Before you can drive a car in most states you have to take driver’s education to better prepare you to avoid wrecking your car or wrecking someone else’s.  Before you marry in all states you only have to get a license, maybe take a blood test and say ‘I do” even though you may have very little in the way of information or knowledge about how to avoid wrecking your own life or someone else’s.

We recommend marriage education:  “It's the idea that marriage is skill-based.  Like football.  The way we have it set up now a couple gets married and we send them out there to win based on "love and commitment."  That's like asking a football team to win on team spirit -- "for the Gipper" -- but not letting them learn any plays or signals.  No skills at all -- just win on love.  The basis for the smart marriage® concept is exciting new research that finds that what is different about the marriages that make it
-- that go the distance and stay happy -- are behaviors or skills.  And even more exciting they are simple skills that anyone can learn.” Diane Sollee, Smart Marriages.

The National Institute of Mental Health concluded that destructive parental conflict is one of the generic risk factors for child and adult mental health problems.  Mismanaged conflict predicts both marital distress and negative effects for children.  Conflicts at home can even lead to decreased work productivity, especially for men.

Benefits of Marriage Education:  Highlights the advantages of strong and healthy marriages for both adults and children.  Provides a roadmap about what to expect in marriage and how to manage conflicts.  Helps couples understand commitment, acceptance, forgiveness, and sacrifice.  It also teaches about risk factors so participants can decide whether or not a marriage they are considering is a good choice.

Is It Boring?:  “This is romantic.  It's the most romantic thing you can do!  If you find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with -- share everything from the bathroom to your bank account and babies with -- then taking a course to learn everything the experts know about how to keep your love alive is as romantic as it can get.  Walk hand-in-hand into one of these courses and tell me it isn't romantic.  And the "I don't want to have to ask" business is dealt with.  You do have to ask.  You have to give your partner an accurate love map of your desires.  This isn't war, it's not about building an obstacle course and using camouflage -- it's marriage.”  Diane Sollee, Smart Marriages