Call me a wet blanket and a killjoy, but I want to throw some cold water
over the general euphoria re The Baby.
Babies should be welcomed with joy, but Jacinda
and Clarke’s lifestyle is statistically unfortunate in terms of outcomes for
this one. Cohabiting couples split up sooner than married ones; a recent US study
shows half the parents cohabiting when their child is born break up within 5
years, compared with 20 per cent of married couples, throughout the developed
world.
Children born to cohabiting parents are more likely to transition
into and out of subsequent “blended” families, to confusing and upsetting
effect. They’re also much more likely to be abused.
Jacinda and Clarke are well-heeled, but many who might be carried away by
their example are not. Jacinda’s big concern - child poverty - is hugely aggravated in dollar terms by
the growing number of couples cohabiting.
The argument for marriage is not just about morals, but about outcomes. As role models, our
“First Couple” will according to the stats serve only to worsen
physical, emotional, academic and economic outcomes for New Zealand’s children.
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