window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-GEQWY429QJ');

 

Entity explains why you should wait to marry.

Millennials are waiting longer to get married – and it’s because they fear turning into their parents.

Almost half of millennial children have lived through the agony of watching their parents divorce. Determination to prevent the same thing happening to them has led to more patience and caution about making a commitment to “the one.”

Here are five ways millennials are smartly turning their parents’ marital mishaps into an opportunity for a happy marriage.

1 They re Shacking Up Before Marriage

Instead of jumping headfirst into married life, more millennial couples choose to cohabit, or live together, before taking that walk down the aisle. Cohabitation has been on the rise since 1970,  allowing couples to “test the waters” before making a life-changing commitment.

If couples decide not to stay together, the breakup is significantly less complicated because it eliminates any legal ramifications that would otherwise be unavoidable with a divorce.

2 They’re taking the time to find ‘the one.’

The median age for first-time marriages has risen by four years since the 1980s, with men now marrying at 28 and women at 26, according to the United States Census Bureau.

Polyamorous and online dating could be one factor that’s keeping Gen Ys from settling down in their later twenties versus right out of college. Dating apps allow people to set up a casual lunch, cocktail or dinner at their fingertips so it’s no longer an awkward gut-wrenching activity. Additionally, women are taking matters into their own hands on platforms like Bumble, which allows women to reach out to men, instead of taking a more traditional approach and waiting for men to do all the asking. 

More millennials are also proceeding with caution when entering into relationships because they know the terrible consequences of divorce. Dr. Helen Fisher, a Biological Anthropology expert and Chief Scientific Adviser to Match.com, says that this has lead to what she calls “slow love” in which people take their time getting to get to know each other completely. She tells Cosmopolitan.com that marriage used to come first, but now it’s considered the finale in relationships.

3 They’re More Independent

Millennials have become less attached to major institutions, with religion and marriage being the two with the least amount of influence in their lives. They’ve also grew up witnessing their parents struggle through a recession. This could be the reason they’re focused on building careers before building a family. According to a Pew Research study, financial instability is one reason millennials feel they are not fully capable of providing a solid financial foundation for their futures. 

Dr. Fisher conducted a comprehensive study called “Singles in America” which reported that 89 percent of those surveyed want a partner with a sense of independence.

4 They Have a Higher Emotional Intelligence

Children of divorce tend to accumulate higher levels of emotional intelligence than their average peers due to the stressful nature of navigating the ups and downs of their parents’ arguments. Often times, they will feel like they’re being pulled in both directions, and must be sensitive to the ever-changing emotions within the household. 

Also, children of divorce frequently have more caring and sympathetic traits towards their peers if/when they go through family problems, most likely because these children can easily relate to family troubles, Vancouver clinical psychologist, Dr. Lisa Ferrari tells Canadian Living magazine.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis certainly understands that. In her appearance on “The View” back in September, she pleaded, “Do not support the public shaming of people who are public figures going through divorce because I’m a child of it. And I will tell you it’s heartbreaking and painful enough without having a public scrutiny to it.”

No matter how heart-wrenching and stressful divorce can be, it cannot be denied that millennials have learned to take their time to understand themselves and their desires before taking that giant step forward.

Send this to a friend