Moving on from death or divorce is always difficult, so getting used to any step-parent can be difficult. It only makes matters worse when they are full generations younger than the person they marry.

A Reddit user asked people with step-parents who are younger than them to share their stories. Not only do some people have step-parents slightly younger than them, but others have step-grandparents younger than them!

We Made a Pact

Unsplash

“My mother's husband is two years younger than my husband. My husband is seven years older than me. So my mom's guy isn't younger than me but it still is a weird dynamic.

My mom jokes that I always dated older and she always dated younger so it was bound to happen. We actually made a pact when I was twenty that I wouldn't date anyone older than her and she promised she wouldn't date anyone younger than me. We both had some close calls but held true to the pact.

The only really weird thing is watching our husband's interact. They are serious best friends whenever there is a family get together. If we can't find one we look for the other.

There isn't a cookout or birthday party where they decide to give each other piggyback rides or cake eating contest or something silly and fun. My favorite thing is when my husband yells "You aren't my real dad, you can't tell me what to do!” They are goofballs.” Story credit: Reddit / @Undead_Mistress

They Worked At Pizza Hut Together

Unsplash

“My dad, my mom and my (now) stepmom all worked at Pizza Hut together. My stepmom also lived across the street from us (I was 8?).

My mom and dad split up, my dad got with my stepmom, knocked her up, got back with my mom 6 months later and knocked her up, then went back to my stepmom. This is why I have a half sister who is 6 months older than my full brother.” Story credit: Reddit / @duckiemcgee

A 35 Year Age Difference

Unsplash

“My dad married a woman 7 years younger than I am. They have a 35+ age difference. Their daughter is now two years older than my son.

They live in the country where I was born and I’ve only met her 2x, but my sister and I support them financially. He abandoned us when my sister and I were 10 and 12, and had another set of children with another woman then. I am very wistful when I see dads being good to their daughters.

My mom is amazing though, and my son and I are super close, so all things considered I’m still better off than most.” Story credit: Reddit / @justcantsay

She Made Him Her Stepson

Unsplash

“Kind of related... my younger sister had a concert date set up with a guy but he called and said last second that he set up other plans. It's a small town and his dad just happened to be at the same bar as my sister and she invited his dad instead.

It's been almost two years and they have a baby together now. So he flaked on her, and she made him her stepson.” Story credit: Reddit / @HomicidalSmile

My Dad is Trashy

Unsplash

“My dad is 71. 6 months ago he left my mom for a 25 year old. I’m 33 and my sister is 28.

His new girlfriend is 6 months pregnant. They’re not married because my parents divorce hasn’t gone through yet, but I guess once that happens I’ll have a step mom who is 8 years younger than me and a newborn half-sister.

This will be my dad’s 3rd marriage. The first one ended because he slept with his brother’s wife.

So the story here is, my dad is trashy.” Story credit: Reddit / @LooseyLewd

Please Stop Referring To Me As a Child!

Unsplash

“For about a year when I was 18 and my sister was 20, my 50 year old uncle started dating a 19 year old.

I will never forget when she was driving me and my cousins to a concert and she treated all of us including me like children. I at one point had to say “I’ve dated women older than you, please stop referring to me as a child.”” Story credit: Reddit / @masuabie

“Obviously She Doesn’t Love Me”

Unsplash

“I’m a guy, 23. My dad is 64, was 40 when I was born, and last year he married a woman who was 22 at the time.

My parents weren't really together, never got married, and split soon after I was born. My mom's black, and my dad's an Iranian who came to the U.S. in the 70s as a student and never left (revolution in Iran meant he was stuck with no visa). My dad left school, was pretty transient, moved up and down the East coast, and eventually settled in New Jersey, where I'm from.

I didn't keep much contact with my dad, but I started talking to him again a few years ago. He didn't have much companionship, so eventually he went back to Iran, met a woman who already had a kid and was divorced, looking to make a better life for herself. So my dad married her, and she and her son came over just before the [travel] ban.

My dad talks pretty freely about his feelings toward his wife, and hers toward him. He'll say things like, "Obviously she doesn't love me. She just used me to come to the U.S."

Both my dad's wife and her son have had a hard time learning English. The wife had a mental breakdown last year, and checked herself into a psych ward, into which I'd also checked myself a year prior for depression and attempting suicide.

