In a national survey conducted by the Barna Group. Cohabitation is next step in seriousness when it comes to relationships. Out of the 1097 adults surveyed in April 2016, they found that that 65 percent of Americans now approve of cohabiting before to tying the knot, while 35 percent do not.
So the S2S Question of the Day is, do you believe cohabitation is a good idea? If you took this route before marriage, how did it strengthen your marriage vs. non-cohabitation?
In part 3 of our 10 most interesting marriage studies for 2012 deals with the subject of cohabitation. Contrary to what we hear in the states about cohabitation, the benefits of marriage diminish over time, while unmarried couples who live together over 6 years experience greater happiness and self-esteem.
The February issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family, “Found that differences between marriage and cohabitation tend to be small and dissipate after a honeymoon period. Also while married couples experienced health gains — likely linked to the formal benefits of marriage such as shared health care plans — cohabiting couples experienced greater gains in happiness and self-esteem,” said study author Kelly Musick, an associate professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology, in a journal news release. “For some, cohabitation may come with fewer unwanted obligations than marriage and allow for more flexibility, autonomy and personal growth.”
So let’s discuss. I would love to get some answers to this response. Personally, PG and I lived in totally different states. She wanted to move in together, but I was hesitant to her dissatisfaction. Eventually, we did live together for a short period of time before we got married.
1. For those couples that lived together for a long period of time, do you feel your relationship is good the way it is? Why? How would marriage change it?
2. Did your relationship improve when you got married after living together, or did it get worst?
Coach Keith
This past weekend the New York Times ran an opinion piece about The Downside of Cohabiting Before Marriage.
Meg Jay,a clinical psychologist at the University of Virginia and author of “The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter — and How to Make the Most of Them Now,” states that a problem occurs when one partner feels they slide to one day to the next without any real concrete plans, while the other enjoys the fruits of paying half the expenses and reaping the rewards of intimacy without a real commitment.
Meanwhile, Hanna Rosen, author of the blog XX Factor says the complete opposite. “Playing house is the norm for young women. Nearly 60 percent of women aged 25-39 have lived with a partner and the number among younger women is nearly 80 percent.
So Strivers. Is Cohabitation the way to go? If not, how did the effects of living with someone and not getting married affect future relationships.
I look forward to hearing from you.
iLoveStrong 