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Do you think women feel pressured to get married by a certain age still? Maybe you say, “No way. That’s such an antiquated concept. None of my friends feel pressured to marry at any age – or ever!” Maybe you absolutely believe women still feel pressured to stick to some timelines when it comes to getting married and having babies. Perhaps you fall somewhere in between. A lot of your answers probably have to do with many factors including where you live, what religion you practice, and your family’s background. America, after all, is a thousand subcultures, all experiencing very different lives, side by side, on the same soil. But you may be surprised to learn that the United States Census Bureau reports that the average age of a woman at her first marriage in the U.S. has only gone up by around seven years since the 1800s.

We may think of women in metropolitan areas getting married in their forties and fifties, and they exist (and more power to them), but that’s by no means “the new normal.” It turns out American women are still keeping it pretty conservative when it comes to their marriage timeline. There might be a subconscious pressure to get on with it that nobody wants to admit, but we shouldn’t rush relationships to fulfill some unwritten rule that you need to settle down by a certain age. Nevertheless, many still do. Now the question is, is that a problem? We spoke with licensed therapist and life coach Tiffany Richards (pictured below) about the dangers of rushing relationships, and why people do it anyway.

Tiffany Richards

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Why do we rush?

We asked Richards what the motivation is for rushing relationships. She said, “People usually rush into relationships because they are eager to feel a sense of connection and attachment to someone. Many people really struggle with being single or being alone, so when the opportunity arises for them to be coupled, they jump into relationships prematurely as a cure to their loneliness. Others get so caught up in the initial chemistry or spark.”

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