My dad's pretty poor and lives in a mostly [poor] neighborhood with not much to do. It sure seems like my step-mother is isolated, and until she learns English she's pretty much at my dad's house all day long.

Another fun fact, my mom's mom is younger than my dad. My mom's mom had my mom at 17, when my dad was already 19.” Story credit: Reddit / @breadstuffs

His Best Friend Married His Mom

Unsplash

“I used to work with a guy (Chris) who's best friend (David) was also his stepdad. Basically, when they were in school, David used to go to Chris' house a lot and hang out, and somewhere along the line, David started going over just to see Chris' mum.

Eventually, they started actually seeing each other, and eventually got married. I think David was like a year or two younger than Chris.

What's strange to me is that Chris never moved out, he just kept living there with his best friend and mum. I never noticed any signs that they found it weird at all, they still came to work together and hung out like friends. It was a weird setup.” Story credit: Reddit / @SmashMetal

My Dad Loves Controlling People

Unsplash

“Okay, so my dad loves controlling people. He was really abusive to me growing up.

He used to always go on about wanting a Chinese wife because she'd be really grateful and meek enough towards him that he wouldn't get any arguments or independent thought from her unlike an American/English wife.

Well not long after declaring the above, he met and married a 21 year old Chinese woman (he's late 50s). I was 23 at the time. The way he treats her in public is revolting, he is so condescending and talks real slow and firm like someone would to a toddler. He tells her off and calls her names.

It was so sad to see, I don't know for sure but she may have left him as, when I was last in contact with him, he never brought her with him or spoke about her.” Story credit: Reddit

I Fully Believe They Love Each Other

Unsplash

“I’m 34, my dad is 65 and he's in a relationship with someone who's 26 (so 8 years younger than me). They've been together for 3-3.5 years and are happy together, and I'm happy for them.

At first it was a bit awkward for me, up to the point that it took me a half year before I decided to meet them together (at first I just met with my dad alone every week). I was mainly worried about my dad (still am, a bit), he came out of a long relationship that went really bad (got cheated on after 8-9 years) and he had a really rough time with it.

So I was scared he would end up in the same depression if this one went bad as well (not because of cheating, but the age difference eventually could catch up to them, as an issue).

I've spoken openly about my worries with my dad, a few times, along the last 3 years, and it will take time for them to actually go away... There's a 38 year age gap and my dad, at some point, will get health issues because of age and I'm cautious of what will happen. Both of them assure me they love each other and that they'll take care of each other, no matter what.

I fully believe they believe that, I fully believe they love each other, that's very apparent from the way they interact. And I'm very happy they feel that way with each other and found that happiness.

But I'll always be worried that when the typical health issues start, someone will have to do the day-to-day care and that brings a lot of strain on a relationship, even for couples who've been together for 30+ years and are roughly the same age.

In this case, they'd potentially be together for less than 10 years when it starts (I hope my dad remains 100% healthy till he's 100, but realistically...). So, happy they are happy, cautiously optimistic for the future.” Story credit: Reddit / @straks

I Don’t Have Any Beef With Her

Unsplash

“My parents married young, as was typical in the 60s. A decade into it he was [caught with] our babysitter. He eventually left our mom and married her. That only lasted a few years.

Dad then played knight in shining armor to a succession of young women ‘down on their luck’, ‘on the outs with their parents’, ‘raising kids on their own with no other help’, etc. Same pattern over and over. They were always about the same age - late teens to early twenties - no matter how old my dad got, or how much older we, his children, were compared to them.

Ultimately his work took him to the Philippines... ah, you can see where this is going, can’t you... and became involved with a young woman there. He said they were just friends and all his many trips there were to help her and her family.

We rolled our eyes. Eventually Dad informed us he had married her so she could come to Canada for a better life. She is about five years younger than the youngest one of us.

I don’t have any beef with her. She’s a kind and decent person, and hardworking, albeit too submissive and deferential to my dad. I’m sure that’s part of what he likes about her.

My problem is with my dad alone, who has repeatedly proven himself to be a self-centered narcissist fixated on younger women. He congratulates himself for ‘saving’ all these people and helping them out of their miserable lives when he’s never had the time of day for his own kids or grandkids.

