Relationships and Marriage Resources

Many couples in a stepmarriage bring certain expectations to the new marriage that might be unrealistic, not only for the marriage itself, but for the whole family. In this publication, we describe what some of those expectations might be and offer tips on how to help the entire new family connect and love each other, which takes commitment and time.

How money is handled in a remarriage is a major decision based on past experience and financial resources available. Many remarried couples use a variation of a “Yours, Mine, and Ours” approach. In this publication, we describe different options for handling money in a remarriage and offer questions to answer on how money will be handled, opening the lines for communication.

Due to the increasing demands of the workplace, some couples experience problems due to the interference that work might have with couple or family time. The working spouse may feel the stress of a demanding job while the other spouse may feel that they are not the priority. In this publication, we describe the increasing demands of a job or career and the impact it may have on the relationship, while also offering suggestions on how to balance work and family.

As couples reach the later years of marriage, one partner may become ill and the other take on the caregiver role. In this publication, we describe ways for the caregiver to support their partner’s self-esteem and describe options of support for the caregiving partner.

While, at times, marital satisfaction might decrease during the middle years, there are also many benefits to this stage of marriage. In this publication, we describe the highs and the lows of the middle years and what couples can do to increase satisfaction during this stage.

Describing end of life decisions can be uncomfortable and upsetting, but is an important topic to consider. In this publication, we describe ways for a partner to bring up end of life decisions in conversation and offer guidelines for talking about and making these decisions.

Conflict is a natural part of any close relationship, and learning how to handle conflict well can lead to each partner feeling understood and safe to share opinions and feelings, which can lead to an increase in marital satisfaction. In this publication, we describe the importance of conflict resolution skills and offer suggestions on how to communicate so that each partner feels understood and safe, so that conflicts are resolved in a healthy way.

Retirement is not only a transition period for the individual but also for the marriage. In this publication we describe the impact that retirement might have on the marriage and how to prepare for this major life change within the marriage.