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Parenting

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Our Kids Are Teens, And We’re Having A Baby. What Now?

By Parenting One Comment

So your kids are teens, but surprise! You’re having another baby. What do you do now? A surprise pregnancy can be a bit of a shock, particularly if you and your spouse expected to be empty nesters soon. It’s also a big adjustment for your kids, who are focused on their friends, extracurricular activities, dating, and planning for college. This change is likely creating some chaos inside you, your spouse, your marriage, and your family. We can imagine that this news has created a seismic shift in your world. Maybe you’re reeling internally. You’re in a situation where it’s important…

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I Don’t Like My Spouse’s Parenting Style. What Can I Do?

By Parenting No Comments

What do you do when you disagree with your spouse’s approach to parenting? Most of us enter marriage with the awareness that we’ll have disagreements with each other from time to time. But we might not anticipate conflict over parenting styles. If you’re feeling conflicted about how your spouse parents your children, what can you do? Different Parenting Styles Can Be Beneficial It’s tempting to harbor hard feelings or information we don’t want our spouse to hear. We don’t want to experience the fallout, so we hold back. But when we don’t address issues that bother us, that leads to…

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Help! I Need My Spouse To Parent Our Kids, Not Act Like Them

By Parenting No Comments

Does your spouse act like one of the kids? Parenting kids is a full-time job, both for you and your spouse. But if your spouse acts more like one of the kids than your parenting partner, that makes your job more challenging. Rather than presenting a united front and guiding your children together, you find yourself parenting your spouse, too. The problem is, teaching appropriate behavior to your kids means they need to see it modeled. If one of their parents doesn’t always follow basic etiquette, they’re less likely to, also. This makes social situations like family gatherings or church…

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My Spouse Undermines Me In Front Of The Kids. What Do I Do?

By Marriage, Parenting One Comment

Parenting should be a team effort. But what happens when your spouse undermines you–especially in front of the kids? Raising and disciplining children are important joint responsibilities you and your spouse share. As a united front, the two of you are guiding your children toward what you hope will be a productive and successful adulthood. However, sometimes couples with kids get out of sync. Maybe your spouse has a habit of undermining you in front of your children when you’re trying to offer guidance or dole out discipline. How should you respond to that? Is it possible to get back…

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Should We Stay Together for the Kids?

By Intimacy, Parenting No Comments

If you’re unhappy in your marriage, should you stay together for the kids? Marital satisfaction ebbs and flows over the course of a lifetime. It’s common for spouses to go through seasons where they don’t feel as close to one another–or might even feel like roommates. Many couples with children who experience these dry seasons find themselves wondering whether they should stay together for the kids’ sake. Are you experiencing a season of distance from one another? Do your kids feel like the only thing you have in common right now? If that sounds familiar, there’s hope. Refocus on Your…

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My Spouse and I Have Children From Previous Marriages. How Do We Make It Work?

By Parenting No Comments

If you and your new spouse each have kids from previous marriages, how do you make that work? Blending a family is a gift. You’re giving both of your children the opportunity to be surrounded by love. And when you and your spouse are working together to give them a happy and peaceful life, that’s truly a blessing. Bringing two families together to create a new home is quite an undertaking. It takes time for everyone to adjust to their new normal, and sometimes that adjustment period can create challenges. In this post, we’re going to share a few important…

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How to Make Space for Intimacy During the Parenting Years

By Intimacy, Parenting One Comment

Life looks different with kids than it did when you were newlyweds. When you’re raising kids, daily obligations and responsibilities can get in the way of intimacy. But that doesn’t mean you have to put intimacy on hold. There are many ways to nurture more intimacy in your marriage, even when you’re parenting. The parenting years can take a toll on you both, particularly when you’re caring for infants, toddlers, or small children. In this season, it’s especially important to focus on one another with patience, love, and understanding. Ready to learn more about cultivating more intimacy during the parenting…

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Help! How Do We Prioritize Our Marriage As New Parents?

By Parenting, Time No Comments

During certain seasons of marriage, it’s more challenging to prioritize your relationship over other demands. This is especially true when you have babies or small children. When parenting requires the majority of your time, what are some ways you and your spouse can prioritize your marriage? Keep Open Communication Alive Communication is crucial in every season of marriage, and it’s especially important now. Even if you don’t have a lot of time for long conversations in this season, make as much time to communicate as you can. There’s no other way to clearly let your spouse know what you need,…

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How Long Should We Wait Before We Have Kids?

By Parenting No Comments

So how long after marriage should you wait before having kids? Whether you’re newlyweds or have been married for years now, the answer depends on your unique situation. We can’t give you a definitive time frame, but we can give you and your spouse some important things to consider. Having children is a highly individual decision, and it’s one you should make carefully. Before we get started, the most important thing to keep in mind is that this decision is yours to make as a couple. No outside source can tell you the right time for you. Instead, it’s crucial…

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Help! How Do We Raise Our Kids If We Can’t Agree On Spiritual Beliefs?

By Parenting No Comments

Do you and your spouse have different spiritual beliefs? If so, you might be wondering how disagreements on issues of faith will impact raising your kids. While it’s not easy to navigate through differences in beliefs, it can absolutely be done well. If you and your spouse work together as a team, it’s possible to co-parent children who are happy and secure. The key is in finding and focusing on what you have in common first. Ready to learn more? Let’s get into it. Focus on Shared Values First Even though you and your spouse have different spiritual beliefs, it’s…

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