In some places, you're old enough to be a grandmother
Even me. And I haven’t graduated from college yet.
A startling and rather scary story has hit some blogs — that a 23-year-old woman is thought to be the world’s youngest grandmother. Twenty-three years old. Most people in America think that’s too young to have a child, much less a grandchild.
A summary of the family dynamics, from The Stir:
Rifca Stanescu of Romania was only 11 when she married a 13-year-old jewelry seller, out of fear of being married off to an older man in the village. By age 12, she had given birth to her first child, Maria. Maria apparently thought that was a pretty good set-up, and left school to get married at age 10, then promptly had a baby at age 11.
In truth, this is more like child rape than just young parenting — something that seems more like a medieval-era horror story than modern-day Europe. It’s sickening, actually, and sad. I’m a reasonably responsible twenty-two year old, and I’m not ready for the commitment of a puppy, much less a child. From what I understand, they are a Roma family, and gypsies value virginity in brides very highly — so young marriage is common, to ensure that the bride is a virgin. But there’s absolutely no reason, regardless of culture, for a child to get married (much less have a baby). I would say it makes me feel a little bit better that it appears Maria had full consent in the matter (unlike her mother, who regrets her young motherhood), and wasn’t the victim of an attack — but can a ten-year-old actually consent to something like this? The age of her husband is unclear.
There is not a day that goes by that I’m not astounded that we still live in a world where women are suppressed. Young girls getting their noses cut off for running away from a forced marriage. Women having to cover their faces. I could go on and on. I recently heard of a case right here in our country where a judge is forcing a women to have her exhusband in the delivery room with her when she has her baby! I still can’t believe that less than 100 years ago we weren’t allowed to vote!! REALLY??
Amazing! It’s like a modern-day look at medieval times when children were married off to forge alliances between strongholds and nations.
The grandmother looks older to me than her 23 years. But I guess having and raising children ages us all.
I find this situation horrifying. My daughter just turned 13 and the idea of her married and having a child is incomprehensible. I understand cultural differences, but this seems like child abuse to me. In this country, the husbands would be thrown in prison for statutory rape in such situations. Not that that 13 year old boy is old enough to be a husband much less a father.
Wow! I cannot imagine. Children having children. It’s very scary and yet, who knows—maybe for certain sects, it works. We know nothing at the age of 12, even though at the time we think we do. All we know is that the world centers around us at that age. And parenting is really quite the opposite.