In my high school years, I was notorious for liking boys younger than me. It was the norm for me to go after boys who were 1-3 years my junior. All of my friends thought it was strange, and as per typical teenage girls, chased after the boys a few years older. Something made me different, and society made me believe I should feel ashamed for it.
Here I am, years later, in a serious committed relationship with someone a year and a half younger. That doesn’t seem like a huge difference, until you stop to think about the fact that I’m in my early twenties, while he still has a “teen” tacked onto the end of his age.
But why isn’t this okay?
I know that there’s a societal belief that “boys aren’t mature until they’re 30.” And although it’s true that women generally mature faster than men, that doesn’t mean there are any hard, fast rules. I’ve dated guys 10+ years older than the one I’m dating now, who were infinitely more immature. From experience, it’s not all about the status quo.
“Well, he’s the exception,” yes, I’ve heard it before. But what’s so bad about “robbing the cradle?” What’s so wrong with dating someone younger than you? This is a gender distinction that we need to come to light about. Men have never been criticized for dating younger than them. They just get a high five for bagging a younger woman. But here we are, the female demographic, once again getting the short end of the stick.
Age is irrelevant and as a generation, we’re very gradually discovering this. We’re seeing young millennials start companies, travel the world, and do amazing things, that nobody expected them to. No one blinks an eye, because it’s amazing! Everyone is realizing their true potential, and chasing after whatever they want. We’re slowly accepting that age doesn’t matter.
If you’ve bonded with someone and they feel like everything you’ve been looking for, don’t let finding out they’re younger than you change your mind about them.
There’s no reason to keep yourself from a potentially amazing relationship, just because society tells you it’s weird. We’re all a little weird, and love is beautiful, so that’s pretty darn cool if you ask me. Love your curves, love that you love women, love that you like to shave your head, and love that you like your boys a little young. I’m what some might call a cradle robber, and proud of it.
Featured image via Katerina Holmes on Pexels
