big deal. Be glad she has found someone she likes who likes her back. Dont rule him out just because of his age (if he was 24 or above I would be a bit less comfortable). But 21 is fine. She lied because of how u are reacting now. Dont make an issue u will push her away from u and towards him. Let her have u both. Share in her happiness if it works out and help her in sad times if it doesnt.

snowybaubles · 05/12/2019 19:43

She is still 16 - dont you think that is a bit wierd a fully grown man going out with a teenager?

Yes OP I DO think it's weird. 21 year old men tend to go for 16 year old girls because the 21 year old women are not interested and less easy to manipulate. My own DH is a good lot of years older then me, but I was a fully grown adult when we met. It's weird and I would be worried from a potential abuse POV.

@Thefaceofboe

She is a women now whether you class her as a teenager or not

She is 16. Not a woman. Hmm

Aquamarine1029 · 05/12/2019 19:44

THIS has caused "complete turmoil" in your family? Good grief, that is a massive overreaction. Most 21 year old young men are actually more on par with 17 year old girls, emotionally and in terms of maturity. I understand you may not be happy about this, but the bigger deal you make of it the more you'll push her to him.

OKBoom3r · 05/12/2019 19:45

I'd be uncomfortable with this too and I'd be making sure my daughter knew I didn't like it and why

She's 16. Not 17. Not an adult. However where consent and the law is concerned, there is no grey area - that is what it is so your worry really is just from a place of concern and quite right too

So I'd be keeping communication channels open and I wouldn't allow sleepovers. Is her school work still up to date etc?

My eldest is 21 and she would not date a 16 year old, end of.

lljkk · 05/12/2019 19:58

DS2 (now 15yo) is very immature, he'll end up dating someone much younger for sure. It's wouldn't be predatory, he's just different from other people.

This is an opportunity to teach your DD how to have healthy relationships -- whatever the age gap.

wantmysmileback · 05/12/2019 20:01

Thanks everyone - u helped calm me down. Maybe those who gave me advise have already been through this, but experiencing it first hand is not easy, seeing your beautiful daughter, making choices that may not be the best for her and can get hurt, in my eyes is hard - but I am willing to listen to advise and try to be rational - even though I blew my top already - but hopefully still in time for things to be ok between us

OP posts:
OKBoom3r · 05/12/2019 20:01

@lljkk if your 15 year old will end up dating someone 'much younger' then you need to watch he doesn't to be honest .. I fully understand he may be emotionally immature etc but 15 year old boys shouldn't be 'dating' much younger children as it's just asking for trouble