Worried about the age gap between you and your prospective partner: Here’s a helpful read!
When it comes to marriages, people take the age gap very seriously. Even though we can easily dismiss age gap concerns by quoting ‘ age is just a number ‘, the age gap matters a lot. So, is a 10 year age gap difference in marriage a big deal?
Keep reading to find out!
What is the ideal age gap for couples? 5 age gap classifications
The answer to this question is not so simple. For starters, we can say that the age gap depends on the couple and their preference. But this is just the icing on the cake. Let’s take a deeper plunge to find out more about age gaps and marriages.
There is no standard age gap that will work for all couples. While some couples do not have any age gap, some have long age gaps like 10 years age difference in a marriage.
So, is the age gap really important? Here are the 5 age gaps between married couples and things you should know.
Very small age gap
Some couples, especially the younger generation, have only a 0-2 years age gap between them. These couples usually fall in love young and decide to get married. The success of their marriage depends more on their compatibility than the age gap.
5 to 7 years age gap
It is a reasonable age difference between couples as one of them will be more mature. The older one can help bring better insights and stability to the marriage.
The age difference will help bring the best of both worlds into the relationship. Thus, marriages with a five to seven years age gap are more likely to succeed than others.
In other words, the age difference is not too little or too much to cause strains in the marriage.
10 years age difference in marriage
Some couples with such long age gaps have been able to maintain long-lasting marriages. But, it is very hard to keep the marriage tension-free because the couples will have a difficult time trying to understand each other.
The younger one will not be able to stand the maturity of the older one. And the older one will find it hard to understand the younger spouse’s perspective.
But, if both the husband and wife work hard, they will be able to align their goals and ambitions. Such a targeted approach can save the marriage and make it a beautiful partnership.
20 years age gap
If you have been wondering if a 10 years age difference in marriage is difficult to cope with, the 20 years age gap is incomprehensible for you!
However, many famous couples have handled a 20 year age difference in their marriages very well. But in an ideal scenario, it is extremely difficult to make a marriage with 20 years of age gap work.
When a couple has such a huge age difference, their life goals, ambitions, and takes on life will be different. Similarly, there will be a huge issue over the decision of having children.
The older one might be pushing for having kids at the earliest. But the younger spouse may not be mentally ready for a child that early into the marriage.
Such critical issues should be discussed and clarified before the wedding to avoid future clashes.
If there is no ideal age gap, as evident from the above-mentioned information, what is it that matters more when it comes to marriages? Let us find out!
Age gap – A reason to worry or not?
It is very hard to predict an ideal age gap that can reduce conflicts between prospective couples.
We cannot solely measure the success of a marriage by measuring age gaps alone.
However, age gap categories do help in making some generalizations listed below.
- Maturity difference increases with the age gap.
- People with lesser age differences tend to fight very less.
- Larger age differences are workable if both the partners are ready for it.
- A five to seven-year gap seems near ideal, but it could also have other issues.
From the above insights, one thing is clear, the couple has to take lots of important decisions between themselves. So, regardless of the age gap, it is the success of the team effort of the couple that matters.
- Couples have to give ample amount of focus on their compatibility than worry about age gaps.
- If you have yet not married a person, preferably choose someone whose age is close to yours.
- Even if you marry a person much older than you, it’s the attitude of your spouse and yours that will determine the course of your marriage.
In any case, a tolerant person with a mind to accept new things has a greater chance of leading a happier married life.
Concluding thoughts
So, as you can see, the age gap does matter in a marriage. A very large age difference will invite unwanted problems that will make the couples clash a lot more than others.
Similarly, the thought process and ideologies of spouses will also vary drastically due to the age gap.
Couples with less age difference usually have a similar thought process and find it easy to sync their life goals and ambitions. They will have effective communication and lesser conflicts.
At the same time, the age gap is not as important as compatibility. If the couple can sail through fundamental differences as a result of the age gap, they have better chances of survival.
In a nutshell, qualities like the ability to tolerate and adapt and work around issues can help couples have a successful marriage regardless of their age gap.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is an acceptable age gap between couples?
The younger partner’s age (regardless of gender) should be at least seven years younger than the older partner’s age, according to the rule.
2. Is age gap a problem in relationship?
Age disparities between partners can lead to feelings of insecurity about one’s relationship, fears that it won’t work out, and hypersensitivity to other people’s opinions on what constitutes a healthy relationship. Age differences are visible in several examples.
3. Is 12 years age difference too much?
The presence of a wide age gap in a romantic relationship frequently raises questions. According to studies, partners who are more than ten years apart in age face societal rejection. When it comes to our personal relationships, however, both men and women prefer someone their own age, while they are open to someone 10-15 years younger or older.
4. Is 20 years age difference too much?
In reality, there is no such thing as an ideal or appropriate age gap in a relationship. Whether you’re in a 20-year age gap relationship or a 5-year age gap relationship, you’ll face problems as well as benefits.