What can we do to stop the high Divorce rate that is destroying our core family values?

Question

Single parent homes are more common then 2 parent homes.
Any suggestions on how to stop this trend?

Answer 1

people have to stop jumping into false committment. theres got to be some love and trust before anything. core valuse are being lost in generations because of the glamourous divorce couples of hollywood and the easy acceptance in todays culture. ITS SO EASY TO GET A DIVORCE!
-dont make it so easy in the court system
-rediscover love within yourself and others
-stop maknig it look so cool on tv
im getting married in 2 years and staying married, i love her and she loves me.

Answer 2

IThere used to be a time when the man would work, and if he was having family issues he'd drink or see a hooker and that'd be that. Now that both parents also work, both have different goals and different ideas on how things should work. Since you know have two opinionated people in different environments coming from different places in a household, those opinions will clash more often than not. The other problem is the fantasy marriage, where I'm convinced all women these days spend YEARS dreaming of the perfect wedding and how to out do their friends while not necessarily caring or thinking about the quality of everything that takes place after that. Add that in with the impatience, me-first and fast-paced culture and you have your reason.

Answer 3

Don't get married! JK.

We now live in a throw away society....and marriages seem to be on the top of the list.

The only thing I can really think of doing is, go to a marriage guidance councellor BEFORE you get married.

Other than that, if you haven't then work hard at the relationship. I think some people view marriage as an end to all their problems, ie. "If he married me, I won't be lonely anymore and everything will be alright."

Maybe live together first and see how things go from there. Having said that, I know not everyone would or could do that so, either get counselling or treat the marriage like a job....WORK HARD at it and stay FAITHFUL.

Treat each other with respect and dignity. Take time out for each other and be each other's best friends.

Answer 4

The divorce rate is merely a symptom. It is the result of more and more people not having or not keeping what are called traditional family values.

Personally, I think you make divorce far more costly than it is. I don't mean in terms of financial costs, but that would be a component of it.

Today, a man or woman can marry, have children, and if they get tired of it, they can just leave, or have an affair, and for the most part, society really doesn't care.

The allows quitters and cheaters to get half the stuff, and often times even gives them custody of children.

We are rewarding failure with no-fault divorce and hurting children simultaneously.

There is no way to keep an unwilling partner in a marriage, and I'm not saying that divorce is not needed in some situaitons.

The problem I see is that many folks go to divorce first when things get tough. They got married and then learned that marriage isn't what they though it was, so they bail out, instead of working WITH the person with whom that made their vows.

In no way am I saying that someone should stick around and be abused. However, if you are an unhappy wife just because you husband isn't romantic, or you are an unhappy husband because you wife didn't really mean it when she said she wanted your body for breakfast, lunch dinner and a late night snack, that's still no reason to get divorced.

But the law allows it.

God allowed it, as He noted in scripture, not because he wanted divorce, but because of the hardness of man (and woman's) hearts.

Likewise today, divorce isn't really the problem. It's a symptom of the much bigger problem of people being more and more selfish and a culture that by and large is more focused on personal happiness, than it is on keeping promises and following through on committments.

EDIT,

I don't know how to change the hearts of other people. If I did, I probably could have given my now ex-wife the hope she needed to see that just because a marriage had problems before, that doesn't mean the future had to be that way.

Even if you make divorce tougher to get, that still doesn't address why folks believe it's better to divorce than it is to keep their word and work on the relationship.

There are so many facets to the problem.

There are folks who have very unrealistic expectations surrounding marriage, that marriage will make the happy or make them complete, etc.

Too many people focus on what marriage will GIVE them and fail to realize that the vows they speak are not about what they will get but what they will do.

Too many expect Disney fairy tales or porn movie non-stop sex, or any other set of unobtainable expectations.

So how to you encourage people to look at marriage for what it really is, the joining of two people who pledge to work together, and look out for one another, putting all others, including their own children second to their spouse.

That's the question you are answering.

The answer is different for every person. What will encourage me to do that is different for you, or any other person here.

Answer 5

Divorces are made too easy. I think there should be a mandatory counseling/retreats/classes for couples that are thinking of divorce (I think some statesalready require that). If all fails then divorce. I think if my ex and I would have learned some better skills with communication, finances and other issues, it may have had a better shot. The catholic churches do something like that in the beginning; the couples I know that have gone through that have there problems but seem to work it out. Pretending?? Don't know.


I guess some people do have the perception of marriage being wonderful, like on tv and movies.

Answer 6

There are some advantages with the current ways. Since people are no longer trapped in terrible relationships, and divorce is much easier and socially acceptable- those who *are* in marriages are reportedly happier these days than they were 20 years ago. (according to a report last night on NPR)

Is it better to stay married- in a lousy relationship?
Or be happy as a single parent?

Answer 7

Teach our children about abstinence. The problem is that so many young people get married because of pregnancy and then it doesn't work out because they never were truely in love in the first place. When this happens the child is the one suffering. Also, marriage counseling needs to be cheaper or free and more readily available.

Answer 8

I think that more and more people are not taking marriage as seriously as we used to. I mean, look at our future's "role models", Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez. Marriage is almost like a trend now. I think if people starting taking their vows more seriously and got married when they were actually ready, the divorce rate wouldn't be flying off the charts.

Answer 9

Don't rush into marriage. Develop relationship skills. Stop thinking that it's all magical. You can only do your own little part by being level-headed and not buying into the fantasy hype that you see in romantic comedies, the major media, pimped by folks with religous or partisan political agendas, etc.

That crap is like unicorns: it's entertaining, but it's not real. Be real.

Answer 10

I believe that more people are getting divorced because many people are raised to look out for number one, and aren't willing to make the compromises that a long-lasting marriage requires. Therefore the only way to reverse the growing divorce rates would be to make sure more people are raising their kids in such a way that they understand and are willing to compromise....good luck with making that a regulation.....