Older Men & Younger Women

Older Men/Younger Women relationships occur for a wide range of reasons, but they are often stereotyped by many names. For example, if the man is old and rich and only dates young women, such men can be called “Sugar Daddies,” and if a young woman goes out with an old rich man some would say she is in the relationship just for the money, or that she has “daddy issues.”

However, there are many such relationships where the reasons are more nuanced and practical, such as older men might be more secure in themselves, or that younger women may see older men as mature, established, and being better able to provide for her and their children. An older man may also prefer a younger woman as she might represent a better chance at reversing the missed opportunity of having kids and a family. Each partner may be trying to find their ideal self in the other, whether it’s personality, success or appearance.

Psychology, evolution, biology and plain old compatibility are also explanations for why older men might prefer younger women and why younger women might prefer older men.

The sourced articles below should provide more information on the subject of relationships between older men and younger women.

  1. A Therapist Reveals The Surprising Truth About Older Men Marrying Younger Women

    “So, the stereotype in my mind was very wrong. I find that both the younger woman and the older man had good intentions going in. However, they do almost always hit this critical stage when the veil has dropped and reality sets in. It’s rarely him who leaves her for a younger woman. It’s more often her who leaves him for a younger man.”

    Rachel Lee Glass, MA, CLC, psychcentral.com, 1/31/2019

  2. So I Married A Much Older Man

    “While an American Psychological Association study debunked the hypothesis that younger wives are compensating for lousy father-daughter relationships, the research didn’t address women like me, whose dads have been caring and present and normal. Could we be the ones subconsciously attracted to a ::cringe:: daddy-husband?”

    Diane Stopyra, marieclaire.com, 12/19/2017

  3. Why Do Some Women Date Much Older Men?

    “The sociocultural perspective for understanding the pairing of older men and younger women explains not just that younger women seem physically more attractive to aging males, but that the older man represents socially valued attributes that lead his younger partner to want to bond with him.”

    Susan Krauss Whitbourne, PhD, psychologytoday.com, 6/10/2017

  4. Pairing Old Men With Young Women Is Bad Science

    “While this study shows that not all older men would sleep with younger women if they could, it still supports the theory that more men than women have a sexual interest in younger partners”

    Sarah Sloat, inverse.com, 2/6/2017

  5. Dad Or Shag: The Scientific Reason You’re Attracted To Older Men

    “Is young women’s attraction to older men nature, nurture or a combination of the two?”

    Vicky Spratt, thedebrief.co.uk, 1/11/2017

  6. The Truth Behind Your Attraction to Older Men

    “Marriage and family expert Dr. Paul Hokemeyer echoes this sentiment and points out the older man’s confidence often appeals to these women.”

    Sara Butler, entitymag.com, 11/12/2016

  7. Tying The Knot Again? Chances Are, There’s A Bigger Age Gap Than The First Time Around

    “Not only are men who have recently remarried more likely than those beginning a first marriage to have a spouse who is younger; in many cases, she is much younger.”

    Gretchen Livingston, pewresearch.org, 12/4/2014

  8. Marriage Myth Busted: Women Not Looking For Sugar Daddies

    “The findings hold true even for older men married to younger women, researchers say, meaning that sugar daddies and their so-called trophy wives might not be such a common model for coupling.”

    Megan Gannon, livescience.com, 5/7/2013