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California bans child marriage, a practice still legal in 32 US states

83 points · 136 comments · dabinat

  1. accountrequired · · focus · HN ↗
    There is an argument that people should marry when they are (*both*) younger. More time to be fruitful and multiply. More time together, instead of encouraging high "body counts" and high-risk behavior. Delaying marriage is not as altruistic as it sounds.
    1. wallst07 · · focus · HN ↗
      In tight/smaller communities having kids younger has one massive advantage: your parents/grandparents are actually young and energetic enough to help raise them.

      Having active grandparents around to pass down wisdom and share the load beats waiting until your late 30s or 40s just so you can afford to hand your kids off to expensive daycare.

      Losing that family safety net is a one reason people are having fewer kids now, and I really doubt it’s making society any happier.

      1. em-bee · · focus · HN ↗
        exactly this. in china this is still working for example.
        1. vigilantpuma · · focus · HN ↗
          Working how? China has a pretty low TFR.
          1. em-bee · · focus · HN ↗
            china's TFR comes from the one-child policy. now abolished, the effects still linger. and it also comes from many people not getting married at all mostly because of financial concerns, or maybe women not interested in having a family at all.

            what works is that when people get married, many marry young and when they have children the grandparents are around and help as described. i haven't seen anyone with children where the grandparents were not around to help.

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