If both parties are adults, and both parties are good with it, it's no one else's business to judge the relationship, or to say it's “weird”. From my perspective, not only is this particular case not weird, it's absolutely, totally normal, and there are probably millions of such relationships.
Is an age gap of 18 and 21 bad? No. There is nothing morally, socially, or legally wrong with your relationship. You are both single, consenting adults.
At the same time, a 20-year-old is an adult, so it is crucial to be mindful about not violating laws regarding children. A 20-year-old should not be in a relationship with a 17-year-old. While a three-year gap isn't, in itself, absolutely good or bad, even small age differences can be significant for younger people.
Most experts agree that the right age to start dating is around 16.
If you are 18, at least in the US, you can date anyone you want who is also over 18 and consenting. As for what is recommended, I believe the general rule is “half your age plus 7,” so if you are 30 years old, the youngest partner you should have would be 22 years old.
No, it's not illegal for a 16-year-old to date a 19-year-old. States do not impose laws on the ages that you can date. But, they impose laws on the age of consent and sexual conduct between 16 and 19 year olds. The 16-year-old will not get in trouble for dating the 19-year-old.
Most teens date at some point during adolescence. Among teens in our sample, roughly three-quarters of 15 year olds reported they had dated (Figure II. 4). Among 18 year olds, almost all (95 percent) reported having dated.
Testing the “Creepiness Rule”
The results showed that the creepiness rule is generally too lenient about how young you can date — especially as you get older. Based on the creepiness rule, a 20-year old John/Lauren can date someone who is 17. This was in line with what people surveyed found acceptable (~18).
First crushes may occur at any time, but generally start at around 10-13 years of age. They are an important step in developing normal and healthy romantic relationships, and provide opportunities to learn how to compromise and communicate.
Staying single in one's 20s can offer several benefits such as the ability to focus on personal growth and self-discovery, financial stability, and the freedom to pursue individual goals and aspirations without being held back by a romantic relationship.
Dating and relationships
In general, there are no laws that say when a young person can start dating another person (but there are laws about doing sexual activity with another person, which we explain below!) However, there are laws which make grooming children under the age of 16 a crime.
At your ages, a three year gap shouldn't be particularly problematic. However, getting married at 18 and 21 isn't a good idea. Neither of you has much life experience yet, and you're both going to change a lot in the next few years.
It's not only not weird, it's really, really common. The real thing to consider (since you're both legally adults) is what life experience you have in common. At 18, you've either recently graduated or are a high school senior.
A relationship age gap bigger than 10 years often comes with its own set of issues. “While there are always exceptions to rules, a good rule to remember is that dating someone more than 10 years older will present challenges now or later that add to the preexisting challenges any relationship has,” he says.
It's kinda a personal thing. It can get hard because they are both at different stages in their lives. But a long as they love each other enough to make it work and they adult isn't doing it in an inappropriate way, it should be fine.
It is completely normal. It is not a big age gap and both are legally of age, both the age of consent and the age of majority.
While men seem to be genetically predisposed to be attracted to women in their mid-to-late-20s, women tend to be attracted to men around their ages, if not older; this means men in their 30s have the best of both worlds. Men in their 30s are attractive to a wide range of women, from 20-somethings to women in their 40s.
Parents may be surprised to learn how young children are when the love bug first bites. Many experts agree that most kids experience their first crushes when they are 5 or 6 years old. Sometimes young puppy love is focused on a celebrity, but other times it is on a classmate.
Analysing the results further, cross culturally, the average age females prefer to marry is 25.4 years old, and they prefer a mate 3.4 years older than themselves, therefore their preferred mate would be aged 28.8 years of age.
In short, research seems to indicate that in many cultures, an age gap of 1 to 3 years is considered ideal — but some researchers suggest even a relationship with an age gap of less than 10 years will bring more satisfaction. Still, numbers rarely tell the full story when it comes to love.
Once you turn 16 it's not illegal for someone to have sex with you no matter how old they are. This is true only as long as you give your consent and as long as they are not in a position of power over you, such as your teacher.
It probably won't come as a surprise that young adults in their 20s have longer lasting relationships that teenagers. One small study of 103 adolescents found that 21-year-olds have an average relationship length four times that of 15-year-olds. These relationships can last two to four years.
Generally speaking, an 18-year-old can date a 16-year-old provided that the relationship is not sexual. If the relationship becomes sexual, then it could be illegal depending on the state.
According to a new study from Compare the Market, 45% of couples still meet either at a social gathering or through mutual friends, and only 7% meet on a dating app. Alas, there is hope! So fear not, it's definitely still possible to meet your dream boyfriend, girlfriend or partner, in real life.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids start dating at an average age of 12 and a half for girls and 13 and a half for boys. Every teen — or preteen — is different, though, and your child might be ready sooner or later than their peers.