According to the traditions that have developed in almost all the peoples of the world, at all times men preferred to marry young girls. And this has been happening for many centuries.
Such a man’s choice was considered quite natural. After all, the spouse was considered as a getter and hunter. He had to support a family, and therefore he should already be an adult and a successful person. The young wife was given the role of a caring wife, giving birth to her husband children and giving him rest from work.
Of course, such marriages were not always ideal. In the fact that the man was older than the woman, you can see both the pros and cons. However, times have changed. Today, more and more often such marriages can be found when a woman is 10 years older than a man, or even more. Moreover, this does not cause any particular surprise. How strong are such alliances? What problems do couples of different ages expect? Let's try to figure this out.
Number of marriages of different ages
What does it say about families where the wife is 10 years older than her husband, statistics? According to her data, the number of such marriages is growing steadily. For example, in the capital of Russia, the city of Moscow, 60 thousand new families are formed within only one year. Of these, almost 1 thousand are marriages in which a woman is 10 years or more older than a man. The data of Moscow sociologists indicate that there is also a large number of so-called civil unions of different ages. There are five times more than those that are officially registered. It is interesting that the leading place in the world in the number of marriages of different ages, where the partner is older than a man, is occupied by the city of Philadelphia (USA).
Nuances
What are the most common relationships with women over 10 years old? In this case, not only age plays an important role. Of great importance for building relationships in the family are the psychological characteristics of each spouse. Not the last are the personal characteristics of partners, as well as their existing value system.
Experts are sure that it is not worth tying your relationship only to age. The fact that a wife is 10 years older is relevant only when it affects almost all areas of married life.
The strength of such an alliance to a large extent depends on the perception of age (both own and partner), as well as on the distribution of leadership roles in the family. The sense of mutual respect, as well as the self-esteem of each spouse, becomes important. And this, as a rule, depends on the level of culture that people have, on their life values and attitudes.
Reasons for the development of relations
Why do men seek marriage of different ages? A woman is older, and therefore more experienced. Many members of the stronger sex just like it.
Very often, brides are older than their grooms if they have a second marriage. A mature woman already knows exactly what she wants. She is distinguished by openness and life experience. She does not hide her aspirations, and in this regard, the man with her is very interesting in all respects. For him, such communication is also a wonderful school of life.
In addition, the fact that a man fell in love with a woman older than 10 years may indicate his unpopularity among peers. In such cases, comfortable and very reliable relationships often develop with such young people only with mature ladies.
Material side
If a woman is 10 years older than a man, then she most likely has already taken place in a professional way and managed to achieve success by climbing the career ladder. A good job allows her to be financially independent and not need material support from her husband.
How is this question considered in psychology? A woman older than a man by 10 years with her financial independence will necessarily act as a teacher. Her partner will get the role of a student. In other words, in such relationships, desires that are unrecognized by both partners will always be realized. One of them (namely a woman) will strive for leadership, and the second (man) - for submission. In cases where both partners have just such motives, their relationship will be quite comfortable.
Intimate party
It is known that sexual relations play an important role in any marriage, including those of different ages. What does psychology say about this side of the issue? A woman older than a man by 10 years, possessing an ardent temperament, needs the attention of her partner. Her desire to have an active sex life is far from always able to satisfy a peer. That is why, most often on a subconscious level, such a woman begins to search for a young partner. Moreover, during intimate meetings, she is not at all a passive participant. Most often, such ladies act as an equal partner or even lead.
Maternal instinct
What else can explain the emergence of a relationship when a couple is a woman older than 10 years? The reason for this may be hypertrophied maternal instinct. After all, such women are already independent and adults. Some of them could not realize themselves in motherhood, while in others the children have already grown up and do not need their care. In this case, a young man can act as a child.
This type of marriage is considered complementary. This name comes from the French word complementaire, which means “complement” in translation. Relations between spouses in such a marriage are built in the form of "parent-child". In other words, a woman in such relationships performs parental functions.
What are the causes of such marriages? They lie in the structure of the personality of the husband and wife. As a rule, these are people who are dependent on relationships and have unmet needs for affection and parental love.
Risk factors
If an unequal marriage is made and a woman is 10 years older than her partner, then psychologists say that such an age difference makes such a union more vulnerable. Of course, real feelings can arise between people. But it is known that all ages are submissive to love. Nevertheless, not all the most romantic, passionate and vibrant relationships are able to pass the test of truth. Some of them are destroyed under the influence of everyday life and life, others are defenseless against the inexorably current time, the third have irreconcilable contradictions, and the fourth do not withstand the difficulties that come with the appearance of a child. At the same time, psychologists are of the opinion that in families in which the spouse is younger than their second half, the chances of a happy existence decrease with an increase in the age difference between the husband and wife.
Of course, marriages between peers are not immune from trials. And this is confirmed by current statistics on divorces. However, in those unions where the age difference is not in favor of the man, there are many additional risk factors.
Wife leadership
Is it worth building a relationship with a woman older than 10 years? Many young men are attracted to such ladies by self-confidence, independence and independence. But it is worth keeping in mind that these qualities are far from always a positive side for family life. In a house where matriarchy reigns, a man involuntarily plays second roles. Of course, for the time being, this may well suit him. However, after the spouse feels mature enough and self-sufficient, conflicts will certainly arise.
There is another point that is associated with children. If the mother is 10 years older than the father and controls him, then the child will certainly feel a drop in the authority of his father. Naturally, this will certainly affect his relationship with him. At the same time, the self-esteem of the man as a father will also suffer.
