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I am a somewhat young wife. Ish. I’m kind of young. This past summer, I finally graduated to the stage of adulthood that allows me to be in the passenger seat while my teenage sisters drive with their permits. But those same sisters also think I’m ancient, because I’m finally catching onto the word “deuces” and what they young people call “Instagram”. Other people, like the church leaders I work with, say things like “Oh my gosh Chaun. You’re 21? You’re just a baby. You’re a baby raising a baby!”

There are some little quirks that keep this age interesting. Here are my 10 reasons how you know when you’ve married young… Other than the obvious that you already know your age before you were wed. Hopefully?

You know you’re a young wife when…

1. People guess you’re older than you are, and it’s still a compliment

2. You own a tube TV instead of a flatscreen.

3. You measure the cost of textbooks by how many cans of beans you could buy.

4. Splurging on clothes means you shop at the local thrift store (although to be honest, when will we ever not shop at the thrift store? #retroisrad)

5. Spending $20-$30 on a date is a real luxury.

6. You don’t feel old enough to be having children, yet here you are:

Matching outfits and socks and everything.

7. You feel very wise and mature when older friends say they don’t feel old enough to be married. Other times you feel awkward.

8. When the actuality hits that you and your best friend’s kids probably won’t be the same ages.

9. Youth group leaders think you’re one of the new kids, instead of a new leader.

10. You and your spouse set aside time to do homework together.

11. Bonus! You know you married young when someone says “You look so young when you got married! You look eighteen!” 

But you’re quick to reassure them, “Oh no. I wasn’t that young. No no. I was nineteen.” Then you flash them the yolo sign or whatever the young people do.

Anything else you’d add to the list? How old were you when you got married?

Disclaimer: There are a billion different kind of young (ish) women in all sorts of stages of life. I am merely just one of them. This post is only meant in fun.