Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not all, but most. There are some that will get out of starter marriages but if they had kids in in those marriages then you're signing up for the blended family show (before you come for me I grew up in one).
I finished med school at 30 and did not want to get married before then. I can confidently say that once I was in the working world and a busy attending, I was astonished at how fast the quality of men dropped. I remember going out on an online date at 32 (ugh, I was so young) and having the guy tell me, on the date, that he had five children with his STBXW and also that he had been "robbed online" before our date and could I pay for dinner.
I'm sure there are hopeful stories out there but I talk with my DD about the timing of education/career goals/marriage, and if she wants to accomplish certain things about the importance of how she dates in her 20's. I don't want her married young. But the cute bartender with 8 tats and no goals isn't going to be the guy (unless he's tending bar at night and going to grad school during the day). It's harsh, and I know it sounds anti-feminist. But women have about ten years starting at age 20 to make decisions that will set the course of their lives re: finances, marriage, career, and children. Some strategy is required, unromantic as it may sound.
I think the move is to marry mid to late twenties and stay childless until 30. That way, you've locked the man in but you have a couple of years for him to mature before you have kids with him. But you have to stick to the plan of not having kids for a few years if you marry a younger guy.
+1. I hate putting women in the position of managing life at the jump, but I really agree with this. So many women I know have had to set the tone for their lives (timing of marriage, waiting for and then timing of kids, pulling the trigger to buy a house, etc.), and have successfully done so. But what a lot of responsibility. The women I envy are not wealthy, young looking, or taking fabulous trips. They're the ones who have partners who truly remain engaged with the family, take responsibility for their role, and find genuine enjoyment in it. This is the ultimate flex, not the big diamond or house.