FAMILY RELATIONS

MARRIAGE PREPARATION

WHY IS DATING IMPORTANT?  
Before people engage and commit to each other, they should go on variety of dates with the variety of people. Being in a relationship - does it mean we don't date others anymore? That's a mistake. We should go on many dates to get to know as many people as we can, and to get skills we'll need in the future for our marriage and to find the best partner for us.

ENGAGEMENT - means a that two people commit to each other, make it a public commitment. The engagement is preparation for marriage and it gives a couple the opportunity to:
- learn to sacrifice, compromise, serve each other, make decisions together, solve problems together.
Many people spend more time preparation for wedding than for marriage, and that's a mistake. They even get in financial debt when in fact, they should be saving for their future life together and for their family.

EARLY MARRIAGE ADJUSTMENTS:
- new roles, lifestyle, making desicions together, marriage becomes the first priority, first arguments and disagreements, sharing space, bed

THE FAMILY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
- father needs to be involved, it is his child as much as it is mother's

PLAN EARLY
- plan before a child is born. Discuss changes of time, energy, privacy, plan specific means of helping one another through it
- find creative ways for father to bond and enjoy the newborn
- remember you are still husband and wife, not only parents who brought a child into the world
- resist a temptation to make it a mother-grandmother event assuring father takes precedence over others during event