He’s lied and broken promises his whole life, and I have no respect for him. When I married, I would not let him walk me down the aisle. Healing is a long process.” Story credit: Reddit / @IdleOsprey

He is a Serial Monogamer

Unsplash

“Dad is a serial monogamer. He has been married 4 times. This last wife is 5 yrs younger than me. She is 25. My dad is 52. She gave birth to my brother last year which resulted in an interesting conversation with my kids. Me showing my 6 and 5 yr olds a picture of their new uncle. Me: look guys this is your new uncle isn’t he cute?

Kids: that’s not an uncle THATS A BABY! (caps are accurate) She is young and acts like it and my dad is [so] gross for dating a girl younger than his daughter. But it’s his life. It makes for weird genealogy talks with others but that’s all.” Story credit: Reddit / @HannahBanana3000

I Get Along Better With Her Than My Old Man

Unsplash

“I’m 27 and my stepmom is 26. My dad (54) brought her over from the Philippines and they’ve been married for almost 2 years now.

It was definitely different at first, though I didn’t have much room to talk considering I’ve known a couple older gentlemen in a very biblical sense. I was most worried about my dad getting hurt or taken advantage of. They just didn’t seem to have much in common other than they both like to watch 90-day fiancé.

Now that the newness has worn off I can see my dad was very lonely and needed companionship. My auntie-mama is a lovely young woman who grew up on a poor island with about 15 families on it. She laughs when people call it paradise because she says it’s very hot and there is nothing to do (electricity there is only from 5pm-10pm).

So I see their marriage as more of an arrangement to better both their situations. They may not be madly in love but I can tell they care for each other. And now that it’s been about 2 years I can say with confidence I get along better with her than my old man.” Story credit: Reddit / @pootieocinnamon

My Grandpa is Still Married To Her

Public Domain

“After my mom and her 2 sisters had graduated from high school my grandparents got divorced. A few years later my grandpa married one of my aunt’s friends from high school.

According to my mom, it was a real big deal that had a lot of people talking. My aunts all hated her instantly, and one of them even did the ole “put sugar in the gas tank” thing. Oddly enough as it may seem, my grandpa is still married to her, and my step-grandma is a pretty cool person. Everyone seems to get along now.

Unfortunately my grandpa has dementia pretty bad right now, and my step-grandma is pretty diligent about caring for him so I have a lot of respect for her. (My grandpa doesn’t even now who she is anymore.) It’s been an interesting story I suppose.” Story credit: Reddit / @Your_Local_Sheriff

She Was His Waitress

Unsplash

“My dad is married to a 25 year old waitress. I am 26. When I was 18/19, me and my family used to go to the place she waited at and every time I would silently pray we were going to seated in her section (because I had a huge crush.)

My dad would always be a dad and drop some dad jokes, waitress style. I always thought she was laughing at these jokes to be polite, turns out she thought they were genuinely funny. They got together 5 yrs ago. He still goes to the same place to eat, and she’s still his waitress... the jokes are worse now though.” Story credit: Reddit / @scroggybottoms

A 50-Year-Old Biker Chick

Unsplash

“My step-grandmother is a fifty-year-old biker chick, covered in tattoos, seven years younger than my mother.

My grandmother committed suicide in 2009, leaving my socially inept and cantankerous grandfather behind. He moved to a retirement community, where he’s gotten in some trouble for shooting a fawn from his front porch with a shotgun.

A few years after my grandmother’s death, he started proposing marriage to his housekeeper. He didn’t want her to live with him. Just wanted to pass on his pension from working in the police department; only a spouse could inherit it, not children.

It took her many years, but eventually she accepted. No wedding. They’re not really “together.” But now my step-grandmother’s younger than my mother.” Story credit: Reddit / @elizzybeth

She Was 30 Years Younger Than Him

Unsplash

“Dad married a woman 30 years younger than him. She was barely 2 years older than my big sister. He had younger girlfriends ever since his divorce, so I never really thought it out of the ordinary.

She had met him about 7 years previously when he visited her country. When they met up again, she was recently widowed from another American. When Dad married her, Immigration was ALL OVER THEM. Dad was suspiciously mute about the entire situation.

I suspect she married the other guy to get citizen status and then he up and died on her leaving her status precarious. It took $1000s in lawyer fees to get them to leave them alone.

