"The year of the cougar"

Over the last decade we have seen a new dating trend evolve in our country. In previous decades it was referred to as a “May-December” romance. Today women over 40 years of age are dating men in their 20’s and 30’s. These women are confident, professional women who are financially strong and not seeking marriage or even cohabitation with their partner. They have been labeled “Cougars” and the media is portraying them in movies, television programs and even a Miss Cougar USA pageant.

A study published in the 2006 Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy reported that couples in the study felt that age difference mattered more to the outside world than to them. The men reported that they had been drawn to the relationship in the beginning due to the physical attraction. They also admired the confidence and maturity in their partner. The women did voice some fear about their insecurities of the aging process when having a younger partner. Overall the findings of the study summarized that older women where more open to younger men and were not concerned with race, religion or socioeconomic status.

A positive perspective with this new dating trend is that older women and younger men are more sexually compatible. Another consideration is the life-expectancy for women. The woman today will live an average of five years longer than men so a woman with a younger partner will not live alone for as many years. Also the wage gap has narrowed between males and females. Women today are now higher wage earners who can contribute more to household earnings. They are more self-sufficient and no longer believe in the fairy tale of a Prince Charming.

Most experts agree that successful relationships share common interests and have open, honest communication with each other. Age has become just a number and single people today are seeking a mature and stable relationship. So when you are searching for a new partner to date you may just want to throw your list of criteria away and open the door for new opportunities.