In a lot of circumstances, you only get one shot. Heck, life itself is a perfect example (YOLO!) It can create a lot of pressure to get things right the first time. But no one is perfect, and when we fail, it can be a tough pill to swallow. When it’s possible and appropriate, a second chance can be just what we need to turn an ordinary or negative situation into something more. Let’s explore the power of a do-over in the context of marriage. Read More
You’ve probably experienced this before – having an emotional reaction disproportionate to the comment that spurred it, or a conversation that goes off the rails when emotions escalate out nowhere. Sure, some conflict is unavoidable and necessary, but constantly lashing out when you’re triggered can be pretty hard on your relationship. When you do the work to better understand your own hot spots and triggers, you’ll begin to reap the following benefits: Read More
Having children is often considered one of the most rewarding parts of marriage. While that may be true, it can also be one of the most challenging, testing your relationship with your spouse in ways you’ve never experienced before. Raising children isn’t easy, even if you were to agree on every aspect of it. So when you disagree, it can feel like a wedge between you. Why do parenting disagreements tend to carry such weight? And what are some tips to turn those disagreements into opportunities to come out stronger? Let’s take a look. Read More
Not everyone loves surprises. If this sounds like you or your spouse, you might cringe at the thought of surprising each other. But before you stop reading, let us clarify. Surprises don’t have to come in the form of an over-the-top surprise party with every person you know in attendance (the horror!) They can actually be relatively small, simple ways to show love and appreciation or boost your level of connection. Here are 10 ideas to get your gears turning: Read More
Fortunately, there are ways to let your spouse know your love for them hasn’t wavered – that you’re still “with” them and committed to your marriage even if you’re not feeling especially warm towards them at the moment. These small things provide reassurance that you will reconnect, even if it’s not immediately. Let’s explore. Read More
Have you ever been on the receiving end of a bad apology? How did it make you feel? Even if you couldn’t articulate exactly what what was off about it, you might have walked away feeling a sense of dissatisfaction, or even more hurt or angry than you were initially. Have you been on the other side of this situation? You tried to apologize to your spouse, but it was not received well. Maybe you felt like you were doing all the right things, but it’s not coming across the way you’d like. What went wrong?
The fact of the matter is, a meaningful apology is more than just uttering the words, “I’m sorry.” Here are five things that can undermine an apology. Read More
Quality time with your spouse – what would your relationship be without it? While it can sometimes seem like a luxury amidst your busy lives, it’s actually a vital ingredient for a marriage that stands the test of time. Read More
They bring out the best in each other. Maybe you’ve said this about another couple or people have said it about you and your spouse. It’s a great compliment, but what does it mean, really? Is it something that only comes naturally or can you work on it? Does it fade over time? How do you know if you’re still doing it? While there’s no scientific formula for what it looks like, here are eight surefire signs that you and your spouse bring out the best in each other. Read More
It’s Friday afternoon. The weekend is just a few hours away. After another busy week, you can’t wait to relax with your family, get a few chores done, and possibly have some friends over for dinner one night. You text your spouse to see what you should pick up from the grocery store for said dinner, but you’re caught off guard by their response: “What dinner? We can’t have people over, we’re starting the downstairs bathroom remodel this weekend, remember?”
Uh-oh. You rack your brain trying to figure out how the wires got crossed. You swear you talked about having friends over…didn’t you? Plus, you weren’t planning on starting the bathroom for at least another few weeks. You sense an argument brewing… not a great way to start the weekend.
Can you relate to this scenario? Perhaps you know from firsthand experience that weekend fights can be a major bummer. So let’s explore four common weekend arguments – and how you can prevent them. Read More
How well do you know your partner? Probably pretty well. You know their tendencies and preferences that pop up on a daily basis. You have a good idea of their triggers and what gets them riled up in an argument. So here’s another question for you: When was the last time you learned something new about them?
When you’re first dating, it seems you’re constantly learning new things about each other, and you can’t get enough. You’re still getting to know all the different facets of one another, and you hear new stories and tidbits at every turn.
Flash forward to a point in time when you’ve been together for years. How often are you learning something new about each other now? While you and your spouse probably aren’t changing drastically on the daily, the fact is that you do grow and change as individuals over time. However, it’s often in ways that aren’t going to come up in your usual day-to-day conversations. So how do you keep up with these changes in each other? How do you keep learning new things about your spouse when you’ve been together for years? What if we challenged you to do just that? Sounds simple enough, right? Here are some tips to get you started: Read More
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