Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Championing Fatherhood's Top Ten Blogs Posts of 2025!







2. Free Classes for Couples





3. [PDF] A Multi-Method Initial Effectiveness Pilot Study of an Electronic Relationship Education Program with Couple Coaching for the National Guard

PA Lepley, SE Griffes, AJ Blow, HJ Markman, The Military Psychologist, Volume 40, Issue 3, Fall 2025





4.  Verbal Abuse as a Form of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV): Exploring Academic Performance, Mental Health, Loneliness, Relationship Quality, and Social Support Among Female and Male University Students 

Kathryn A. Collier1, Ken Fowler, and Stacey Wareham-Fowler1






5. How Do Couple Relationship Interventions Improve Individual Well‐Being? The Role of Relationship Confidence
Noah B Larsen 1,✉, Allen W Barton 1 Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 2025






6. [PDF] Evaluating the Effectiveness of Relationship Education for Latino Adolescents

JJ Turner, E Şahin, K Bradford, BJ Higginbotham - Journal of Human Sciences and Extension …, 2025





7. [PDF] The relationship between sedentary lifestyle and marital stability among US adults

Y Wang, J Dai, Y Yan, T Wang - African Journal of Reproductive Health, 2025






8. Family policy hope for ’26 has a lot to do with money — and how you could have more

Lois M. Collins

https://www.deseret.com/politics/2025/12/29/experts-best-family-friendly-policies-lawmakers-should-pass/




9. Old Dominion is working with the Navy to help sailors and their families struggling with mental health issues

WHRO | By Steve Walsh



https://utdailybeacon.com/97334/news/ut-to-conduct-in-depth-study-of-local-families/




11. As Disney invests billions OpenAI responds with "adult mode"

Jason Weisberger

https://boingboing.net/2025/12/16/as-disney-invests-billions-openai-responds-with-adult-mode.html




12. To restore hope for families in poverty, let states lead on welfare reform

The Hill, By Angela Rachidi | Nic Dunn





13. 28 ways to improve your marriage or relationship in 2026

Bill



Candidates for IFS Friday Five #592 (the real stories amongst the “noise”!)

1. How Estranged Parents and Adult Children Can Heal

Joshua Coleman







2. Profound Ideas on the Nature of Commitment


Presenters: Dr. Scott Stanley, Research Professor- University of Denver, Founder of PREP, Inc.


When: Wednesday, January 14, 2026 @ 1:00 pm Pacific/4:00 pm Eastern






3. 

7 broadcasts this year, focusing on building that foundation of

purpose




4. Toward a new theory of couple functioning: a short overview of “Love and Rejection Messages Theory” (LRMT)
Marius Marici 1







5. Joint Savoring in Romantic Relationships: Correlates and Protective Effects

Contemporary Family Therapy, 2025

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10591-025-09769-5




6. [PDF] Romantic Recession

DA Cox, KE Hammond - 2025
A Project of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research

… Married men and women are less concerned than single men and women about
how women will fare under a second Trump presidency. Roughly four in 10 (41 percent)
married women and 35 percent of married … of relationship status, age, race or …





7. Stress May Be Killing Your Love Life

Lisa A. Neff and Marci E. J. Gleason








8. Romantic Stress May Be A Hidden Risk Factor For Heart Disease

By StudyFinds Analysis

•

Reviewed by John Anderer

Research led by Heather E. Tulloch, MSc, PhD, CPsych (University of Ottawa Heart Institute)


https://studyfinds.org/romantic-partnerships-affect-heart-health/





9. How to Balance Emotional Labor and Mental Load in a Marriage: Holiday Edition







10. Neil Diamond's wife Katie discusses their marriage: 'We're best friends.'

The couple is preparing to celebrate their 14th anniversary.

ByMason Leib
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/neil-diamonds-wife-katie-discusses-marriage-best-friends/story?id=128394716


(Pat and I saw him do Hot August Night live at the Greek Theatre in LA in Aug 1972 and again 40 years later)



Thanks
Bill



Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Is Love Zero-Sum? How Kids and Adults Think About Social Resources

Fan Yang






2. Lost Boys: Boyhood

The Centre for Social Justice






3. Literacy, reason, and childhood matter—and we’re losing all three

Mark Milke, The Hub







4. Notre Dame launches research initiative focused on strengthening American families

By Mike Murrell







5. The Thompson

Recognizing Excellence in Research on Military and Veteran Families


https://www.marriageweek.org/free-resources






7. UCF Relationship Education Program to Support First Responder Couples, Parents

Danielle Hendrix






9. After 83 Years of Marriage This Black Couple Holds The Record, But We May Never See a Stat Like That Again

Angela Johnson

https://www.theroot.com/after-83-years-of-marriage-this-black-couple-holds-the-2000078611





