Yet women shouldn’t assume that all younger men will eventually want children. Despite the prevalence of the cougar trend, older women shouldn’t expect society to treat their relationships with younger men as “normal.” They will likely field their share of raised eyebrows from friends and family members.
Says Winter, “More and more, I’m meeting young men partnered with women 15-20 years older, both of whom don’t want to have children.” In fact, the desire to remain child-free may account for many younger men seeking older female partners in the first place. So a woman’s ability to successfully date a younger man may ultimately come down to being an independent thinker who is brave enough to buck the system (kind of like Madonna).
But no one raises an eyebrow at a 29-year age gap any more. There’s on television and dating sites like Cougar
And it’s not just for celebrities-according to a 2008 AARP poll, almost one-third of women between the ages of 40 and 69 date men who are 10 or more years younger. What will Madonna have to do to make sure her relationship lasts longer than , for some advice. “The assumption that a younger man will inevitably cheat on an older woman is part of the historic nonsense by which women are made to feel fearful, valueless and undesirable,” she says. Judging from, infidelity is by far the biggest issue cougars face.
Too many cougars hit the gym obsessively, whittling their bodies down to nothing but bone. He won’t know as much about money management or interior design or even table manners as you do.
His apartment might be messy and his resume might be all botched up. If you lie about having children or send them away to visit their aunt anytime your cub comes over, everybody will feel guilty.
Look at Halle Berry and Eva Longoria, who ended their relationships when their younger men allegedly strayed with younger women.
Then there was Ashton Kutcher who stepped out with a 23-year-old, leading Demi Moore into a whippet-induced 911 scandal. “In the hundreds of cases I’ve researched, the couples I know and with whom I’ve worked, there is love and fidelity,” she says.
So long as you see your age as an advantage, so will your cub.
But he can smell it the second you feel insecure about your age, and being catty to younger women is the first symptom. And to a cub, that type of body isn’t a turn off—it’s different and exciting.
“Madonna lives her life boldly, openly and without regard for social convention.
Indeed, this is a woman who would have the courage to love a younger man,” says Winter.
He wants to feel that you see what is special about him, and not just how he is the opposite of everybody else you’ve dated.