Singaporean women reveal what they consider the ideal age gap between couples

They say age is just a number, but can the same be said about married couples? Is there an ideal age gap for marriage?  

Well, the answer to that is: yes and no. 

Every relationship is different but typically in most of them, couples zero in on a few key factors of compatibility right at the dating stage. These factors could be love, community, family, financial status and past relationships.

For some, age difference also comes into play, especially if they plan to settle down later in life. 

While for many, this last factor may not be a contentious one, for others, ideal age gap for marriage is very important. In fact, some existing studies also support this theory. They note that wider age gaps between couples may stir up marital problems in the future.

But what is the exact answer? Do most Singaporean couples prefer an ideal age gap for marriage? Well, we found out. 

theAsianparent (TAP) community shared their own age differences with their spouses and some replies are not what you would expect. 

What is the age gap between you and your partner?

On the TAP community's random talk discussions, users shared interesting answers to the question: “What is the age gap between you and your spouse?”

One year or less

Most TAP users said they only had a one-year difference with their spouse, while a few others shared that there was only several months between them and their partners. 

Two years or more

A two-year age gap was also mentioned a few times, with three TAP community members sharing the same answer. There were also a couple of users that said they only had a close three and four-year age gap with their spouses. 

Over 10 years

There were also several TAP users that shared they have an age gap of over 10 years with their partner. One community member said she had 15 years between her and her spouse while another wrote, “I’m only 26 and my partner is 42”.

There were also community members that said they were actually the same age as their partner. 

While a majority said they had a year or less between them and their spouses, there are still several people who managed to bridge wide age gaps. 

Ways you can bond with your older/younger spouse

Even with a couple of years between you two, there are still many ways to connect with your life-long partner. As mature adults, you shouldn’t let numbers faze you from keeping the spark alive in your relationship.

Whether it’s an age gap of a year or five years, you can still find things to bond over and keep your relationship spicy. To bridge the gap and to keep the flame alive, here are a few things you can try:

1. Send each other loving notes or texts within the day. Be as cheesy as you want and send all the words of love you know to your partner. This would surely make them feel giddy in the middle of their busy day. 

2. Bring the dating days back. If there’s something you and your spouse used to do during your dating phase, you should revive those activities. You can spend time together at the same spots you would hang out before marriage and remind yourself of your love for each other. 

3. Go on spontaneous dates. While planning may be ideal especially with kids and your busy work life, try to go out of your way to surprise your spouse with a special date. It doesn’t even have to be anything extravagant — just a simple picnic will do. The idea is to do something that would bring a smile to your partner’s face and take away all the stress. 

4. Take part in activities you both have never tried before. Whether your partner is older or younger, there must be things both of you haven’t done before, for instance, extreme activities such as skydiving or even something as simple as cooking a new dish together. It’s always fun to try something new together and create a new memory.

5. Spend time together. Even with a promised lifetime together, take some time off and plan a day for just the two of you to reconnect.

This article was first published in theAsianparent.