Out-of-Wedlock Birth Rates Rise

Almost four in ten children (40%) were born out of wedlock according to a NY Times article this year. You're probably thinking it is due to teen pregnancies but it's not. Their numbers actually went down for teens (23% of the numbers). It went up for women in their 20's (60% of the numbers). Our family is no different. My two stepchildren were both born out-of-wedlock. We have six children total so that is about 33% for our family.

I can't imagine all of these are "oopsies". So, why are women choosing to have children and putting off buying bridesmaid gifts and making it legal?

Is marriage becoming irrelevant for a lot of couples who choose to live together instead? Is the high rate of divorce putting people off? Is the fact that we are living longer, and people don't want to spend the rest of their lives with the same person anymore? Marriage isn't the financial necessity it once seemed to be now that women have good careers as well. So, is it becoming irrelevant?

To me, my vows are very relevant. If I'd not found a husband by a certain age and I was financially sound, I likely would have gone ahead and had a child anyway (and added to the statistic) but my goal was always to find somebody I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and raise children with together. Everything I do, every decision we make together, is done with that unity in mind. I think it is important that my children have two parents who love each other.