He’s younger than me…do I even want to consider it?

There’s nothing wrong with dating a younger man. Men have been dating and marrying younger women since the beginning of time, and nobody ever seems to give it a second thought — except maybe her parents. But if a woman does it, she’s instantly branded a cougar. Better that than a dirty old woman, I guess, but for some reason it seems to carry more of a stigma when we do it than when our male counterparts do. Still, either way, both sexes are often accused of robbing the cradle, as it were, but what’s the harm in dating someone who’s not of the same age?

There’s a general rule of thumb when it comes to dating anyone with an age difference. If they’re old enough to be your parent or you’re old enough to be theirs, it probably isn’t going to work out in the long run, so know this before going into it. This is a common mistake people make when they’re caught up in the throes of new love, and it almost always ends in heartache. Going into this with your eyes wide open is important. Save yourself the pain and anguish that will most surely accompany this unwise decision and enjoy it for what it is while it lasts, and then let it go if he’s that much younger than you.

If you’re considering dating a younger man, determining what you have in common to sustain the relationship for any length of time is important. A matter of only 10 years or so can put you on the cusp of a generational gap that can leave you feeling old, which nobody likes. Unless you’re incredibly secure, reminders of our age and vanishing youth as women can be brutal, and they’re everywhere. All you have to do is open a magazine or turn on the TV. Feeling as if you’re old because he’s never seen one single episode of Scooby Doo but he can name every single Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle or, worse yet, Pokemon, may become tiresome within a very short period of time. Ask yourself if you really want to go down that road and be reminded of it on a daily basis.

Man the torpedoes, because you’re forging ahead come hell or high water. Good for you! As long as you don’t care what anybody says, what does it matter? Enjoy yourselves and let the chips fall where they may. If you find yourself hiding the relationship to friends and family, though, you may want to rethink the whole thing — unless guilty pleasure is your thing. Hiding things like this is usually a sign you’re doing something you’re not comfortable with, and that’s never good.

There’s nothing wrong with having fun with him while you can. Younger boy toys, as they’re often called, can be just the ticket for your self-esteem sometimes, especially if you’ve been feeling a slight lag in that department recently. The company of a younger man can sometimes give you the confidence boost in your sexuality that’s been missing, and can be a real picker upper for your ego — especially if he came on to you! As long as you both go into it knowing what it is, there’s no harm. Just be sure to lay it on the line from the beginning so there’s no misunderstandings and nobody gets hurt. He may get overly attached to you before you know it, and you don’t want to lead him on if you know you’re not playing for keeps.