Today I covered a story on a recently released study conducted, in part, by Georgia Family Council that reveals our country's high rates of divorce and unmarried childbearing costs U.S. taxpayers about $112 billion annually.
Georgia taxpayers alone pay at least $1.46 billion each year to fund "costly social programs" such as antipoverty, criminal justice and school nutrition programs. The crux of the study is that marriage is both socially and econmically beneficial to society as it generates combined family capital thereby reducing the likelihood individuals will require state and federal assistance.
Read this for more on that.
Anywho, communities such as Columbus are developing programs to help curb divorce rates. Premarital counceling is one such method being advocated.
I suggested premarital counceling to my now husband prior to our 2007 nuptials. Morgan wasn't going for it. There's a stigma attached to any type of counseling making it difficult for most people, and in this case, couples to overcome. In short, counseling=something's wrong. But that's not necessarily the case. At least that wasn't why I suggested it.
What do you think?
xoxoL
4 comments:
Wade and I did premarital counseling before we got married. I'd probably have done it anyway, but it was actually a policy at our church. and our pastor wanted to make sure we had the same ideas about our family, financial goals, etc., before we took the plunge. I think it was really helpful and I didn't know most people don't do that before saying their vows.
I guess it's becoming more and more common.
We had it, too, in part because of a requirement from our Church. It was very helpful and in our case we already had a good relationship with the priest who worked with us. We had six sessions.
I think I need to post my 2 cents about this counseling issue. I'm not saying I'm opposed to pre-marital counseling, nor would I be unwilling to do it. But to me, it just seems unnecessary.
It seems like the things it is set up to discuss, are things that should already have been discussed. I'd be very surprised if two people were preparing to wed (or even get engaged) and they hadn't discussed those life questions that you want paralleled by your partner. Kids, religion, jobs, where to live, how to resolve problems, etc etc. If I hadn't known Lily well enough to answer any question pertaining to any of these subjects, I doubt I would have proposed to her.
This isn't meant to offend anyone, but I don't feel like I need someone to facilitate conversation that any couple should have already engaged in. I guess to me, marriage counseling is simply another person’s approval that you know your partner well enough to be married, which is a step I hope I took myself.
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