Remarriage Resources: Some Help for the Hard Stuff
Remarriage: easy or hard? On the one hand, you’ve done this before, right? It shouldn’t be so hard. You’ve learned how to combine two different lives into one family before. On the other hand, you’re dealing with a lot of things that likely weren’t part of your first marriage. In addition to combining two adult lives, you may be bringing children from a previous relationship. And ex-spouses and ex-in-laws loom in the shadows. Previous experience may make you hypersensitive to every relational glitch. Where you might have had success doing things one way before, doing so now may cause contention. Okay, maybe this isn’t going to be as easy as you thought.
But you don’t need to navigate these challenges all on your own. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be! There are many resources out there that can alleviate some frustration. We’ve compiled a list of potentially helpful resources for you; pick and choose according to your specific needs.
Relationship education tools often focus on newlyweds in first marriages, fatherhood, motherhood, parenting, etc. And while a lot of these are helpful, your circumstance of being remarried requires a bit more focus than on just the basics, right? And while there really isn’t a one-stop-shop for everything you’ll encounter in remarried life, we’re going to try our best to connect you to a lot of potential, good resources.
Some of the most common aspects of being remarried include: navigating a blended family and co-parenting children from past relationships; settling into roles that will help the family function best; combining and managing finances; and, of course sexual expectations with a new partner. While this is in no way a comprehensive list, and we recognize that there is a lot we won’t cover, we hope this is a useful start.
If you are struggling in your efforts to co-parent with your ex, here are a few resources that may help:
If figuring out roles in your newly formed family is proving difficult, try checking these out:
Finances also may be difficult to navigate. Here are some links that may provide some help:
If you would like help in figuring out how to address sexual well-being and expectations in your marriage, here are some places that you may find useful:
Remember: you are hardly alone. Did you know that 40% of all U.S. marriages these days are remarriages? Yes, you may be in a minority, but it is a very large minority. There are many, many couples who are going through the same hard things you are. Hopefully these resources can get you pointed in the right direction as you navigate your new reality of remarriage. With these resources, your marriage can withstand the hard things that naturally come. You can do this!
Sidney Higgins is the primary author of this blog.
Related Resources:
https://extension.usu.edu/strongermarriage/courses/learning-your-spouses-love-language/#/