Dating someone older than you can teach a lot about relationships. It can also help you gain perspective on where you are in life, and where you might want to be in the future. 

Thanks to dating apps you can now expand your dating pool to any age, but if you’re only looking for people one year either side of your age, you might be missing out on some exciting opportunities with someone older than you.

Here's what to expect if you decide to slide that age range a few years higher. 

5 Tips For Dating Someone Older Than You:

Make Sure You Want The Same Things

As in any relationship, it’s important to make sure you’re looking for the same things. 

This is even more important if there’s an age gap, as someone older might want to get married or have children sooner than you might be ready for. 

Or, depending on previous experience, they might not want to get married again, or to have more kids. 

It’s important not to assume anything because of their age. 

Open and honest communication should help both of you understand what you want, and how you can work together to make each other happy. 

Learn From Them

One of the benefits of dating an older person is that they have more experience dealing with the ups and downs of life. This means they can help you navigate tricky situations, give you advice on how to deal with problems at work, and help you through tough times, because they’ve been through them too. 

Older partners can sometimes have a level of stability that only comes with age. 

If they’re a good match, they’ll encourage you to grow and learn at your own pace, to develop as an individual. They’ll be able to help you if you need, but it’s important for you to be on equal footing.

Enjoy The Confidence And Security They’ve Built

When someone has had more time to develop, they should have also become more confident and happy with who they are. 

This is very attractive, and vital for being a good partner in a relationship. 

A confident and self-assured partner makes it much easier to have a healthy relationship, and provides a secure base for you to begin working on your own confidence. 

Enjoy Less Relationship Drama

People who have reached a certain age are often no longer interested in playing games when it comes to relationships. They might have had one or two serious relationships in the past, and they know the common pitfalls that relationships can fall into. 

An older partner probably isn’t interested in drama, they know what they want, and they’re willing to put in the hard work that a relationship takes. 

A lot of relationship drama is born out of insecurity or uncertainty, which they have hopefully dealt with. 

If you’re the younger half, you may need time to learn how to be comfortable being honest and vulnerable, but your partner should support you and make it much easier for you to express yourself. 

People Might Judge You For Your Relationship

Sadly, couples with an age gap sometimes face scrutiny or even judgement because of their relationship. 

This can be an issue for new couples, as this negativity may end up impacting you more than you might expect as your relationship is just getting started. 

Dating an older person can be a new and exciting experience, and can radically change how you view relationships. An older partner can give you support, teach you new things, and expand your horizons in ways you might never have experienced otherwise. 

Read more of our tips for dating someone new.

Learn about the different stages of relationships.