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What happens to a marriage when parents must begin to prepare for an empty nest?

When parents start to prepare to send their son or daughter off to college they are not only helping to ease the transition into college life for their child, but also paving the way for their own next steps… of marriage and an empty nest, that is. But many families aren’t exactly aware of the challenges that arise with big transitions and changes, and therefore they’re not as proactive as they could be.

Sometimes a couple isn’t really clear on the parenting roles that are played with kids in college. When this is the case, it’s easy for parents to be on different pages– and they might not have a solid plan for how they will respond to different crises and critical issues. With a little guidance, however, it can be easy and uplifting for a couple to get back to a positive place; a place where they successfully parent and maintain a long-standing marriage as a team.

Today’s guest is Dr. Susan Orenstein, the director of Orenstein Solutions. Susan says couples can fix these issues by working together to create plans for the expected and the unexpected. An empty nest doesn’t have to be a bad thing… it can, in fact, be just the beginning.

To find out more about Susan and her practice, visit their website or call (919) 968-8586

What’s the real story behind multiple marriages?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the current marriage rate is 6.8 per 1000 people. Not so shockingly, the current divorce rate is 3.4. This means that, right now, 50 percent of marriages are ending in divorce. And with half of all marriages ending in divorce, more and more people are finding themselves remarried and categorized as multiple marriers.

We’re talkin’ two, three, four and even five marriages. Maybe more. What are the facts behind these kinds of situations? What are the statistics and how does the multiple marriage pattern become established in the first place? Oftentimes, serial marriers are perceived by society in a relatively negative or less respectable manner… but why? What has really become the most interesting is the expectations that surround marriage and family life.

Today’s guest is a multiple marrier herself, Pam Evans. While Pam serves as the senior director in the high tech sector of a Fortune 1000 company, she also doubles as an author and public speaker on the subject of multiple marriages. She has not only been featured on the Bay Area Independent Publishers List, but also on last summer’s Top 12 Book Pick List on “Spirited Woman.” She’s here to discuss the myths and truths of being a serial marrier.

To find out more about Pam and her adventures as a multiple marriage expert, check out her book Ring EXchange and visit her website.

Are you and your partner thinking outside the box when it comes to your relationship?

Say you’ve been married for 20 years… Or maybe even just two years… Is the relationship still fun and fresh? Are you and your partner getting the most out of your marriage? Sometimes couples that have been together for many years begin to feel a sense of staleness in their relationship. Maybe they have ongoing conflict and difficulty resolving it, or maybe they simply feel like they’ve lost the passion and excitement they once had.

When this happens to a couple, whether they’ve been together for 20 years or two years, the partners begin to grow apart and disconnect from each other. And to fix the ongoing problem, many couples end up forcing a solution by pushing harder and ultimately doing the same thing over and over again.

Interestingly, the solution to all this is far more attainable than most people think.

Today’s guest is Dr. Susan Orenstein, the Director of Orenstein Solutions in Cary, NC. Susan says couples can reignite their passion and start having fun again simply by thinking outside the box. By doing even just one thing differently. And if you’re thinking you can’t do it– think again. Susan is here to share some of her creative and inspiring ideas for how couples can improve and strengthen their marriages.

To find out more about Susan and her practice, you can visit their website or call (919) 428-2766 to schedule an appointment.