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Chance the Rapper celebrated Independence Day by getting engaged.
The Chicagoan got down on bended knee and popped the question to his girlfriend of five years, Kirsten Corley. The couple’s daughter, Kensli, 2, mimicked her mom’s shocked expression (check out Instagram post below) as Chance professed his love. While some fans are happy for the newly engaged rapper’s rom-com moment, others wonder whether the 25-year-old took himself off the market too soon. Apparently, Chance is on point with his timing.
According to data analyzed for the National Survey of Family Growth, couples who wed in their late 20’s to early 30s have the best chances of having a successful marriage. The rationale to support the data makes a lot of sense. Folks who get married in their late teens or early 20s may have the best intentions, but they also have some unique stressors. Both parties are still figuring out their personalities outside of the parental home and establishing initial personal goals. Finances, or lack thereof, are also a big issue during this time period, as young couples often struggle to make ends meet while juggling work and school. But they aren’t alone in hardships.
There are different life phase issues for people over 35. While older couples are assumed to be more mature, they’ve lived independently longer, which can make compromising more challenging. They also tend to be less vulnerable financially, eliminating the need to stay together through rough patches due to money. Last, they may feel less peer pressure to “stay” married due to the divorce stigma.
The late 20s is definitely the sweet spot for getting hitched. By that age, many young adults have actualized some of their initial personal, financial and career goals, which lays a great foundation of confidence…for the compromises needed for marriage. Many late 20-somethings also have good sense of personal like and dislikes, which also increases the odds of better mate selection. It’s easy to see why this time period is a win.
Studies and statistics aside, marriages will always have challenges. There is only one factor that dramatically increases the odds of success at any age: commitment.
