3 Habits For Every Good Marriage

Relationships and marriage are like a lot of things, including wonderful, special, difficult, trying and sometimes not worth the effort. For some, love seems effortless. For others – think Carrie Bradshaw season after season – it’s a lot more work and a lot more effort. Either way, once you’re in a relationship or marriage, you cannot stop working on it or it won’t last. Would you buy a new car and then forgo any and all maintenance? No; and you shouldn’t do it in your relationship either. Here are just a few things you need to do for your marriage.

No Changes

If you fell for him with his nice smile and sweet demeanor and his adorable habit of quoting every single line in every single movie you watch together, then you cannot go changing any of it. What you fell for is what you get; there’s no changing it.

Take Each Other’s Advice First

It’s okay to ask your mom or for him to ask his mom whether or not they think an SUV would be a better choice than a full size sedan now that you’re expecting a baby, but it’s not okay to take their considerations and their advice ahead of your spouses. When it comes down to it, the decisions you make need to be made together. Mom can think what she wants, but her opinion is not the deciding factor (unless she’s buying).

Be Silly

Don’t let the idea that you’re adults with a mortgage and careers and maybe even kids go to your head and make you feel like you have to be super serious all the time. Who cares if the uptight Stepford wife PTA president gives you evil looks while the two of you giggle uncontrollably at her child’s very inappropriate method of eating an Oreo ball. Life is supposed to be funny and those who laugh together stay together.