DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: At the end of the summer I started dating a man eighteen years older than I am. He’s never been married, so there aren’t any exs or kids to deal with. Still, I get ragged on by my friends and so does he by his. What do we do to get them to back-off? --- THE YOUNGER WOMAN
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DEAR YOUNGER WOMAN: Just about every relationship has built-in challenges. What makes or breaks it is how you both deal with those challenges. If you’re cool with the age gap, and he’s cool with the age gap, then what others think and say becomes much less important.
However, in addition to socializing as a couple, I would strongly advise you to take care to separately carve out time with your own sets of friends. Everyone needs a chance to “act their age,” and being with peers provides that opportunity, and demonstrates that you’re each comfortable in both worlds.