October 28, 2022
top trending topics
🙈 For the people who really aren’t crazy about their future in-laws.
😕 For those who have the hard-to-please type of future in-laws.
🔕 For when you need to talk to the future in-laws about boundaries.
💍 For the ones second-guessing their engagement.
😘👻 Now to lighten the mood & give you something to do this Halloweekend: Free Date Night- Spooky Season
tips & tricks for growth
reduce your risk of divorce before you say “I Do!”
Engaged couples spend endless amounts of time planning for their special day. In the excitement of wedding showers, choosing the flowers and the cake, and finding the perfect dress, some wonder if they can make it work. They don’t necessarily question their love for each other, although some actually do. It’s more about wondering if they can reduce their risk for divorce.
Most scholars agree that couples marrying today face a substantial risk of divorce. Many couples, however, don’t realize that certain factors increase their risk.
Individual Characteristics Linked with Higher Rates of Divorce:
- Marrying at a young age (younger than 22)
- Getting less education
- Having parents who divorced or never married
- Being a more reactive personality to stress and emotion
- Having a prior marriage that ended
- Prior to marrying, having sex with or cohabiting with someone other than your mate
- Having a very low income or being in poverty
your fiancé’s siblings; you either love ’em or…
Sometimes a future spouse comes with extras… like their family. At times, those relationships bring added joy and challenges, especially when it comes to your fiancé’s siblings.
So how do you foster a good relationship and get along with your future sibling in-laws?
Of course, a lot depends on the context. How well does your future spouse get along with their siblings? What’s their stage of life and personality? How does your future spouse’s family function overall? These factors often affect what getting along with your fiancé’s siblings looks like.
But if you keep the following tips in mind, you’re more likely to have good sibling-in-law relationships.
😊 Have Realistic Expectations
😊 Look for Opportunities to Support
😊 Invite Them to Be a Part of Your World With Your Future Spouse
😊 Avoid Turning Down Invitations to Be in Their World
😊 Keep Your Future Marriage First
Fostering good relationships with your soon-to-be in-laws is a win for your upcoming marriage.
let’s get REALatable
It’s time to take things a step further & get a little intimate with a Q&A. What do you say?😉 Learn a little bit about the faces behind all of this relationship gold. This week we’re chatting with Chris Ownby, husband of 18 years to wife Kristen, #Girldad to two teenagers, outdoor enthusiast, and the Research Strategist here at First Things First. Let’s get REALatable💛 & learn a little bit about him:
Q: Favorite city you’ve lived in?
A: 💛 You know, I’ve lived in several parts of the country at different times of my life. Went to school in Nebraska – can’t say enough about those corn fields. Lived in Las Vegas for a stretch – other than the scorpions in the house and coyotes roaming the neighborhood, not a bad experience. But my all time favorite place I’ve lived is where I grew up and where I now call home: the thriving metropolis of Chattanooga, TN. Great food, lots to do outdoors, mellow coffeeshops, fun nightlife, and a wonderful place to raise a family. Haven’t been? Come visit. I’ll point you to best sushi you’ve ever had.
Q: What’s better: Spooky or funny?
A: 👻 This one’s a toughie, so I’ll say this: I like things that are perhaps spooky to other people but hysterical to me. Case in point: I bought a gilly suit online. For those that don’t know, it’s the outfit that hunters wear to blend into the woods, or what snipers wear in the movies (and real life, I imagine). It’s more than camouflage – you literally look like a piece of foliage. Which is exactly what I looked like in the middle of my front yard on Halloween night last year when unsuspecting little trick-or-treaters came looming around the corner looking for Snickers bars. They walked right by me, thinking I was nothing but harmless shrubbery. And then…Hey kid. Trick or Treat. I’m not going to say they all jumped and screamed, or ran away, or never came back. But I did have a lot of candy left over for some reason. Spooky? I think so. Funny? Absolutely.
Q: Favorite Halloween costume?
A: 😂 Alright, I’m a little embarrassed to admit this one. But stay with me. In high school at a youth group Halloween party, I dressed as a bathroom wall. Seriously. I hung two giant cardboard pieces from straps and wore it like a sandwich sign. On the back I designed a (very classy, I might add) bathroom brick wall with a commode, and on the front I did the same, except (yeah, you guessed it) with a urinal. Then, the final touch, the jewel in the crown, the pièce de résistence: I hung magic markers from strings for people to “tag” the bathroom walls. It was magnificent. People came from all parts of the party to permanently mark their signatures, quotes, or smiley faces. And, not to brag, but yeah, I won first place in the costume contest.
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