After a married couple has children, there’s the potential
for a marriage to fall on hard times when the pressures of parenting compound
with those of keeping your marriage stable. Whether you’re going to start your
family fast or already have kids in the picture, these tips could very well
keep the two of you sane.
• Date night: Hey, it worked when you two first met. There’s
a reason people still recommend it. Take a night each week and call a sitter.
Don’t just limit yourself to dinner and a movie. Go mini-golfing, bowling, or
something else the two of you enjoy that isn’t stereotypical. Sure, going and
seeing the latest popcorn flick might be good once or twice a month, but if
your dates get stale, change them.
• Put your Spouse First Once in Awhile: Every now and again,
wake up and ask yourself, “How can I make my spouse’s life better today?” Take
it slowly—don’t wake up and decide to buy them a Lexus. If anything, that’s a
sure fire way to cause an argument on money. Instead, do something simple—fix
breakfast, volunteer to pick up the kids after soccer practice. That’ll change
the world.
• Assume The Best Intentions: Avoiding the “I said-you-said”
arguments about even the most trivial stuff will keep your household quiet.
Whatever your spouse does, don’t immediately chalk it up to bad
intentions—giving them the benefit of the doubt works well. Who knows? Maybe
secretive behavior could be a cover-up for a pleasant surprise for you.
