Archives: 2008 May

It has often been observed that over 50 percent of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. Divorce is usually a painful unhappy experience for the married couples who choose to part. In most cases it is much better to learn to have a great married relationship with your spouse and forget about the divorce option.

Whether couples choose to believe the astronomical figure on divorces is another matter, given that this has been subject to debate. But one thing is for sure: there’s no denying that divorce is prevalent in this country. This is why it is important for married couples to take steps in preventing this unfortunate end.

Communication is key:

One of the things that becomes a source of problems for married couples is lack of communication. This is true especially of men, who are notorious for not expressing their feelings. A lot of arguments can be avoided simply by talking things out. Couples should be open to each other about the problems and difficulties they are encountering. They should start communicating before it reaches a critical point and becomes a full blown fight.

Don’t neglect your spouse:

Sometimes problems arise when one spouse feels invalidated. When a spouse feels that he or she is not getting enough attention from the other person, or that they are being taken for granted, this starts to take its toll on the relationship. Over time this unspoken problem will manifest itself putting a strain in that relationship.

Many couples enter marriage with fairytale hopes and dreams and a “they live happily ever after” fantasy. But in reality, it takes so much more than a stylish wedding dress and an expensive wedding ring to end up “married happily ever after”.

Staying fulfilled in a marriage requires both effort and passion on the part of each partner. Many couples start to lose passion after their honeymoon, and this should not be the case. Here is some advice on how to stay happy in the sacred union of two souls.

1) Don’t rely on assumptions and expectations:

There is nothing wrong with making assumptions and expectations, however, bear in mind that many times, assumptions stay as assumptions and expectations are hard to meet. Remember that marriage is the acceptance of a person for who he/she is. Marriages are decayed by hurt brought about by lofty expectations. There’s nothing wrong with cutting each other some slack whenever unrealistic expectations are not met.

2) Express yourself:

There’s nothing wrong in saying “I love you.” People go about their daily lives without noticing how seldom they say “I love you” to the persons they love. When people are young, they wait for a long time to say these three words to someone. Do not hesitate to use the three little words “I love you!”.

Asking for forgiveness is one of the most difficult things to do. Saying “I’m sorry” is often as seldom said as “I love you.” Saying sorry relieves tension for both parties and keeps the communication line open and unclouded by resentment or hatred.

Achieving financial harmony in married life is not an easy accomplishment. Unless a married couple starts out rich, they will have to work at it. Even a rich couple can strongly disagree as to how they should spend their money.

In married life the desire to go shopping, to celebrate a special day, to watch a movie, or to simply dine out will arise often. It can be very difficult when these simple desires have to be set aside due to financial considerations.

The fact is that there often is really just very little if any money available for fulfilling simple “extras”. The worse part is that the frustration from working and still being broke could result in tempers rising and constant bickering. It is essential for couples to calmly confront their financial situation together.

Financial Difficulties:

Bad credit situations and low income are often the roots of the conflicts. It can also go beyond the ordinary cash problems. There can also be struggles of the couple within themselves. That tension could grow stronger as the spouse’s fear what the future will bring, worries over their self worth, and despair over their limited means.

It is important to address this before the financial situation leads much larger problems.

Seeking Solutions: