Finding love in your 50s can be an incredible experience. You’re wiser and more mature than the first time around, which can make dating quite a fun ride. You’re no longer a clueless teen or aimless young adult—you’ve got class, you’ve got experience, and you know what you want out of life and out of your partner. Check out our list of the best part of dating in your 50s (and beyond).
- More maturity: Most of the time, anyway! One of the greatest advantages to dating later in life is that people are more mature—we’ve outgrown silly dating games and rules. This is especially enticing for everyone who has had to suffer immature partners in the past. Both men and women are more direct with their wants and needs, and maturity often creates much more effective communication between partners.
- No pressure: Mark Rosenfeld of dating-help site Make Him Yours states that one of the wonderful things of dating later in life is the lack of pressure. People dating over 50 are not necessarily looking to get married, again or for the first time. There is much less societal and internal pressure to find a perfect mate in a set period of time. Dating in your 50s allows you to relax, sit back, and enjoy the ride without the pressure of an end goal.
- Established careers: By this point, most people in the dating pool have been working for decades. Potential partners have established careers and their own income and may even be thinking about retirement. When you’re dating at 50+, you generally don’t need to worry about people just looking to get a free meal ticket. Finances are also easier to deal with, as most people have their own savings.
- It’s all about you: Desire to start a family can drive many people into less-than-ideal relationships, and there’s often a rationale to stay in an unhealthy relationship “for the children.” A great plus to dating when you’re 50 or older is the lack of pressure to start a family. By now, you’ve either had children or decided they aren’t for you and everyone else in the dating pool is in the same boat! Dating in your 50s means you can concentrate entirely on finding the person that is right for you, and you alone.
- You know who you are: Dating coach Ronnie Ann Ryan declares that one of the best parts about dating in your 50s is the confidence and self-assuredness that comes with age. “Today,” she writes for Huffington Post, “you approach dating with a wealth of life knowledge.” Years of experience make dating a pleasurable encounter, rather than the awkward or painful experience it was in your 20s.
- Bombshell bedroom: Think sex was great when you were younger? Think again. While there is an age-old myth that men reach their “sexual peak” in their late teens and women reach theirs in their thirties, there’s little scientific data to back that up. Sex is highly psychological, so a “sexual peak” is highly individual to each person. However, the confidence and awareness that comes with age can make having sex in your 50s and beyond better than it ever was. People who are comfortable in their own skin and know what they want make great sex partners—an excellent part of dating in your 50s!