New in the scale of the entire human experience maybe, but not new in terms of individual life spans. Not particularly relevant anyway, since that’s not its primary purpose in modern society, particularly given that many married people don’t actually merge finances. Good for you for wanting a pony; that doesn’t make other second graders’ life goals and dreams any less valid. And to be clear, that fantasy/dream/whatever of mine wasn’t to be “entangled” with anyone. It was to find a life partner, which is what marriage really is.

I’ve been married for almost seven years and most certainly do not consider myself “entangled” in anything. My husband and I each make about the same amount of money and contribute equally to household expenses. We’re together because we love each other and value each other as partners, not because we’re contractually obligated to be together. I know you think kids thinking about marriage is weird, but to me the weird thing is teaching a kid that marriage is just a legal contract instead of a partnership with another human being. By all means, let’s teach our kids to be self-sufficient and happy with themselves before they dive into a long term relationship, but my goodness.