At what age did you meet your spouse? At what age did you get married?

16, 24 (married in 1997)

6
27

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We had our kids 1 & 3 years after we married. My md said now it never. We were fine with having them right away and traveled with them from when they were 6 months old. My sibs had their kids about the same time and the cousins are very close snd enjoy one another—I’m happy about that.

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Met (22-Me, H-23)
Started Dating- 25
Married - 28

21 / 23 (hubby is 7 years older, so it was 28/30 for him; interestingly we met in college and graduated together)

Met when I was 23, he was 31.
Married at 26 and 34.

Why do you ask? These numbers are basically meaningless.

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I read some stats somewhere and was curious if it’s any different for college educated (assuming most CC posters are) couples.

17 met
22 dated
26 married

17/23

You do realize that the vast majority of us are in our '50’s or '60’s.
It’s very different now.

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It keeps changing but these numbers say may be it’s doable to marry in your 20’s, contrary to popular advice of waiting until everything else in life is perfect and all goals have been achieved.

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My family tends to marry late. My grandmother was 35 and my grandfather was 47 when they got married and then they had 3 kids!! This was in the 1920s!

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I didn’t say it wasn’t “doable”. My own D was married 6 years ago (she was 24, SIL was 25) and they both have MBA’s. My point is that younger marriages were more TYPICAL in the 1970’s and 1980’s especially among college educated people.

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Definitely it’s doable! If you’ve found the right person you can achieve those goals together. Are you concerned about your college age kid (you’ve posted a lot about how to treat a college kid’s SO)? Sometimes people get serious when young and it doesn’t work out, but just being young doesn’t mean it’s doomed.

I’m probably one of the youngest here at 44 and possibly posted the youngest married age (19). I was 42 when my youngest went to college. I feel like being a young mom was easier and being a younger empty nester and eventually a not-that-old grandma will be enjoyable. But whatever works for the couple involved!

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24 met
30 married

Similar today? IDK.

I suspect my kids will marry sooner than I did.

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Every CC parent is either facing or will face this dilemma in few years so this discussion seems quite suitable for this forum.

Actually, we haven’t counseled our kids at all about the right age to marry. To us, it’s up to them. They know we married young, loved it, and are still going strong, but they also know marrying young is not a requirement in life to be happy. Finding the right person to go through life is - assuming one wants a long marriage together.

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It should also be noted that everyone’s end goal is not marriage. Yet they can still have - if they choose - a fulfilling relationship with someone.

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I don’t see the age at which my kids marry (or don’t marry) as my dilemma. It’s their life, not mine. I’m here to be supportive and be happy with their choices.

Edit: and since it was too late for my initial response in the beginning. H & I are still married 27 years and counting.

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