Introduction

Growing Stronger Together

Welcome to Growing Stronger Together

A five-part course designed to help couples stay strong through growth and change.

It’s no secret that families grow and develop over time. Change can test even the strongest relationships, but couples and parents can navigate challenges, prevent distress, and experience greater closeness with preparation and skills. We developed Growing Stronger Together to address the needs of couples facing changes and life transitions.

A little about us—we’ve both been married to our sweethearts for over 20 years, we have five children and a grandchild between us, we’re students majoring in Marriage and Family Studies, and—oh, we’re both named Tamara! (You can think of us as Passey and Wilson if that helps.) We teamed up for this project and sifted through research, theories, and recent literature to find trusted strategies to help you through tough times. We bring years of experience and our love of marriage and families to support you and your family.

We’ll be taking a closer look at common changes, things like financial ups and downs, moving, health challenges, and launching young adults. And we’ll highlight principles taught by Dr. John Gottman, known for his work on marriage stability, and many others. Our goal is to bring the research and theories to life in a way that gives you practical, usable tools for your relationship. Change can be hard, but it can also help us grow.

So, we’re excited to share all the tips and ideas we’ve learned to help you grow stronger together.

This course is designed for couples to learn together or separately.

For the learning activities, a notebook or journal may be helpful.

One: Money Matters Part I

Handling  Financial Losses

Two: Money Matters Part II

Handling  Financial Gains

Three: Major Change, Major Growth

Handling Home and Career Changes

Four: Caregiving

 

Handling Health Changes in your spouse or child

Five: Preparing for an Empty Nest

 Launching teens and preparing for the next stage

Growing Stronger Together

Introduction

Meet & Greet

Major Change, Major Growth

Home and Career

Money Matters Part One

Financial Ups and Downs

Caregiving

Health Changes for Spouse or Children

Money Matters Part Two

Financial Ups and Downs

Preparing for an Empty Nest

Empty Nest, Full Life

Disclaimer:

The authors of this online curriculum are students, not therapists, and are not licensed to give personalized advice to readers. The content of this course is the sole creation of the authors and does not represent any other entity or organization.