What age range should I consider when searching?

[CowboyUp]

I was surfing the international introductions website, tons of very attractive young ladies.  The site had the profiles divided up by age groupings, and was wondering if I should even bother looking at the 18-20 girls.  It's not that I don't think I could attract them, I've seen gringos in their late 60's running around with 19 year old chicas in Colombia, its just I doubt any of them would be responsible enough to take a long distance relationship serious.  Seems like Colombian girls don't start getting grounded until at least 26 or they have a child.  Also, seemed like most of the more attractive women on the site had no real work experience, they were unemployed or students.  I know unemployment is rampant for women in Colombia, but I worry about entering into something with anyone who have never supported themselves or held a full time job. 

Should I limit myself to meeting only women above a certain age, and what age would that be?
Should I look for women who already have started their carreers? Or would that be excluded too many women?

Frank

[Ray]

Hi Frank,

It really depends a lot on your age.

For an optional guideline to increase your odds of a successful relationship, you can use a minimum age of (half your age + 7)…

Ray

[CowboyUp]

So (36y/2)+7y=25.  Yeah probably wouldn't want to go any younger than that anyway (Well I take that back, I  bet I WOULD enjoy it while it lasted )

Thanks for the advice

[bcc_1_2]

Wow look an intelligent question on age. 

That formula is pretty solid. I'm 25 myself and I really only go a few years younger. If they are in school right now they might just be unemployed because its the school year. Maybe they've worked in the past or over a summer before. Once they get to 22, 23, 24 they are definiately out in the workforce.

There has been a lot of debate on guys 10 years or more older than you going for teens. Its clear you have a good head on your shoulders. The two young guys on here (me and JM) don't go for teens. There is a reason for that... and you got it figured out. The big head prevails! 

[jm21-2]

Maybe we should follow the example of the aged folks chasing the teen skirts and go for some 15yo girls...communicate for a few years and they'd almost be legal.

[Ray]

JM,

I know hope you're joking about the 15-year-olds, but 15 is legal age to marry in some states. California has no minimum age for marriage for example.

Whether or not your 15-year-old fiancée could get a visa is another matter, though she would technically meet the requirement to be legally able to marry in California with parental and/or judicial consent.

Not long ago, a lot of those IMB outfits selling addresses did have girls as young as 15 listed on their Web sites. It's dumb-asses like that that gave IMBs a bad name and helped get IMBRA passed. BTW, I agree 100% with the clause in IMBRA that prohibits contact with girls under 18.

Up until about 20 years ago, girls in the Philippines could marry at 15 but a new constitution put the minimum age at 18. Muslims can still marry as young as 13 or 14 with some restrictions. I think we have a member here who married a Filipina girl under 18 back before the law was changed in the Philippines.

Ray

[jm21-2]

Yes, definitely joking...

Just pointing out how ridiculous you can get. There are some states that allow 14yos to marry, and well, the Chinese used to marry in their early teens...I bet if some of these guys could go lower they would and rave about how pure their girl was because she hadn't been tainted by high school.

I just chatted with a girl who works 84 hours a week but made time to chat with me for quite a while after work. That's a lot more impressive to me than what a young girl typically offers.

[bcc_1_2]

I just chatted with a girl who works 84 hours a week but made time to chat with me for quite a while after work. That's a lot more impressive to me than what a young girl typically offers.

14 hours a day on a 6 day work week. damn. yea that is impressive.

Frank has asked some really good questions. The girl I had the most fun with was in her early 20s and I found out she had a young daughter. The guy she was with left her and now she works full time to raise the kid. A smart girl who made a mistake with a guy when she was younger. Definiately has character now and will make somebody a great wife.

I think the first thing everyone has to admit (despite how much they may depise some of the women they have dated... married in the past) is that we want the girl we pick to change. One example is we want her to learn the English language. In fact you can't do anything in the Midwest without speaking english. Can't even go to the grocery store or work part time. So this lady you bring back to the USA is going to (needs to) assimilate to the culture and society. If you bring over an 18 year old girl who naturally will change a lot in the next few years she is probably going to retain a lot less of what you liked about her. 10 years from now she could be your typical overweight lazy american wife. When you marry an 18 year old girl she's not a mature adult. She's still growing up.

