Now we’re not talking about the type of relationships seen on the TLC network, where a nerdy 25-year-old boy with social anxiety issues dates a 68-year-old, ex-Go-Go dancer from Essex. That I can’t explain or help you with. I can however talk you through the pros and cons of dating someone much younger, and if you’re in the situation where you’re dating someone much older, just grab the take-aways and flip them around, and maybe it will help you work out why things may not be working.

Now firstly, if your age-gap love is working well, you can stop reading here. This blog is for those who are contemplating dating someone younger or older, or are already in a relationship, and are frustrated with it. I’ve been in this situation, and I’ve witnessed it with friends. So here are a bunch of random words that loosely describe topics of discord in such relationships: Finances. Domestication. Partying. Looks. EQ. Ambitions. Friends. Parents. Sense of humour. Technology.

Basically, you roll all this together and you may end up parenting a broke, but attractive party animal who sees humour in behaving poorly around you and your friends and posting the results to Snapchat. You won’t really want to do parental introductions and you will feel weird hanging out with their friends. One of you will be really busy working on your life and creating a future, one of you will be really busy sharing memes and posting to Instagram. When it comes to a head, one of you will rationalise the situation, and the other will throw their proverbial toys out of the cot. I have heard of it working, particularly in older generations, and in countries where for example it’s more socially acceptable, particularly emerging economies. Oh and of course if you’re a millionaire playboy, then you may experience this weekly.

So! My word of advice, when you enter into this minefield of emotion, just be aware, when you look into the eyes of that young, beautiful partner that has so much promise, he or she could be looking back at you lovingly, or could simply be imagining how a Snapchat filter would improve your looks.