{"id":8189,"date":"2016-03-24T06:46:52","date_gmt":"2016-03-24T13:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/about.zoosk.com\/en\/?p=8189"},"modified":"2024-03-20T05:15:05","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T12:15:05","slug":"difference-dating-30s-dating-20s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/dating-advice\/dating-advice-women\/difference-dating-30s-dating-20s\/","title":{"rendered":"Dating in Your 30s vs. Dating in Your 20s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While many women hit their professional and personal peaks in their 30s, they nonetheless dread playing the dating game when they\u2019re no longer as young, fresh, and unburdened as they were in their 20s. They\u2019re also, unfortunately, saddled with increasing expectations from relatives, friends, and peers. However, 30-something women possess a greater range of experiences\u2026 and there are even a few attitudes they could retain from their 20s, enhanced by a healthier perspective on their self-identity. We asked relationship experts to weigh in on dating in your 30s as opposed to your 20s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your 20s\u2026<\/strong> You went with the flow. You could relax your expectations and date a variety of people to figure out what type worked best for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your 30s\u2026<\/strong> You have to be clear about what you want, and not try to match someone else\u2019s ideal. \u201cWomen in particular are always trying to say the right things so that they won’t limit the pool of men who might possibly be interested in them,\u201d says couples therapist and dating coach Tricia Bennett. When it comes to what you\u2019re looking for, \u201cBe clear<\/em>. You want to attract someone who is in the same place in life: ready<\/em> for commitment and family\u2014or, still dating just for fun. There is no right or wrong place to be\u2026 just be clear so that you can attract what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your 20s\u2026<\/strong> You had the energy to go on endless dates, says dating expert and matchmaker Stef Safran<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your 30s\u2026<\/strong> You value your alone time more, which means that you\u2019re choosier about who you go out with on multiple dates. You\u2019ve also had enough experience to recognize who\u2019s worth going out with again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your 20s\u2026<\/strong> There\u2019s less pressure to date someone who you expect to be with in the long run. You\u2019re having fun and meeting new people without thinking about long-term commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your 30s\u2026<\/strong> You feel more pressured by issues of fertility, the \u201cappropriate\u201d age to settle down, and other societal expectations, explains online dating and relationship coach Virginia Roberts. \u201cFor most heteronormative people, dating in your 30s has more gravitas than in your 20s.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your 20s\u2026<\/strong> You may have relied more on your looks and dressed scantily to attract the opposite sex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your 30s\u2026<\/strong> You dress more for yourself than for anyone else. \u201cThis isn’t about not having a good body in your thirties or being too old to wear something,\u201d says Marina Sbrochi<\/a>, author of Stop Looking for a Husband: Find the Love of Your Life<\/em><\/a>. \u201cThis is about being smarter and knowing that you don’t have to sell yourself with sex. You are an intelligent and worthwhile person and anyone worth really knowing wants to know the real you, not just the sex kitten.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your 20s\u2026<\/strong> You date different or possibly \u201cinappropriate\u201d people. A woman in her mid-20s might take a chance on someone from a different religious background, or date a person she doesn\u2019t necessarily see herself settling down with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your 30s\u2026<\/strong> You\u2019re focused on finding an \u201cappropriate\u201d person. This may actually backfire, Roberts warns: \u201cThirtysomethings tend to become so picky about selecting for appropriate life partner traits that they close themselves off to options that fall even slightly outside of their desired criteria.\u201d By getting in your own way, you may ironically be putting up more roadblocks. But if you\u2019re open to dating people whose experiences don\u2019t exactly mirror your own, you can find a romantic experience that\u2019s just as rewarding.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Relationship experts weigh in on the differences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":12010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[886,976],"tags":[880,589],"class_list":["post-8189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dating-advice-women","category-dating-in-your-30s","tag-30s","tag-women"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDating in Your 30s vs. 20s<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We asked relationship experts to weigh in on dating in your 30s as opposed to your 20s. 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Her are their tips for making it work.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/dating-advice\/dating-advice-women\/difference-dating-30s-dating-20s\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Date Mix\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Zoosk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-03-24T13:46:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-03-20T12:15:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dq1eylutsoz4u.cloudfront.net\/2015\/06\/18111353\/dating-advice-dating-30s-vs-20s.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Natalie Zutter\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/nataliezutter\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Zoosk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Natalie Zutter\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Dating in Your 30s vs. 20s","description":"We asked relationship experts to weigh in on dating in your 30s as opposed to your 20s. 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