If men really are from Mars and women from Venus, it’s inevitable that there will be communication problems sometimes (you can say that again!).
So that’s why it’s good news that newly-weds are being offered a $200 voucher for pre-marriage counselling from July 1.
However, the Australian government’s 12-month pilot scheme is causing quite a bit of controversy. I had a quick look at readers’ comments in the Courier Mail today and sadly they were overwhelmingly negative. Most readers felt the money could be better spent elsewhere.
I disagree! The one-on-one relationship you have with your spouse is the most important one in your life. Its impact on your happiness and well-being cannot be underestimated. The courses are designed to help couples learn how to communicate well with one another – who couldn’t benefit from that?
And in terms of cost, $200 spent upfront could save thousands down the line in terms of divorce, stress related illness and other costly health issues.
Some couples may feel they don’t have time to go on a ‘course’. I wonder how much time is spent on choosing a wedding dress or researching the honeymoon? Hundreds of hours probably.
Maybe a few hours together finding out how you can improve your chances of having a sustainable, loving marriage is not a bad investment of your time (and the government’s money)?
