Why is my 16-year-old son in such a hurry to get married??

[Jennifer xC]

My 16-year-old son told me yesterday he wants to marry his girlfriend soon - who is also 16.

 

He goes to college and is doing well at the moment, so no worries there.

 

I asked him had he thought about his future and he said yes, he wants to go to university in Nottingham in two years time, work very hard at uni and then work at McDonald's - his dream job, he says.

 

His girlfriend isn't pregnant, thankfully.

 

I don't understand why he wants to get married so young - won't he have a lot of problems in his life later on if he marries now??

 

Jennifer from Warrington, United Kingdom

[LucreziaBorgia]

Sounds like its time for the two families to sit down together and talk about this so that everyone is on the same page and there is no guesswork involved about their motivations. Perhaps there can be some compromises made between your son and this girl with the help of their families.

[Woggle]

Sit down with the 2 of them and her family. It could be just puppy love. I wouldn't worry too much about it and a good talk with bothe parties should solve it. When I was 16 I anted to do many things that were not good ideas. I think everybody does at that age.

[Outcast]

Because he's still too young to not know what he doesn't know yet. He thinks he knows all he needs to know about the world and is mature and capable enough to make life decisions. I hope that your part of the world doesn't allow people to marry until they are at least 18! Hopefully he'll have learned and matured a lot more by then.

[tonyp56]

Why is he already going to college? He is 16? My thoughts on it, remember how it was when you were 16? Put yourself in his shoes and you'll see what is going on. He thinks that he is grown up--especially if he is already going to college, and he thinks that this is true love. Try your best to give him the tools that he needs so that he doesn't make a mistake. He needs to wait, perhaps you could tell him if he waits until he is at least 20, and he and she still want to marry you will buy them their first house, car, oven, etc... (I don't mean all of the above, I mean one or the other) Maybe tell him you'll help him with those things, or help him with his college, but try your best to get him not to marry yet. Say if it is true love then she'll wait!

[RainyDayWoman]

a kid at 16 who is already in college is pursuing his dream job of working at mcdonald's?

 

i don't think so.

 

but nice try.