Divorce does not seem to sour most people on marriage. Seventy percent of divorced men and over 50% of divorced women remarry within six years. Unfortunately, your second marriage may not be more successful than your first.
Statistics also show that the divorce rate for second marriages is approximately 60% to 67%. However, this does not necessarily mean that your second marriage has no chance. You can take steps now to improve your chances of avoiding a second divorce.
1. Address the little things
Most divorces start with little issues that become steadily bigger over time. Be proactive in resolving these small issues early on in your new relationship, before they have a chance to grow.
2. Embrace challenges
Graduations, holidays, birthdays and family weddings can stir up tensions. Rather than withdrawing from a stressful situation, rise to meet it with empathy and understanding.
3. Do not keep secrets
It can be difficult, painful or embarrassing to own up to things that happened during your first marriage. However, a healthy, open relationship with your new significant other depends on honest communication, so do not hold anything back.
4. Consider premarital counseling
It can be enormously beneficial to get an objective opinion from a trained professional. A counselor can explain problems you need to work on and teach you tools for solving them.
5. Acknowledge your role in your first divorce
This is the single most important thing you can do to avoid a second divorce. Identifying and understanding how your own actions may have contributed to your first divorce can help you avoid falling into the same patterns during your second marriage.
