Learning Marriage from Your Parents

I was raised with somewhat progressive views on marriage.  It feels strange to even be typing that, and it’s certainly nothing I ever thought growing up.  I know that on the overall spectrum of views on marriage, the ideals with which I was raised would only be in the middle, and probably closer to the conservative side of the middle.  But it’s still so surprising to me how many people aren’t even that far. I’ve already shared my story about my college roommate.   The reason she and her boyfriend didn’t talk for years about division of labor in the household, … Continue reading

Handling Your Child’s Questions About Your Divorce

It’s bound to happen; sooner or later your kids are going to start asking questions about your divorce. It’s only natural. Even if they were very young when the event took place, they are going to have questions about why their family is different than their friend’s. As a parent, this can be scary. Their questions likely don’t have easy answers and it can be hard to decide how to approach such a sensitive topic with them. Remember to keep your answers appropriate for your child’s age and maturity. When they are younger a simple answer such as, “Mommy and … Continue reading

Finding Your Identity in Your Marriage

I never thought much about my life growing up. At times in my adult life when I’ve considered getting married, having kids, I didn’t have anything but my own thoughts at that time to rely on. It’s strange because I’m an obsessive planner for short-term details, but I can’t think of any point in my life when I’ve had a vision for the future. As a kid I always had dreams of what I wanted to be when I grew up: veterinarian, zoologist, reporter for National Geographic Magazine, but those were always just fleeting childhood whimsies. I never pictured myself … Continue reading

When to Ask the Big Questions

Last time I examined whether or not premarital counseling ought to be a considered option for couples before they marry. Today I’ll look at another part of the question: how much couples should know about each other before they approach the altar. The main reason why premarital counseling might be a good idea is because sometimes people don’t know the sorts of things they ought to know about each other before they get married. The idea was sparked by a girl who called into my local radio station to say that she’d signed herself and her fiance up for counseling. … Continue reading

The Right Time

Sometimes you’ve just got to be in the right place at the right time. Sometimes, though, you can increase your odds of being in the right place at the right time if you constantly hang around the right place. (Did you follow that? If not, read it again.) At any rate, I recently realized how beneficial it is to be in the right place a lot of the time concerning research. It just so happens that I’m lucky: I really love the subject I choose to study. In addition to it being my academic job it is also my personal … Continue reading

Ask a Marriage Blogger – What Causes of Divorce Have You Seen Personally?

As I mentioned earlier, a friend of mine is getting married and has questions about how to make her relationship as successful as possible. She gave me permission to share some of her questions, and my answers, with you. Q. What are some causes of divorce you’ve seen personally? A. Earlier today, we saw a list of causes that can apply to couples anywhere. The causes I have personally witnessed are subheadings of each of these causes. The first and most common cause I have witnessed is pornography. I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, … Continue reading

Ask a Marriage Blogger – Leading Causes of Divorce

A good friend of mine is getting married shortly, and she’s had a number of questions about marriage and how to cultivate a good relationship with her new husband. As we’ve conversed, she’s given me permission to share some of her questions, and my answers, with you. Q. What are the leading causes of divorce? A. This is a very natural question – divorce is so common these days, it’s almost impossible to contemplate marriage without wondering if it will end in divorce. As I look into it, the causes seem to largely be these. Poor communication – when one … Continue reading

New Single Parents Blogger

Screaming kids, dishes piled high in the sink, past-due bills, and one person who is solely responsible for it all. Such is the life as a single parent, a life I am quite experienced with. My name is Jacky Gamble, and I am the newest blogger to the Single Parents blog. I first became a single parent at the age of 20, when my daughter was just 6 months old. Her father was not in the picture and failed to pay any child support. I was left to raise and support her on my own. When she was 6 years … Continue reading

The Glue That Holds Marriage Together

Sure love and sex and all those other things we’ve talked about are important but there’s one thing that is vital. Communication- I know it’s something I talk about often in connection with marriage. Communication is vital before marriage and once we are married. It’s really the glue hat keeps a marriage together. If you can’t talk, and really talk, to your marriage partner about anything and everything then it makes for a difficult situation. We all want someone who accepts us as we are and who understands us. That someone should be the person we’re married to. We should … Continue reading

Ask the Right Questions In Marriage

Recently some married men and women were talking about their respective wives and husbands and a recurring problem. The problem is asking the wrong question. For example the wife might say, ‘Are you going to leave the light on all night?’ Now I don’t know about you but if someone said that to me I’d be tempted to cheekily say, ‘Yes,’ just to see the reaction. What the question should have been was, ‘I want to go to sleep. Would you turn the light off please?’ Another that one of the men raised was, ‘Who put that there?’ He went … Continue reading