Why Dating Gets Better As You Get Older

With increased age comes increased wisdom for you to apply to the mature dating game. Here are the top 10 reasons why it’s great to date late.

1. Singles over 50 know what they want

When you’re younger, it feels like you have all the time in the world. Especially in dating. What does it matter if they don’t want to settle down yet? What does it matter if you know they never want kids? You go along for the ride, simply because you can. Starting mature dating means you tend to make important decisions faster, cutting out the time-wasters before you invest precious emotions and money.

2. You’re solvent and self sufficient

Material things shouldn’t be the cornerstone of any relationship, but it’s impossible not to admit that dating someone who has a successful career and enough money to pay for a mortgage is attractive. This is all part and package of who this person actually is and the facts speak for themselves, as opposed to the guesswork you had to do earlier in life when everything was ‘to be continued…’ You’re also less likely as an older dater to be drawn to things that come and go over more meaningful connections.

3. It’s hangover free (mostly!)

Sadly, there is no denying hangovers get worse as the years pass. But in terms of dating, this is actually a good thing. Instead of basing all first dates around bars and pubs like you used to, you’re more likely to suggest a nice long walk or a trip to a gallery when mature dating. Meeting sober means you can see the real person earlier on, instead of wasting time with your beer goggles on.

4. There’s more to talk about

The more you’ve done, the more you have to talk about; it’s simple maths. And it’s inevitable that with an extra few years under your belt, you’re more likely to have travelled to amazing places or done interesting things. Thanks to life experience, the awkward ‘silence on a date experience’ is a thing of the past for singles over 50.

5. You have perspective

After several years of going through break-ups and make-ups, you should have a healthy dose of realism when you embark on your mature dating journey. Not cynicism. Just a bit of perspective on how important it is, in the grand scheme of things, that someone texts back within a day or puts two kisses or one at the end. A few scars on the heart doesn’t make you battle weary, it makes you battle sensible.

6. It’s not a competition

While it’s sometimes tempting to feel jealous if most of your friends are settled down, them being off the market is actually good thing. When you’re younger and everyone is dating, it can become a strange competition of who’s getting the most serious or who’s been taken on the best mini-break. Now, you’re only mature dating for you – on your terms, at your pace. Enjoy!

7. It’s the inside that counts

When you meet someone a little later in life, sure, you still want to fancy them. But growing up and getting involved in mature dating means you’re probably less superficial than you might have once been. You realise someone being kind, funny, intelligent and friendly is more important than wearing the latest clothes or having the right hair-cut. It’s not about settling for second best, it’s about seeing what should come first.

8. You throw away the rules

‘The three day texting rule,’ ‘The never go without make-up rule,’ ‘The wait a year before moving in rule’. Finally, you’ve realised all rules are made to be broken. You’ve seen – and experienced – that playing by the book doesn’t necessarily work out. When you date singles over 50 you’re brave enough to go with your own gut feeling, rather than what other people might say.

9. You can see what they became

In the giddy optimism of youth, it’s very easy for someone to say they’ll achieve great things; and in the giddy optimism of a crush, it’s easy to believe them. With the hindsight of a few years, you can see how someone really did pan out and how much they really did make of their lives. While older dating, you get to finally fall for the person, not just their ambition.

10. You only meet the A-list friends

In the nicest way, certain friends tend to fall out of favour as life goes on. You realise friendship isn’t about quantity, it’s about quality. Thankfully, anyone you now date, as you seek to find love over 50, is likely to have realised this too, and instead of being forced to meet every annoying workmate or old college friend, you only have to spend time with the pick of the crop.

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