We really did not think the marriage would last... it has been 25 years. He is 86 while she is 55. He is frail, with asthma, diabetes, COPD and a heart condition. She is resentful, catty and works all the time. You know that saying "You made your bed, now lie in it"? That is how I feel.” Story credit: Reddit / @oceanbreze 

He Had a Relationship With HIs Adopted Daughter

Unsplash

“I know a family that adopted a girl, aged in between the two biological boys. When the adopted girl turned 18ish the father ended up together with the adopted girl.

I have never got a chance to talk to the older biological boy, when this all happened high school was over and everyone moved on. Always wondered exactly how he felt about the whole situation.” Story credit: Reddit / @King_opi23

He’s Having a Midlife Crisis

Unsplash

“I have a friend who is barely 20, and dating a 46 year old man. He has two sons, aged 20 and 23. They didn’t take the news of him dating a girl younger than them well, and have apparently cut off complete contact with him now things have gotten serious.

His ex wife thinks it’s hilarious. They all think he’s having a midlife crisis and think she’s a gold digger. I kinda have to agree with them.” Story credit: Reddit / @InadequateAndInept

His Step-Grandpa Was 18 Years Old

Unsplash

“My grandmother remarried when I was 12. She was 60 something at the time. Her new husband was 18, many video games were played.” Story credit: Reddit / @whoconfusedme

They Eventually Got Divorced

Unsplash

“My dad married someone who is not much older than me, she is younger than my brother. When they got married, she was 30, my brother was 32. My parents were married for 30 years, but no one was happier than my brother and I when they got divorced.

I didn’t care about the age difference, my dad seemed to be happy. I didn’t really like her as a person, she’s selfish, demanding, and generally just a whiner. One time she was visiting my husband, son, and I and she locked herself in the guest room, because she thought I hated her for trying to replace my mom. (My mom’s still around, I just don’t like you!).

I tried harder to be nice to her after that, even if I didn’t want to. These days, they are separated, about to be divorced. My dad is in his 70s now, she’s in her late 40s.” Story credit: Reddit / @annemg

It’s So Weird To Be Around

Unsplash

“I'm 33, I have 3 younger brothers, 31, 25, and 22. My dad is 61, and he's been seeing a 23 year old girl for 8 or 9 months now. She lives with him and everything. We live in a smallish town. Close to 9000 people.

For awhile it was the talk of the town. I hated it. Still do, but it's gotten better. I lost a lot of respect for my dad because of it and it's [messed up] with the family just because it's so freaking awkward. My brothers and I catch a lot of flack for it.

"Hey, how's it feel having a stepmom younger than you?" Stuff like that. It sucks because I've always liked doing stuff with my dad, like hiking, hunting, fishing, etc., but now it's so weird to be around. Anyways...” Story credit: Reddit / @SnowedOutMT

She’s Younger Than All of His Grandkids

Unsplash

“My mother is 58, and the youngest of 3. Her father is 87. His girlfriend who lives with him is 27. So not only is she younger than his kids, she’s younger than all of his grandkids. It’s truly disgusting.

Apparently, she’s not after his money, which is substantial. But he “saved” her from a life of crime and meth. Ok, whatever you say.” Story credit: Reddit / @TymLemon

His Child is Also His Step-Grandchild

Unsplash

“My cousin and her mom hated each other for the longest time. The daughter was dating a dude for a while and he cheated on her after the mom seduced him. He ended up marrying the mom.

The daughter decided to seduce him and they had an affair that ended with her getting pregnant with her son/half step brother. So, my cousin's step dad is the father of her child, his child is also his step grandchild, the child's grandmother is also his step mom, and it's all a crazy mess.” Story credit: Reddit / @tankboy138

My Father is an Irresponsible Creep

Unsplash

“The story is simply that my father is an irresponsible creep. It was just the two of us when I was growing up, but he made it clear he was resentful having to take care of me. He's in his 60s. I'm 34, my older half sister turns 40 in a few days.

My youngest half brother just turned 2. I'm sure I have siblings I don't even know about. His current wife is maybe 30 and by far the oldest woman he's ever been with. He cheated on his last wife with her. His last wife was 19 when they met (I was 17).

But that was better than his previous girlfriend before that, who was a few months younger than me, and I was 17. I always make sure that his baby mammas know that I'll always be there for them and their kids when he leaves, because he's GOING to leave. It's interesting watching how surprised they are when he does.” Story credit: Reddit / @batai2368