Do you and your partner have a wide age gap?

24 Feb 2018 4:23 PM | General
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What’s common between celebrity couples Gautam Rode, 40, and Pankhuri Awasthy, 26; Shahid Kapoor, 36, and Mira Rajput, 23; and Saif Ali Khan, 47, and Kareena Kapoor, 37? Their wide age gap. Sure, this was common in times when our grandparents and parents got married.

But can an age gap like this be a cause of concern in modern relationships? Relationship experts Dr Anil Sethi and Dr Komal Chandiramani shed light on the problems that such couples could encounter, and how one can deal with them.

1) Stay in the present
One of the biggest and most common concerns is future planning, especially conversations about starting a family. The older partner can get insecure with time, fearing that their partner can leave them. Patience and maturity are essential when having such conversations, that too, as early as possible. Instead of nagging your partner about not having the same thought process, discuss the expectations you have from each other, with an open mind, to meet halfway.

2) Bond over common interests
Your partner likes ’80s music, you like the latest hip-hop. And both of you seem to cringe at each other’s musical choices. A generation gap like this is likely to exist in your relationship, but that makes it all the more important to find common interests, or explore new hobbies together. However, in doing so, don’t force your choices upon the other. Learn to appreciate their likes and dislikes.

3) Being older doesn’t mean you’re wiser
Now, this one’s tricky! Your experiences in life might have taught you some valuable lessons, but expecting your younger partner to live by those learnings is not necessarily a good idea. Give them time to understand why you say something or act a certain way. Constantly telling them that they’re immature or inexperienced will only make you come across as condescending.

The reverse can also be true — when the younger partner feels that older partner’s knowledge is outdated. Experts advise to deal with such situations with maturity and sans ego. Try to be as objective as possible in presenting your argument. Focus on constructive criticism irrespective of one’s age. And most of all, remember that you love your partner for who they are and not their age, so don’t let the latter bring trouble in your paradise.

Courtesy: Hindustantimes

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