The Couples Post

Becoming parents is such an amazing blessing.From the moment we first hold our newborn child, our world is changed.Whether navigating the terrible two’s or adjusting to parenting young adults, we learned something that is crucial about parenting – we are much stronger together than we are as individuals.


MARK: With no parenting manual, we fumbled through the early years of parenting our first child.  Mel and I parented individually and differently, each of us following our own parents’ examples.

Many of you are familiar with theYin-Yang symbol or the phrase "opposites attract."  You know, the eternal optimist vs. the pessimist, the spontaneous adventurer vs. the live by the calendar person.  Let's call them complementary, not opposite.  Think:  You are the peanut butter to my jelly or the music to my dancing shoes.

Let’s face it – being married and raising a family is hard work. Add in demanding work schedules, children’s activities, volunteer work, and making time for family and friends, and it can be overwhelming. Here are three ways we’ve discovered to keep our work-life better balanced.

Growing up and getting married means that we leave our family of origin and start a new family.  We’re not asked to forget about mom and dad, but we do need to remember that our spousal relationship is important to take care of because it becomes the solid ground where we plant our new roots.