Marriage

How to Stay Happily Married With Kids

Guest author Bonnie Foshee

Keeping your marriage alive is very important for having a happy and healthy family. You need to work on your marriage as well as having family time. Do you know the happy marriage recipe?

Raising a family can be challenging and stressful at times. However, the common goals and emotional, financial, and physical investments made can be a common bond between husband and wife. One that compliments their marriage relationship.

Of course, like anything else worthwhile, maintaining a healthy husband and wife relationship with children underfoot takes effort. The following tips can help keep marital bliss alive:

Happy Marriage Recipe

Every happy marriage begins and ends with the same ingredient; the willingness to negotiate. The stumbling block in some relationships, however, is that while the husband was taught to take the upper hand, the wife may have been trained to cooperate. (more…)

The Two Little Words Every Happy Relationship Needs

Dec 18th, 2010

by Guest.

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Guest author Todd R. Reed

QUESTION: What’s the most common phrase couples use when they argue?

ANSWER: “You just don’t understand.”

In fact, feeling misunderstood is the number one complaint marriage and family counselors hear from couples who come in for counseling. And yet, the ability to say “I understand” is the most important skill for any person in a committed relationship to develop. These two words make the most powerful statement in the English language. “I understand” can be even more important than saying “I love you,” because before you can completely feel loved, you need to feel understood.”

Here are the top mistakes spouses make when it comes to making their partners feel understood and how you can easily work together to correct them:

* Mistake #1: Saying, “You shouldn’t feel that way.” When your mate says this, it may feel like she is dismissing your feelings. What’s usually happening here is that she disagrees with you, but wants to spare your feelings. In other words, by elaborating on her opinions, your significant other knows she will risk making you even more upset, so she says as little as possible. What she doesn’t realize, however, is that robbing you of the chance to explain why you feel the way you do–not the fact that she disagrees with you–is what’s really making you upset, because that’s what makes you feel misunderstood.

* Easy solution: Calmly tell her, “I’m not asking you to agree with me. I just need you to understand where I’m coming from. Then give her an index card with the words “I understand that you’re feeling _____ about _____ because _____ written on it and have her fill in the blanks as she reads it back to you. This card serves as a “cheat sheet” to get your significant into the habit of showing she understands what you’re saying. (more…)

25 Tips for a Terrific Marriage

Oct 30th, 2010

by Gary N. Larson.

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Marrying someone is a scary thing. You hope you choose the right person. You think you know them but you don’t. Not really! When my wife Lisa and I were dating we were so much in love. We couldn’t stand to be apart from each other. Neither of us could do any wrong. Then we got married. I woke up the next day beside a complete stranger! Who is this person? The first time we went shopping together we got into a big fight about cheese, if you can believe that!

No marriage is perfect. Even the best of marriages experience problems from time to time. Just because you have problems in your marriage doesn’t mean you have a bad marriage or that you should end your relationship. Nor does it mean you should begin a project to fix your spouse. If you try, you will fail every time. You can’t force anyone to do or be anything. I believe that the only way to get a better spouse is to become one yourself.

They say marriage is grand and divorce is at least 10 grand!

That is why I have put together this list of 25 tips to help you become the best spouse you can be. Here it is:

Keep Dating – Just because you are married doesn’t mean the dating stops. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind of life and never get out together, away from the children, house and bills. Go to the park, a concert, the gym, out to dinner or a movie.
Have Courtesy – Courtesy in marriage is more than just saying “Please,” “Thank you,” “Excuse me,” or “You’re welcome.” Courtesy in marriage is calling your partner to let them know you’re going to be late. It’s being conscious of their needs and making sure they are met.
Show Respect – Your spouse will have opinions that are different than yours. Show respect for them by never belittling or making fun of them. Show respect for their ideas, their privacy, and their things.
Say “I’m Sorry” – Be the first to make peace. Be willing to say “I’m sorry” and mean it. (more…)