When Sofia Richie, 20, began dating Scott Disick, 35, people thought there was no way the two could last. Sofia was just a rebound from Scott’s ex and the mother of his children, Kourtney Kardashian, 39, people said. Well, the couple has been together much longer than the skeptics thought! After almost two years of dating, Sofia has battled countless comparisons to Kourt while trying to navigate dating an older man in the spotlight. So, after everything Sofia has dealt with while dating Scott – it begs many questions: Should you date a someone almost twice your age? Is it worth it? Are there ways you should navigate it?
To find some answers, relationship expert April Masini spoke with HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY about dating an older person. She listed many positives to dating someone older. “[It] can be great because they have a lot of experience to share and things to teach you simply because they’ve been around for longer than you have,” April revealed. “They’ve had an entire decade or more to establish relationships, travel the world, and become educated. Dating someone older means you’ve got someone who knows the world better than you do, and that can be comforting, exciting, stimulating and interesting. Someone older can be more advanced in a career, and have had more time to amass finances, and that means they have resources to share and to lavish on you.”
But there can be negative sides too, April said: The older person you may date might not be as “energetic” as you, or be aware of the “latest trends.” Also, an older person in a relationship may be more concerned with retirement and health issues, while you may have other priorities.
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We asked April for any tips to navigate through judgments people may pass onto your relationship with someone older than you. Sometimes, younger people face a stigma that they’re only dating older people for money or power. She said to ignore those thoughts if you don’t know the people passing judgment.
But if you know that person or people well, she said that explaining your relationship or inviting that person to join you and your partner to spend time together in person may help them understand better. “If they see things firsthand, and get to know you as a couple, they may become more open minded,” April said. “On the other hand, don’t pressure them to change their minds. They might not. All you can do is be open, and hope they follow your example.”
In terms of what could assist in making the relationship work, April said to “bridge gaps” between you and your partner. Since your age isn’t something you have in common, you may have fewer interests in common. Seek to learn more about their favorite hobby, and try to teach them about yours. That could help bring you two closer together, and feel like you share more. Additionally, she said to be sensitive toward any children they have if you’re close in age to them.
“When an older partner dates someone who is the same age, or close to the age of [their] children, [the children] may feel displaced twice, once because you’re taking their other parent’s place, and second because it may feel to them that you’re taking their [place],” April said. “So try to be empathetic to what they are going through, and find a relationship with them that works, while you’re dating their parent.”
Ultimately, you may have a lot to face when dating someone much older, but at the end of the day, it’s your decision based on what you find comfortable in your dating life!