A divorced mother has discovered new love with a partner 19 years younger, and while she’s enjoying this new chapter of her life, there is one drawback to her relationship.
Dating can be complicated, no doubt about it. The presence of a significant age gap between partners often prompts questions from others.
An anonymous 46-year-old divorced woman recently shared her story with relationships expert Jana Hocking in the Daily Mail.
The woman recounted how she returned to dating after a three-year hiatus and eventually met her current 27-year-old boyfriend.
She shared: “I’m a 46-year-old divorced mum who’s just started dating again after nearly three years. I tried dating men in their mid-forties and fifties, but it never clicked.
“So, I took a chance and started dating guys in their late twenties and early thirties. I ended up in an unexpected relationship with a 27-year-old, and it’s one of the best and healthiest relationships I’ve ever had.”
However, not everything has been perfect, as the woman experienced an awkward moment at a recent dinner party.
She continued: “But at a recent dinner party, one of my close friends jokingly called me a ‘cougar,’ and the joke quickly caught on with the group. While I’m usually pretty laid-back and will happily admit I enjoyed some of the attention from younger guys on dating apps, being labelled a ‘cougar’ feels a little insulting.
“It seems to imply that my interest in younger men is something laughable or predatory. It’s made me wonder if there’s something wrong with my midlife dating choices or if I’m just being overly sensitive.”
Jana responded with some reassuring advice to help ease the woman’s concerns.
She clarified that dating a 27-year-old is not predatory, saying: “That man has been legally allowed to drink, vote and lay naked at nudist beaches for the last nine years!”
Jana added: “Now, about this ‘cougar’ business. Look, I get it. When I hear that word, the first thing that comes to mind is Stifler’s mum and it does sound a bit icky. So yes, it can sting a little when it feels like people are reducing you to a punchline. But here’s the thing: your dating life is your own, and if you’re happy and it’s working, that’s what truly matters.”
Jana is well-known for offering valuable relationship advice in her weekly Daily Mail column ‘saucy secrets’.