Frank could probably go down to 23 or 22... but I really wouldn't go lower than that. That's a good break off point because they should be out of school and working full time. As for if they have a kid or not... that depends on what you want. That's generally exclusionary criteria for me (if I know about it in advance I rule her out), but at 36 maybe you are ready to take on that responsibility.

[Bear]

I'm 25 myself and I really only go a few years younger.

Kanos under 30 shouldn't get married.  You're too immature at that age.

The Bear Family

[bcc_1_2]

Kanos under 30 shouldn't get married.  You're too immature at that age.

The Bear Family

Duly noted. Altough studies show that the average American will marry before I end up doing it (whenever that is..26..27 or whenever). And in many regards I'm bucking current trends by not cohabitating at my age.

So is it just me or would you like to lump in JM? 

[jm21-2]

I'll say it again...the biggest problem is when you have people in their teens or very early 20s. After 25 there doesn't appear to be any significant difference in divorce rates or anything else really. Obviously there are always exceptions.

I probably wouldn't marry until almost 30 anyways.

I love how American guys shouldn't marry until 30 because they're immature, but an 18yo girl is mature enough...but maybe it's the magical water of the Philippines again. Maybe I should wait until I'm 40, marry an 18yo, risk dying before I see my kids grow, probably never get to see any grandkids, etc., etc....nahhh.

Or maybe it's just that women are stupid servile slaves that need an older more knowledgeable man to control them? A young man wouldn't have the proper knowledge to control them as fits their ordained role and they'd go nuts because they weren't receiving the right instructions?

[bcc_1_2]

but maybe it's the magical water of the Philippines again. 

Maybe that is it. I have an account (Free) to a thai dating website and many of those girls are really starting to reign in the age of men they are interested in. It is starting to be a lot more common to see a 22 year old list the age range from 22 to 30. Some of course will list older, but I'm noticing the range shrink.

[Ray]

Kanos under 30 shouldn't get married.  You're too immature at that age.

Huh?   

Bear, maybe you didn't mature until 30 but I think I was mature way before that. I think most of the guys here could honestly say the same.

[jm21-2]

Maybe that is it. I have an account (Free) to a thai dating website and many of those girls are really starting to reign in the age of men they are interested in. It is starting to be a lot more common to see a 22 year old list the age range from 22 to 30. Some of course will list older, but I'm noticing the range shrink.

Chinese girls are fairly picky about age too. Same for Taiwan. I assume Japan is the same. Strange how countries with economies that are doing well and decent rights for women don't have nearly as many young girls looking for old dudes. Absolutely bizarre.

[Bear]

Bear, maybe you didn't mature until 30 but I think I was mature way before that. I think most of the guys here could honestly say the same.

There are always exceptions to a rule Ray , maybe your one (I was) but don't stereotype all the guys on P-L.  If young girls in the Philippines can generally be stereotyped ad poor mates (with all the evidence against it) by their rule, then I'm sure you can see all the evidence here that supports the rule that Kanos under 30 should get married.  But I guess I just being a devils advocate!

The Bear Family

[bcc_1_2]

Chinese girls are fairly picky about age too. Same for Taiwan. I assume Japan is the same. Strange how countries with economies that are doing well and decent rights for women don't have nearly as many young girls looking for old dudes. Absolutely bizarre.

I suspected that was the reason. But in the age of the internet I suppose more guys could be using the online personals and traveling over. At some point you have to wonder how much you can chalk up to the culture/tradition and what is really just the economic reality.

In another thread we've already discussed how much teenagers change from being 18 to their mid 20s (a pretty valid generalization overall). Studies of course indicate that as economics improve women wait longer to get married. Which again is why my argument is not so much about age difference of the couple as it is to just being inexperienced.... and basically still being a kid at 18.