ave” and “will not tolerate” items.

Merging two lives together, with the potential of having even more persons within the family unit, is an important step in anyone’s life. Doesn’t it deserve an investment of time and of money for pre-marital counseling?

Take if from one who discovered the importance of pre-marital counseling after the marriage already took place. Imagine cuddling together after the honeymoon, only to discover that your mate wants six children, expects to hire his sister as nanny, and expects you to work until retirement without ever taking time off to raise your children.

Do

It seems odd to me that people spend $10-50,000 or more on a wedding, but they will not spend any money on assuring that a marriage will actually last. In investing or business terms, spending that much on something that has a 50% failure rate makes no sense at all. It makes no sense in life and marriage matters either.

If one is being married in a church or by a priest/minister/rabbi, there are probably counseling opportunities available to couples. Smart ones take advantage of these pre-marital counseling sessions.

Another great idea for couples planning or contemplating marriage is the Engaged Encounter Weekend. Several faiths offer these weekends, although most stress that it is not necessary to be of that particular faith to be a part of weekend adventure. For information about these weekends, just search for “Engaged Encounter Weekends” in any Internet search engine.

But what if you are a couple who has decided to wed in a chapel in Las Vegas or at the local courthouse? It is still important that you discover problem areas in your personalities or areas of your life and home that might become problematic later on.

Taking tests found in women’s magazines just isn’t the answer. Instead check your local yellow pages for marriage counselors. Often, they will be equipped to offer pre-marital counseling as well, or can help you discover a counselor who specializes in this area.

Even if you have been dating and courting for years, there are undoubtedly topics that you have missed discussing. This isn’t about how you squeeze the toothpaste tube or how you like the toilet paper to be placed upon the rack. Important things are ignored, especially once the discussion and plans for a wedding have begun.

What kind of money managers are each of you? Have you discussed having children? If so, has that discussion included how soon you would like to have that family, whether or not one of you will stay at home with the children, what your methods of discipline will be? Do you imagine spending the rest of your life in your present location? What happens if one person gets an offer for a promotion to a location across the country, or on the other side of the world?

Some will probably say that the cost of counseling is too much to consider, although that is debatable since most consider marriage to be a lifetime endeavor. But if that is the case, it is still a good idea to write down your “must have” and “will not tolerate” items.

Merging two lives together, with the potential of having even more persons within the family unit, is an important step in anyone’s life. Doesn’t it deserve an investment of time and of money for pre-marital counseling?

Take if from one who discovered the importance of pre-marital counseling after the marriage already took place. Imagine cuddling together after the honeymoon, only to discover that your mate wants six children, expects to hire his sister as nanny, and expects you to work until retirement without ever taking time off to raise your children.

Don

ncounter Weekend. Several faiths offer these weekends, although most stress that it is not necessary to be of that particular faith to be a part of weekend adventure. For information about these weekends, just search for “Engaged Encounter Weekends” in any Internet search engine.

But what if you are a couple who has decided to wed in a chapel in Las Vegas or at the local courthouse? It is still important that you discover problem areas in your personalities or areas of your life and home that might become problematic later on.

Taking tests found in women’s magazines just isn’t the answer. Instead check your local yellow pages for marriage counselors. Often, they will be equipped to offer pre-marital counseling as well, or can help you discover a counselor who specializes in this area.

Even if you have been dating and courting for years, there are undoubtedly topics that you have missed discussing. This isn’t about how you squeeze the toothpaste tube or how you like the toilet paper to be placed upon the rack. Important things are ignored, especially once the discussion and plans for a wedding have begun.

What kind of money managers are each of you? Have you discussed having children? If so, has that discussion included how soon you would like to have that family, whether or not one of you will stay at home with the children, what your methods of discipline will be? Do you imagine spending the rest of your life in your present location? What happens if one person gets an offer for a promotion to a location across the country, or on the other side of the world?

Some will probably say that the cost of counseling is too much to consider, although that is debatable since most consider marriage to be a lifetime endeavor. But if that is the case, it is still a good idea to write down your “must have” and “will not tolerate” items.

Merging two lives together, with the potential of having even more persons within the family unit, is an important step in anyone’s life. Doesn’t it deserve an investment of time and of money for pre-marital counseling?

Take if from one who discovered the importance of pre-marital counseling after the marriage already took place. Imagine cuddling together after the honeymoon, only to discover that your mate wants six children, expects to hire his sister as nanny, and expects you to work until retirement without ever taking time off to raise your children.

Do

heck your local yellow pages for marriage counselors. Often, they will be equipped to offer pre-marital counseling as well, or can help you discover a counselor who specializes in this area.

Even if you have been dating and courting for years, there are undoubtedly topics that you have missed discussing. This isn’t about how you squeeze the toothpaste tube or how you like the toilet paper to be placed upon the rack. Important things are ignored, especially once the discussion and plans for a wedding have begun.

What kind of money managers are each of you? Have you discussed having children? If so, has that discussion included how soon you would like to have that family, whether or not one of you will stay at home with the children, what your methods of discipline will be? Do you imagine spending the rest of your life in your present location? What happens if one person gets an offer for a promotion to a location across the country, or on the other side of the world?

Some will probably say that the cost of counseling is too much to consider, although that is debatable since most consider marriage to be a lifetime endeavor. But if that is the case, it is still a good idea to write down your “must have” and “will not tolerate” items.

Merging two lives together, with the potential of having even more persons within the family unit, is an important step in anyone’s life. Doesn’t it deserve an investment of time and of money for pre-marital counseling?

Take if from one who discovered the importance of pre-marital counseling after the marriage already took place. Imagine cuddling together after the honeymoon, only to discover that your mate wants six children, expects to hire his sister as nanny, and expects you to work until retirement without ever taking time off to raise your children.

Do

, has that discussion included how soon you would like to have that family, whether or not one of you will stay at home with the children, what your methods of discipline will be? Do you imagine spending the rest of your life in your present location? What happens if one person gets an offer for a promotion to a location across the country, or on the other side of the world?

Some will probably say that the cost of counseling is too much to consider, although that is debatable since most consider marriage to be a lifetime endeavor. But if that is the case, it is still a good idea to write down your “must have” and “will not tolerate” items.

Merging two lives together, with the potential of having even more persons within the family unit, is an important step in anyone’s life. Doesn’t it deserve an investment of time and of money for pre-marital counseling?

Take if from one who discovered the importance of pre-marital counseling after the marriage already took place. Imagine cuddling together after the honeymoon, only to discover that your mate wants six children, expects to hire his sister as nanny, and expects you to work until retirement without ever taking time off to raise your children.

Do

ave” and “will not tolerate” items.

Merging two lives together, with the potential of having even more persons within the family unit, is an important step in anyone’s life. Doesn’t it deserve an investment of time and of money for pre-marital counseling?

Take if from one who discovered the importance of pre-marital counseling after the marriage already took place. Imagine cuddling together after the honeymoon, only to discover that your mate wants six children, expects to hire his sister as nanny, and expects you to work until retirement without ever taking time off to raise your children.

Don’t be surprised like I was. Take the time – now – to talk with your future spouse about important life changing events. Invest in your future by seeking counseling. You will be happy that you did.