Friends with large age differences

[Sharop]

How many people here are friends with people who are far apart from them in age - either younger or older. How did you meet them and how does the age difference affect your relationship (if it all.)

Attending university has allowed me to become friends with several people that are significantly older than I am. I turned 18 in August 2006 and began university in September 2006.

There were several mature students on my course and I became friendly with most of them. A woman called Kate (I am unsure of her age but I would place her in her late 30s/early 40s) and two women named Jacqui and Julie. Julie turned 47 today and Jacqui was 45 in February.

I was also friends with Justin, who passed away in April this year in a car accident. He would have been 48 on 27th June. He was very good[ friends with a lot of us and most of us looked upon him as sort of a father figure.

The age difference between all of us didn't really have any effect on our friendships. With Justin, it partly unfluenced the way I respected him; I looked up to him as he was older, and very intelligent, and full of advice for any of his friends. He was a complete gentleman and I had a lot of admiration for him.

I am also friends with Gene (Yooch) on SO, although we generally talk through PMs, update each other on what's going on with our lives, etc. As I'm sure you're all aware already, he's an absolutely lovely man.

I don't really have any friends who are a lot younger than I am. I like children and I've been told that I'm good with them, but I don't come into contact with young children much - I suppose the youngest person that I could say I'm on friendly terms with is the son of my neighbours - he is nine years old (he turns 10 in November) and I babysit him. Between the age of 5-7 I was babysitting him very regularly; they don't need me as often now. We get on well and I think he likes it when I come to babysit him, but we're not friends in the sense that we hang out together and socialise. I'd be up for that, though - he's a sweet kid and if he ever wanted, I'd be willing to play with him and take him into town, stuff like that.

I don't have any proper friends that are more than about four years younger than I am. I think the youngest would be my friend's girlfriend who will be 17 in July, so she's almost four years younger than me. There are also some online friends, Adam and Sam, whom I met online in 2006 - Adam turned 17 in November and Sam turned 17 in February, so I'm a little older than them.

[Janice]

Online, I'm generally older than my friends on SO. Jenny, Lauren, TJ, Brian, Sonny, Solomon and Brad are a few examples. I'm friendly with other younger members, but I'm friends with those named.

Offline, I have one friend who is 20 years younger than me. My other friends are my own age, for the most part.

[Family Ties Forever!]

I have friends that are older than I am.
The biggest age difference would be between my friend who is a retired middle school science teacher and I. She is 62. She will turn 63 in December. I have known her since August 1993 when I was in her 8th grade Earth Science class.

The next age gap would be between my bestfriend and I. She is a former teacher of mine. She teaches English. She is 59. She will turn 60 in September. I have known her since August 11, 1995. I was in her 10th grade English class. When her mom was alive I got along with her as well. I first met her mom in November 1998. She was 88 at the time. She passed away at 92 in March 2002. My bestfriend is like a mom to me.

Then there is another former teacher of mine. She teaches English. She is 56. She will turn 57 in September. I have known her since fall 1996. I was in her Sociology class (fall 1997) during my 12th grade year in high school. I actually knew her when I was in 11th grade.

I am friends with Janice here at SO. She and I are good friends. We get along well.

I don't think age makes a difference. What counts in the friendship. If your friend or friends are good people that's what matters.

I am close to my niece Caitlyn. She is only 11. I would consider her my friend. She's 19 & 1/2 years younger than I am.

[Nighthawk76]

Offline, my friends are all about that same age as me. My youngest offline friend was born in 1982, so she is younger but not by a whole lot. Online the diffrence in age betwen myself and some of my good friends is much greater. Sonny is 11 years older than me and Mattie is 13 years younger than me. So there is a really big gap there. I really don't think it makes all that much of a difference though. Even though I do think it is important to have some of your friends be about your age. There are some things that only people the same age, who grew up during the same time can really relate to.

[MickeyMac]

Offline my friends are roughly around my age. I do have some that are 8 to 10 years older than me. I have one friend who is 15 years older than me, thats about the biggest gap.

[PZelda]

I had this woman who used to translate for me when I was in college (I need a sign language interpreter if I'm taking classes or attending public events). We hit it off pretty well when we first met in October of 2003... I was 18 then, and she was mmm. 56 then. I'm coming up on 24 now and she's 62 now. We don't keep in touch as much as we used to now, but yeah. She's really freaking cool, and she says I help her feel young.

I finally met an online buddy in real life two weeks ago, and it was like we've always been IRL friends. He's significiantly older, too - almost 22 years my senior (he's gonna turn 46 a month after I turn 24). But it doesn't even seem like it with him.

[browneyes106]

I have quite a few friends that are older than me by at least 10-15 years. I have built friendships with a lot of friends of my older siblings. A lot of their friends became friends with our family. I have close friendships with a few former coworkers who are about 10 years older than me. I don't have any friends that are a lot younger than me. I have 3 friends that are four years younger than me but that's it. I have online friends that are older than me.

[Number 9 Dream]

Well, the people I usually hang out with are around the same age as me (26), give or take a few years. However, my friends at work range from 10 years younger than me, to about 45 years older! This lady I work with, who is about 73, is such a sweetheart and I definitely consider her my friend! We laugh about everything and she's definitely my shoulder to lean on in that place. We've even gone for lunch a few times. Even though she's older than my own Grandma, she's still one rockin' lady and I'm honored to call her my friend.

And then there are the high school kids who, while very frustrating, are awesome to be around. They make me laugh too, and I can count on a handful of guys there to make my shift go by so much faster because they are so damned funny. A good deal of them are wise-asses and don't do any work, but there are some great kids with big hearts there as well

[Dude111]

Most of my friends are much younger because mentally I am around 10 so I get along best with them

Alot of people dont understand me... I try to tell them I dont have any bad intentions AND I DONT!!

I also have some much older friends also but not as many.........

[TheLittleFaerie]

I'm 44 and my adopted FB sister and best friend is 36, she and I have been in each other's life for 12 years now, that's when we adopted each other as sisters, even though we've never met in real life, I feel like we are family, and she's one of the VERY few ppl who has stuck with me

[Babalu]

Originally Posted by Dude111

Most of my friends are much younger because mentally I am around 10 so I g et along best with them

Alot of people dont understand me... I try to tell them I dont have any bad intentions AND I DONT!!

I also have some much older friends also but not as many.........

That explains a lot.

[Dude111]

Thank you buddy

[Dead2009]

Majority of my friends are a few years younger than I am but there are ones that are 10 years younger.

[Dude111]

Thank you for your entry buddy