Parenting

Children before Marriage? Think Twice!

I thought this was a very interesting article from CNN and I would love to further question the constituents polled by Pew.  I wonder why so many Millennials value raising children above marriage?  Is it because they are discouraged about marriage?  Have they experienced more relationship heartache than previous generations?  Or are they just following a popular trend?  It seems dangerously out of order.

I have a theory that there are several “markers of maturity.”  This first marker is getting a job and taking care of yourself.  The second is marriage and learning to selflessly care about someone other than yourself.  The third marker is the hardest–raising children. It is challenging because it is very sacrificial.  As a parent you should care more about your child than yourself.  Of course, with each marker you pass you become a better, wiser, and hopefully, less selfish person.

When I see shows like the Secret Life of Teenagers about teens having children it concerns me.  The teenagers are skipping maturity marker one and two.  And when I read about celebrities who have children outside of marriage, they must have made it through marker one, but what happened to number two?

I love being a mom, but it is not easy, and I have a husband!  I know without a doubt that if I had skipped a maturity marker or two my children would have suffered.  I wouldn’t have been prepared.  Having a child is really not about you – it’s about the child.  So what would I tell a Millennial contemplating parenthood without a spouse? I would say – think twice.

What say you, Millennials?

Print Friendly, PDF & Email