10. HR must listen to parents' specific needs

Karl Bennett is chair of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA UK)








11. How to talk about adoption: Embracing multiple perspectives to support a child’s emotional well-being

By Sonia Ranieri, Laura Ferrari, Rosa Rosnati, Michela Zambelli, Semira Tagliabue, and David Brodzinsky





12. Our Favorite Books to Read Out Loud With Children

Sofia Cuddeback


(Full Disclosure: I sleep with a Retired Reading Specialist)




Thanks
Bill



Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Request for Articles - Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study: 25th Anniversary




2. Johns Hopkins University is recruiting first-time expectant dads and moms to the text4FATHER research study—a supportive, text-based program for new parents.



3. Lingering Benefits of Sex: Exploring the “Afterglow”

livia W. Breedin, Andrea L. Meltzer, and James K. McNulty







4. 

Reunion After Deployment: Describing Findings From a Study of Military Couples Funded by the U.s. Department of Defense 


Leanne K Knobloch, PhD, 
Lynne M Knobloch-Fedders, PhD, 
Jeremy B. Yorgason, PhD







5. Explaining the negative association between overparenting and parent-child relationship satisfaction: communication and attachment perspectives

Jian Jiao, Chris Segrin & Jingyu Wang





7. Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child?

by Hannah Sheldon-Dean






8. Church weddings slump to record low as young couples shun marriage

, Social and Religious Affairs Editor. , Senior Data Journalist











10. Secretary Kennedy Swears in Alex J. Adams as Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families


or 

A Welcome Message from the Assistant Secretary


https://acf.gov/a-home-for-every-child






11. 10 Things I Learned From Writing a Book on Motherhood

by Nadya Williams





12. Amid historic lows, marriage and family offer ‘hope and a future’ to next generation







13. A Solution to the Housing Affordability Problem: Marriage

By Howard Husock


Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Governor Abbott Names Chair, Appoints Three To Texas Commission On Marriage And Family






2. National Marriage Week seeking partners

The 2026 theme is "Together With Purpose."







3. The baby bust is here. How will the world economy cope?

The Economist






4. Why Does Age-Related Pressure Feel So Different Across Cultures?

Lu Zang and Heejung Kim





6. Cost of Raising a Child in Each U.S. State – 2025 Study

 Jaclyn DeJohn, CFP®


and/or

How can the U.S. make it more affordable to have kids?

Lauren Irwin







HUMAN, TECHNOLOGIES AND QUALITY OF EDUCATION, 2025 https://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2025.11









8. Neanderthals and early humans ‘likely to have kissed’, say scientists

Nicola Davis, Science correspondent









10. How Trump Can Save the Future

Michael Toscano


https://www.compactmag.com/article/how-trump-can-save-the-future/




11. Utah official links families, social capital to best state ranking

By Tenaya Hyde-Harrison








Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Engaging and Serving Young Fathers

  • Tova Walsh, Raheem Brooks, Angie Haney, Justin Harty, and Avery Hennigar
  • November 19, 2025, 1:00–2:00 pm Eastern
https://www.irp.wisc.edu/resource/engaging-and-serving-young-fathers/





2. Family benefits in America: 2024 report card

https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/stress-in-america/2025



4. Strong families make a strong democracy

Jeffrey Nielsen




6. Living with a loved one’s mental health issue: Recognizing the Lived Experiences of Military Spouses

Emma Senior, Amanda Clarke, Gemma Wilson-Menzfeld


https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0336295




7. Marriage and Divorce in 2025: Five Trends Shaping Today’s Families

https://www.barna.com/trends/marriage-divorce-trends-2025/




8. Why Helping Dads Reduce This Source of Children’s Trauma is So Crucial






Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Love Notes and Life Lessons: Building Resilience among Youth Where It’s Needed Most

November 12 @ 1:00 pm Pacific/4:00 pm Eastern







2. 
American families in an era of rapid change

Friday, November 14, 2025, 10:00 — 11:30 a.m. EST






3. Ireland sees record number of babies born to mothers aged 45 and older




4. Saying “Thank You” Inspires Your Partner to Help More

Emily R. O’Brien and Amanda L. Forest






5. The Neuroscience behind the ‘Parenting Paradox’ of Happiness

Anthony Vaccaro, edited by Daisy Yuhas





6. Delayed Dreams: How Student Loan Debt Shapes Family Formation and Homeownership Among Liberal Arts Graduates 

Osasohan Agbonlahor

https://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/article/10.11648/j.ijecs.20251005.12





7. Can We Get Through the Demographic Crunch? The Implications of the 2025 OECD Employment Report

With Matt Weidinger | Brent Orrell | Nicholas Eberstadt






8. Adolescent to parent violence: GPs need more support

Dr Wei-May Su

https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/gp-opinion/adolescent-to-parent-violence-gps-need-more-suppor




9. New MDRC-Authored Publications Added to National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse


Sarah Wilder





11. Our Broken Fertility Culture

Abby M. McCloskey




Note: The Internet Archive starts with #181 (missing first 3+ years)
https://web.archive.org/web/20170711141549/https://ifstudies.org/blog/category/friday-five

Follow 

The Institute for Family Studies

@FamStudies on X
https://x.com/FamStudies 
to see which ones made the cut this week, and from now on.

