Recruiting and retaining men from any culture in a family services program or entity that has traditionally served women and children can, at best, be considered a token gesture. Admittedly, there are many emotions surrounding the topic of how to get men to do what they are “supposed to do!” Agencies designed to serve men […]
This fact sheet explores marital challenges adults may face when their adult children leave the home, including feelings of depression, sadness, and grief. Symptoms of Empty Nest Syndrome are described, as well as the challenges faced by the Sandwich Generation that is taking care of their own children while taking care of their aging parents, […]
The rate of divorce for first marriages is slightly higher for interracial couples than it is for couples that marry within their race. Many interracial and interethnic couples attend marriage/relationship education (MRE) workshops because they experience relationship challenges that are related to their racial/ ethnic background. People/families from different parts of the world can have […]
This fact sheet explores how gender roles and expectations impact couple interaction, family decision-making, and perspectives on marital satisfaction. Background information is provided on traditional gender roles and behaviors in the United States and attitudes of men and women toward gender roles. Trends revealing Americans are moving away from patriarchal marriages are discussed, as well […]
Marriage education generally offers useful skills for couples. Nevertheless, practitioners may need to adapt curriculum materials to help participants learn and remember lessons. This tip sheet provides strategies for fine tuning programs toward the African American community. The tips can be applied to any curriculum, but it is important to note that marriage educators should […]
This brief explains three important concepts that should be considered when an individual is deciding whether or not he or she is ready for marriage. Individuals are urged to understand what marriage is really about, examine the motivation to marry, and know a partner well. Questions are listed for individuals to explore in determining their […]
It is exciting to get married. Marriage offers the opportunity to create a new family and new traditions. However, getting married when there are children involved can bring with it a new set of challenges and anxieties about making your relationship work successfully for a lifetime. Stepfamilies are very common, but creating one can be […]
When one person in a couple is affected by a chronic illness, the other person lives with it as well–chronic illness is a family affair. The challenge lies in finding ways to address the illness as a team so that neither of you feels as if you are alone. Here are some tips to help […]
Successfully rebuilding trust after an extra-marital affair is possible but it can be difficult, lengthy and overwhelming. An affair can have a devastating effect on marriage and can be an agonizing crisis for a couple. Responses to the discovery or revelation of an affair range from sadness, shock, despair to anger, rage and confusion. It […]
There are many opportunities for those in marriage education to work with the business community. Marriage education practitioners may want to partner with businesses to solicit monetary donations for program operations, in-kind donations or to incentivize participation (if their grant allows). Others would like to provide healthy marriage and relationship education services to a company’s […]