Unequal roles
Sometimes, when a woman is 10 years older than a man, she begins to patronize and teach her husband excessively. And sometimes a wife tries to become her beloved “girl” for her lover. In this case, the relationship is invalidated and cannot be harmonious. So, if a woman communicates with a young spouse as a mother, then in return from his side she receives devotion and respect. In this situation, the spouse does not seek to have children, because her husband plays the role of the child. Helping in the formation of their own "I", the wife most often forgets about her interests and about her life. She focuses so much on the desires and feelings of her husband that she ceases to understand her desires and feelings.
According to psychologists, this risk can be avoided. But at the same time, a woman should not talk with her lover as if with a small child. She should not clearly emphasize the age difference, as well as her wisdom, success, experience, stress resistance, life experience. After all, husband and wife are primarily partners. And ideally, they should communicate on equal terms, based on the adult-adult model. And this should apply to all aspects of life.
Difference in interests
If a woman is 10 years older, the compatibility of the spouses is sometimes called into question due to the fact that they are not representatives of the same generation. So, a young husband may like noisy companies, where he will strive with all his heart. His wife will enjoy quiet evenings and comfort at home.
Or she prefers theater, and he loves computer games, etc. If there are no common interests, then such a fact will certainly make the age difference even more noticeable. Between spouses in this case, the probability of significant disagreement.
Relationship to parenthood
As a rule, a man matures much later for paternity than a woman for motherhood. And if a wife is 10 years older than her husband, then this problem is even more aggravated. A mature woman has an urgent need to become a mother and have a baby. But the future father, most likely, believes that he still needs to "live for himself", that he is "not ready" or "did not get on his feet."
Well, if the child still appears, then a man who is used to the tender care of his beloved suddenly finds that he lacks attention. This fact is a classic cause of family conflicts.
Children from previous marriages
If the family has a wife older than her husband, then she most likely already has experience in building marital relations. Most likely, she already has children. Of course, such a situation is quite common. However, such a child, even without suspecting it, is a kind of catalyst for marital relations. And if there are hidden problems in the relationship of the newlyweds, then children from their first marriages will certainly discover and exacerbate them. Often the presence of a child disconnects two people who want to be together with all their heart, but are not able to overcome the difficulties that have arisen together.
Women's complexes
According to psychologists, a woman who married a man much younger than herself, seeks to increase her self-esteem. And this is quite natural. After all, it is unlikely that a spouse who is not self-confident will be a good wife. She will begin to suspect the man of infidelity, will demand any evidence of the sincerity of his feelings. In addition, her grievances will arise literally out of the blue. However, not all women are able to remain self-confident at the moment when they begin to show signs of aging, and the husband enters the heyday of attractiveness. It is also sad that over time, many young spouses suddenly begin to realize that their marriage was unsuccessful and “trial”.
School of Life
It has long been established that partners living together eventually become very similar to each other, not only in character, but also in appearance. Moreover, due to his age, a young spouse is waiting for greater changes than his soul mate. A man will make every effort to grow to the level of his narrowed. A woman will certainly help him in this, passing on her life experience, as well as wisdom that has come over the years. She constantly pushes and inspires her beloved to new achievements, while preserving and supporting him. Without wives who play the role of an older friend, such men feel loneliness. Psychologists note that it is in such pairs that the partner quickly reaches self-confidence, achieving positive results in an emotional state, as well as in climbing the career ladder.
The role of the young spouse is also important. He brings romance to family relationships, and also introduces his wife to modern trends, for example, those related to computer technology. By virtue of his age, such a husband will not limit the actions of women, as well as instruct or reproach her. The wife will really appreciate it. With such a husband, she will certainly feel more confident, more free.
Based on this, it can be argued that a marriage in which a woman is 10 years older than a man is beneficial to both. The wife supports and "grows" her beloved, cultivating useful qualities in him and helping her to stand up. For a woman, such a marriage is good because her life becomes full of meaning. It enhances self-esteem through a sense of self-worth. Being near a young man, she feels more confident, joyful, young and free.
How to achieve harmony?
Many psychologists are familiar with the mood of women who are married to young men. Such ladies from the very beginning of the relationship begin to tune in to the fact that their union will certainly fall apart. Women are more than confident that they have only a few years of family happiness ahead. And they agree to that. However, psychologists warn that such an attitude can lead to underlying self-doubt. In this case, the woman will begin to get nervous, feel powerless or become depressed. The reason for all these conditions is the fear of losing the matrimonial, which can cause the spouse to make quite serious mistakes. Psychologists recommend never reminding a man that he is younger. In addition, the spouse should not give vent to her jealousy. Indeed, in this case, her partner will feel like a puppy, which is kept on a short leash. The absence of external negative emotions will help to maintain love and respect in the family.
Often a woman on a subconscious level adjusts to the inevitable divorce, believing that it simply cannot be otherwise. Psychologists in this case recommend remembering that human thoughts are material. That is why they recommend giving a slightly different setting, which will be more optimistic. Of course, relationships in marriage will certainly develop, successively going through various stages. They simply cannot be always perfect. The transition from one step to another is accompanied by a series of crises. And this is commonplace for any relationship and couples, regardless of the age of the spouses. Of course, age differences can be a problem. However, it is the same for those families where the wife is older than the husband, and for those where she is younger than him.
Psychologists believe that you should not give up relationships that are believed to have no future. There is no single recipe for making decisions about whether or not to be such a marriage. Everything will depend on the specific case. After all, all ages are submissive to love. No rules are subject to this feeling, and there are no boundaries for it. If a woman wants to be desired and loved and knows how to achieve this, then she will certainly save the family. After all, unions created on sincere and mutual feelings cannot be prevented by any restrictions. Each couple has its own formula of love and ideal relationships, which allows them to be together. But if this is not the case, then the age difference, which is significant, will only accelerate the separation.