Marriage is hard. It's supposed to be complicated. It's supposed to test your limits and push you past your comfort zone. But sometimes, life can get in the way. When it does, it can be difficult for couples to make time for one another, much less communicate about their problems effectively. And when financial concerns come into play (as they often do), an already strained relationship can fall apart wholly...or worse!
You were an amazing couple.
You were in love; you had dreams and a plan for your future together. Then life happened, and everything changed. Getting pregnant earlier than expected may derail your plans and cause financial stress from supporting your children and trying to keep up with the Joneses (or whoever else is living next door).
You had a plan. You wanted to travel, and you wanted to have kids. You wanted to be a better person, too! And you thought that it would all happen in this order: Travel > Kids > Be A Better Person.
Now, if you're struggling with these issues as a couple, it can lead to problems in marriage where one partner feels trapped by the other person's demands on them financially or emotionally. The stress of raising kids can put pressure on relationships, too. Hence, it's essential not only for partners but also for friends and family members who may become involved in helping financially or emotionally when things get tough.
But now that you've been married for nine years and have two kids under five years old (and one on the way), reality has thrown a wrench into your plans--a twist called life itself.
Life changes forever in a good way.
When you have kids, life changes. It's not just the stress of raising them and supporting them financially that can lead to problems in marriage--it's also the fact that you will spend less time together as a couple.
The good news is that there are ways to ensure this doesn't happen too much! You both need to agree on how much time you want to spend with each other and then stick with it (and try not to let other people convince either one of you otherwise).
Then suddenly, years later, things change. Life has ups and downs, but your partner should be your biggest supporter.
If you are having problems with the kids, talk about it! Only let things build up once they become too much to handle on their own without help from anyone else (including yourself). If there isn't anything going wrong in your relationship yet, don't worry about it either! Try taking time together as often as possible so that when something does happen later down the road--whether good or bad--you'll be able to deal with it better than if both of you hadn't spent time together lately.
Though, if you do not make time for each other, married or not, things can go array and may be that way for years. That’s when separation and divorce step in because you may not know who you are anymore, and couples fall apart.
If you are divorced or considering divorce, look at what you have. Is it better to be apart or together? That is a question for you as a couple. What I can tell you is – that you must make time for each other without work, kids, or other distractions because if not, sadly, your marriage may end in divorce.
Stay Strong and Remember to Communicate!
Peace,
Erin
Time to Dish:
· How do you feel about marriage?
· Or Your current partner?
· Do you make time for each other?
· Or do you find yourself spending too much time apart?
· How can you overcome these obstacles?