If you wish to unsubscribe, email me  



Thanks
Bill


Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Can the Family Be Saved? A Royal Perspective on Renewal and Resilience

Thursday • 6 November 2025 • 3:00 p.m. EST,Virtual





2. Marriage trends and challenges

 https://grokipedia.com/page/Marriage_trends_and_challenges





3. Family identity: how families see themselves and are seen by others


OR

“What the Family Studies” podcast highlights the Vanier Institute

Nathan Battams (Knowledge Mobilization Specialist) and Laurel Sakaluk (Director of Programs) recently appeared on the “What the Family Studies?” podcast to discuss their work, family trends in Canada, and the Vanier Institute of the Family’s new resource Families Count: Family Identity.

Listen to episode






4. Sunrise, Sunset

By Nick and Jen

https://thecouplespost.org/2025/10/27/sunrise-sunset/




5. Measures of Relationship Power Dynamics in Romantic Relationships

Eleanor J. Junkins, Jaime Derringer, Brian G. Ogolsky, Jennifer L. Hardesty, Yanna Weisberg





6. 

Reimagining Implementation Support: The Role of Funders and Intermediaries

🗓 Tuesday, November 4, 2025

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET

(View in your own time zone)







7. Stronger Marriage Webinar: Dr. Jason Whiting -  Nov 6, 2025 06:00 PM MST

Why We Connect and Why We Clash: Five Science-Based Keys to Healthy Relationships
https://usu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__KtrsT03SWKtKnJcBSLx8Q#/registration






8. Who Is at Risk of Losing Snap Benefits Due to the Shutdown?

By Angela Rachidi, AEI

https://www.aei.org/opportunity-social-mobility/who-is-at-risk-of-losing-snap-benefits-due-to-the-shutdown/




9. Cultural context and family support across 29 nations: evidence from the ISSP 2017 social networks and social resources module

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00207659.2025.2575537#abstract



10. Child welfare system involvement may improve diagnosis of developmental delays

Aaron Wagner, PSU




11. Despite Costly Programs and an Intensified Family Values Campaign, Russian Women Aren’t Having More Children

By Anastasia Tenisheva





12. The Institutions of Tomorrow

Anne Snyder

Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. ChatGPT ‘upgrade’ giving more harmful answers than previously, tests find

Robert Booth, UK technology editor





2. Boys Need Stories, Too
|
By Elizabeth Grace Matthew







3. DC government can do a lot to make families stronger

Delano Squires, opinion contributor


Harry Benson

https://marriagefoundation.org.uk/fewer-than-half-of-uk-adults-are-married/




5. The American Dream Lecture Series: Anastasia Berg on Children and the Goodness of Human Life (replay)

With Timothy P. Carney | Christopher J. Scalia

https://www.aei.org/events/the-american-dream-lecture-series-anastasia-berg-on-children-and-the-goodness-of-human-life/




6. Dyadic Relationship and Coparenting Quality During the Transition to Parenthood for Couples With Childhood Maltreatment History
Laura N Martin 1,✉, Keith D Renshaw 1, Timothy W Curby 1, Mark E Feinberg 2

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12516108/




7. Five Tips for Nurturing Your Children’s Values

By Eugene C. Roehlkepartain






8. Senate passes Cutrona’s ‘success sequence’ legislation





9. Getting divorced? Chances are you'll marry again, Pew says

By Cara Tabachnick

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/divorced-marry-again-pew-says/




10. Strengthening military and veteran couple relationships: A rapid view of the effectiveness of relationship education for military couples (Abstract)

Jody Hughes, Luke B. Gahan, Jessica Smart, Lakshmi Neelakantan

Key points

  • Military and veteran couples face unique relationship challenges due to factors like relocations, deployments, and transitions out of service.
  • Couple Relationship Education (CRE) programmes can improve relationship satisfaction, communication, and stability for military and veteran couples.
  • Studies show small to moderate positive effects from CRE, especially for couples with higher initial risk or distress.
  • Flexible CRE delivery formats, such as online or hybrid models, are valued and effective for military couples.
  • More research and local adaptation of CRE programmes are needed outside the USA to ensure relevance and effectiveness.