Category: Marriage/Family

No one gets in Fort Knox without permission. It’s surrounded by tanks, razor wire, and other security precautions we don’t know about. It’s one of the safest places on earth. We do all that just to guard gold. Your heart is worth much, much more! It deserves Fort Knox-levels of protection.

Often, when we think about what makes a city, town, or neighborhood family friendly, we consider the quality of schools, crime rates and safety (e.g., can your child leave a bike out front unattended?), and walkability (are there sidewalks?). These are certainly important. But perhaps we do not sufficiently consider another important feature: entertainment. The availability of cheap or free high-quality entertainment greatly enhances family life. It is, I contend, the epitome of what family friendly means.

Our law office receives hundreds of divorce inquiries each year. Some of the cases are wild, but most follow similar patterns that highlight the primary divorce risk factors that many couples face. Certain behaviors dramatically reduce the risk of divorce. Conversely, too many people make predictable mistakes that end up destroying their marriages.

Taylor Swift entered her 30s with a new gusto for progressive politics, campaigning against Donald Trump, leaning into her childless cat lady era, and lamenting “1950s sh-t.” At the age of 35, though, Swift is literally singing a different tune.

Have you ever heard of a “flirting party”? If not, don’t feel bad. Until today, I hadn’t either. Allow me to share my newfound enlightenment.

The evidence suggests that men’s employment prospects matter greatly for their chances of forming a family, and that the labor market is shifting towards HEAL jobs. If we want more husbands, we need more men in HEAL.

Referencing the research and “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl, Terry Schilling of the American Principles Project recently told Fox News the lack of relationships is causing anxiety, depression, poor sleep, and low self-esteem. “When men have a purpose, when they have a meaning, they can bear almost any how,” he said. “I think that what’s going on with our society today with young men is that they don’t have the why. They’re not married; they don’t have kids, and that’s causing depression and anxiety.”

In our new analysis of data from Current Population Survey (CPS) (2021-2024), we found that men in HEAL occupations are significantly less likely to marry and form families than men in more traditional, male-dominated working-class jobs. We compared married family formation (married with children in the home) rates among prime working-age men (45-54) without college degrees in HEAL occupations to those in industries that are male-dominated and are geared to working-class Americans. Those in maintenance, repair, and other traditionally working-class male occupations had the highest rates of married family formation, while those in HEAL occupations had the lowest.