Stay Married: Back to the Basics-A Divorce Alternative
I read that divorce is down due to the economy.
Couples having trouble can't afford to support two households instead of one, can't afford lawyer's fees and court costs, and can't afford all of the other expenses involved in dissolving a marriage. Some decide to stay married as a divorce alternative.
I also read that board game sales are up. Playing board games creates quite a financial savings over movies, trips, concerts, and eating out.
Wait a minute. Are these developments bad? Perhaps not.
There was a time in the not so distant past when marriage was "for better or for worse" and couples actually stuck it out during the hard times. In fact, there was a survey done in 1985 with a follow-up in the mid 1990s that showed significant marital improvement from just staying married. Almost 80% of the couples who were ready to get divorced in 1985, but stayed married, reported being happily married in the mid 1990s.
Who knows, this trend due to economics, might turn out to be a good thing for families and perhaps even a divorce alternative.
Children are certainly better off when their parents stay together.
And board games? Movies and TV rarely promote anything good in a family. For the most part, these entertainment venues encourage disrespect, low tolerance for boredom, and high expectations for materialistic and sexual pleasures. With board games, families and friends sit in the same room, mostly facing each other, or sitting side-by-side, and find themselves actually talking to each other.
No longer will we have to text the person on the other end of the couch so as not to disturb the person in the middle. Board games promote conversation and family'friend unity, assuming there are no cutthroat players who think their lives depend on winning.
Nobody likes that the economy is down, but at least some good can come from even bad events.
As a family-oriented therapist, I encourage sticking together during tough times and coming together in family activities that encourage interactions.
Here's wishing you a wonderful marriage and a close family,
Frank Gunzburg, Ph.D.
www.marriage-counselor-doctor.com
Voice: 410.654.1300 Toll-free: 1.866.654.1300
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