Healthy Couple and Marital Relationships
The future health and stability of families and the prosperity of communities can be strongly influenced by the health and stability of marriages. Furthermore, the welfare of Georgia’s children can be greatly enhanced when their parents develop healthy relationship skills that result in healthy and stable families. The skills needed to develop and maintain a healthy and stable marriage can be learned! UGA Cooperative Extension is collaborating with community and state partners to offer programs and resources to help individuals and couples develop the skills needed to form and sustain healthy relationships. This website describes programs and resources for individuals and couples to develop and maintain healthy couple and marital relationships.
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Helping Teens Develop Relationship Smarts
Relationship education is developmentally relevant and timely for youth because they are just beginning to have and understand romantic relationships. While some youth may have witnessed and learned about positive couple interactions from good models, many may have witnessed only poor models of couple relationships. Research has shown that educational programs on healthy relationships and marriages can help youth develop positive communication and conflict-management skills and reduce their risk for intimate partner violence and teen pregnancy. The decision-making and relationship-building skills youth can learn through this programming can also spill-over into other relationships (e.g., parent-child, teacher, peer, co-worker) as well.
Relationship Smarts is a research-based curriculum that incorporates hands-on activities to focus on skills and knowledge necessary for healthy dating relationships. The curriculum offers developmentally appropriate information that address identity development, personal goals and values, what healthy (vs abusive) relationships look like, current relationship dynamics, important communication skills, and the promotion of future-orientated thinking about relationships. FACS and 4-H Extension Agents in various counties across Georgia are trained to provide Relationship Smarts workshops – find a trained agent near you. If you are interested in more information, please contact your county FACS agent at 1-800-ASK-UGA1
Preparing Couples for Marriage
Estimates suggest that each year in Georgia, one couple files for divorce for every two couples who get married. Couples who participate in premarital counseling or educational programs and use the skills they learn tend to feel more satisfied in marriage and are at lower risk for divorce. Did you know that Georgia couples who receive at least 6 hours of premarital counseling or educational services before filing for their marriage license can receive a $35.00 discount on their marriage license fee? If you live in or near Clarke, Hall, Forsyth, Oconee, or Oglethorpe County and you are engaged to be married or considering marriage, participate in our PREPARE program!
Smart Steps for Stepfamilies
Nearly half of all marriages consist of a remarriage for one or both partners. It is estimated that one in three children will spend time in a stepfamily-like household. The research is clear that stepfamilies experience unique family developmental patterns and face unique issues that are related to healthy marital and family functioning. Healthy couple and stepfamily functioning requires negotiating clear roles and rules, forming realistic expectations, strengthening the stepparenting-stepchild relationship, and navigating relationships with children’s other parent(s).
Smart Steps is a research-based program that recognizes the complexities and the interdependent nature of relationships within stepfamilies. This comprehensive and interactive educational program is for couples in stepfamilies and their children. Each class focuses on the unique issues that stepcouples and stepfamilies face and the knowledge and skills that build relationship and family strength. FACS Extension Agents in various counties across Georgia are trained to provide Smart Step workshops - find a trained agent near you. If you are interested in more information, please contact your county FACS agent at 1-800-ASK-UGA1.
Related Links and Resources
Below are links to other websites with more resources you can access to support the development and maintenance of healthy couple and marital relationships.
Staff
Ted Futris
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