My wife passed away due to illness nearly eight years ago. I have two children: my daughter, 26, works abroad, and my son is in college. For the first few years after my wife passed, remarrying hardly crossed my mind, partly because I was busy with work, and partly because I felt content with my children and stable life.

Two years ago, I met a 27-year-old woman through work. What started as casual conversations gradually grew into a close relationship. She understands my situation, does not hide our relationship from her family, and has never asked about my financial assets. I have met her parents a few times and recently started seriously considering marriage.

However, the biggest obstacle is my daughter. She is currently dating a 30-year-old man and plans to bring him to Vietnam to meet our family at the end of the year.

When I was visiting her, I mentioned that I was in a relationship and wished to get married. She said she fully supported me finding someone to share my life with, but objected as soon as she learned about my girlfriend's age.

A man and a woman hold hands in an illustration of a relationship facing family opposition. Photo from Pixabay

She said she could accept a woman who is in her 40s, but finds it extremely difficult to address someone just one year older than herself as stepmother.

She also asked how family dynamics would work if my partner and I were to have a child later on, and what outsiders would say. I explained that I wasn't seeking a replacement for her mother nor was I expecting her to view my partner as a mother figure.

My daughter said that if I insisted on getting married, she would limit her visits home because she would not know how to act.

I have not told my girlfriend of my daughter's opposition for fear of hurting her. She used to be hesitant about the age gap herself, asking multiple times whether my children would accept her. I always reassured her that I would handle it. Only now do I realize that things are not as simple as I thought.

I want my daughter to be happy on her wedding day, without feeling uncomfortable about my choices. Yet, I also do not want to give up on someone I truly intend to spend the rest of my life with just because my adult child disagrees.

If I postpone things for a few years in the hope that my daughter will change her mind, it will not be fair to my girlfriend either.

I am torn between giving my daughter more time to get used to this relationship and telling her that this is my personal decision and she should respect it.

When children are fully grown, do parents need their consent to remarry? What should I do to protect my relationship while keeping my bond with my daughter intact?