Written by Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, the Marriage in a Box blog shares insights into common relationship struggles, gives ideas for moving beyond the roadblocks, and helps you find your path to happiness – both individually and within your relationship.
Everyone’s talking about weight these days. We hear about an obesity epidemic—among adults, among kids. We also hear about all the bad diseases that can come along with being overweight and/or being obese, such as diabetes. The CDC estimates that 60 million Americans over the age of 20 are obese. For adolescents ages 6 to 19, 9 million are overweight. This means there’s a good likelihood that you, your spouse, or your children have a weight problem.
As if orchestrating new living arrangements, packing, moving, and the disorientation of a new place weren’t stressful enough, you also have a little one (or ones) who will be transferring schools. Now you’re worrying for them, too. Will they make friends? Will they hold the move against you when be resentful about leaving friends and their comfort zones behind? This move might seem like a tragedy to your child, but take heart. There are plenty of things you can do to make the transition as smooth as possible.
When you marry, you do not just marry your spouse. You also marry into their family, which becomes your extended family. Everyone wants their spouse’s family to accept them; however that is not always the case. While some extended family members can be helpful and supportive, others can be overly critical and/or difficult to get a long with, which can create stress in the marriage. Learning how you and your spouse can deal with extended family members can prevent a lot of conflicts that can tear at your marriage.
When one partner discovers that the other has been cheating on them, that partner is usually devastated and experiences a Pandora’s box of emotions like rage, betrayal, humiliation and hurt. The partner that committed the infidelity also experiences a great deal of emotion such as guilt, shame and humiliation. The natural questions of should you stay? Can trust be rebuilt? Are all too common.
It is important to understand that in a relationship where an infidelity has occurred, both partners suffer tremendous pain- not just the partner that did not commit the infidelity. It is also necessary to know about the type of infidelity that occurred in order to assess the seriousness of the threat to your marriage.
Everyone seems to know some couple that seems to have always had stability, harmony and longevity in their relationship. Want to know their secret? There is one trait that successful relationships possess that fosters a healthy relationship that survives: kindness.
Kindness actually sounds more like an individual character trait rather than a trait of a relationship. However, a relationship is made up of two people and each brings their own character into the relationship. How each partner responds to the stresses and demands they face daily plays out in the relationship. Every relationship will experience stress and conflict, but it is how couples deal with the stress and conflict that largely determines whether their relationship will survive and grow or dissolve.
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Negative talk comes from places of disrespect, anger, fear, resentment and genuine lack of support for one another, rife with insults, judgment and attempts to control one's partner. Words have power. Words spoken in a fight that tear at the core of another person's body such as insults about the other partner’s looks, weight or intelligence are never forgotten. Words have an incredible power to affect how we see and feel about ourselves. While positive words of encouragement can uplift and inspire us, negative words cut to the core and resonate over and over again. Balancing Work & Family Life in a Marriage
We often hear from couples about the stress of their busy lives. They work full time, go to school, raise kids, and even more – and they wonder why their marriages are having difficulty. A disproportionate amount of time and focus on work can lead to breakdowns in communication and tension between couples. In some instances individuals can be so focused on career advancement and or money that it affects the quality of their personal relationships and consequently happiness A Long & Happy Marriage Isn’t Just a Dream
Carl and Eileen Looman of Excelsior Springs, Missouri promised to love each other “In sickness and in health, until death do them part” 80+ years ago. Eight decades of memories, 2 children, 9 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and 22 great great grandchildren later, they are still very much in love. Carl first met Eileen in the 1930’s, and impressed by her good looks and cooking, wrote her a letter asking her to marry him 2 ½ months later. What is their secret to a long and happy marriage? Eileen says, “ Do things together. Talk it over. Find something to laugh about. Don’t think of the bad things.” Carl says,” If you want to buy something, ask if it’s alright. If she says no, then forget it. Be happy wherever you are as long as you are together. “ Sometimes the simplest advice is the best. A long and happy marriage doesn’t have to be just a dream. There are several way to strengthen your marriage. Our Marriage In A Box gives you access to the tools used by professional counselors and provides simple solutions to the most common relationship struggles. It’s a fun, highly effective way to strengthen your communication skills, build your friendship, and improve your relationship for the long term. |
