The Changing Dynamics

If you reflect on your pre-kid era, you'll likely notice just how much your marriage has transformed. Pre-kids life was simpler. You could plan spontaneous trips, enjoy quiet dinners, and had flexibility that parenthood quickly consumes. But, when kids come into the picture, their needs and schedules take precedence. This fundamental shift can place significant strain on a marriage.

The Overwhelm of Raising Kids

The pressures and overwhelming responsibilities of parenthood often catch us off-guard. From ensuring we meet their basic needs to managing tantrums and navigating school schedules, every aspect of life requires meticulous planning. It's no longer about just the two of you but about balancing a child's needs with maintaining marital harmony.

Shifting Roles and Added Responsibilities

Becoming parents introduces 'Mom' and 'Dad' roles. This added layer of responsibility can alter how we perceive and interact with our partners....

In this episode of the Marriage and Motherhood Podcast, I am joined by Mikki Gardner to discuss the complex world of co-parenting. Mikki is a certified life and conscious parenting coach, host of the Co-Parenting with Confidence Podcast, and author of The People Pleaser’s Guide to Co-Parenting Well. With her background in navigating life post-divorce and helping moms transition through the emotional and practical difficulties of co-parenting, Mikki shares invaluable insights on managing these complex relationships.

Understanding Co-Parenting and Its Challenges

Co-parenting is a subject that many listeners may not have direct experience in but, as Mikki explains, the principles often apply to all types of parenting, including married couples.

She defines co-parenting as parenting with anyone that you don’t agree with 100 percent of the time. So, across the board, this is everyone.

Mikki emphasizes the significance of being...

Welcome back to another episode of the Marriage and Motherhood podcast. In this episode, we're diving into how marriage evolves after you become parents. This topic is relevant to both new and seasoned parents, offering insights and practical advice to help you navigate the changes that parenthood brings to your relationship.

The Changing Dynamics of Partnership

Partnership Before Parenthood

Before you have kids, partnership primarily revolves around mutual decision-making, consultation on important matters, and offering each other support. These principles still hold post-parenthood but on a much different scale. Before kids, it's simpler: Do we make decisions together? Do you consult with me on big matters? Are you helpful to me? Do I feel like we're a team?

The Shift Post-Parenthood

After kids, the specificity of roles becomes more critical. Our expectations for our partners drastically increase. The granular details—like "Who's going to do what?" need...

7 Key Lessons Learned from Our Cross-Country Move and Major Life Changes

After a recent cross-country move from California to Atlanta and a myriad of changes, I'm excited to share the lessons my husband and I have learned.

Whether you're grappling with big decisions or navigating the complexities of family life, these insights could make all the difference. Let's dive in!

1. Keep Each Other in the Loop

Communicating effectively is fundamental. During our move, my husband and I realized that failing to stay updated on each other’s schedules and plans led to a lot of miscommunication. Establishing a routine check-in, whether nightly or weekly, ensures that both partners are aligned and reduces unnecessary friction. One great tool we've found helpful is the Skylight calendar, which integrates with Google Calendar and keeps us organized and on the same page.

2. Discuss Your Goals

Aligning on goals helps you work together rather than at cross-purposes. Take the time to discuss...

This episode is inspired by a recent conversation I had about the dynamics of relationships and the importance of being observant. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you're noticing subtle changes in your partner's behavior and jumping to conclusions without verifying the truth behind those assumptions? If so, you're not alone.

The Power of Observation

Many of us tend to make quick assumptions about why our partners are acting a certain way without taking the time to confirm if those assumptions are true. It's natural to be perceptive and notice changes in demeanor, but it's equally essential to be observant of our own thoughts and beliefs.

Challenging Your Assumptions

One key skill to develop is the ability to challenge our thoughts and differentiate between facts and perceptions. By questioning the validity of our assumptions, we can avoid escalating misunderstandings and conflicts in our relationships.

Communicating Authentically

Articulating our...

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Mastering Communication in Marriage: Understanding the Difference Between Emotions and Feelings

Introduction

In marriage, effective communication is often referred to as the key to successful relationships. Without effective communication, marriage challenges feel impossible to work through and what I wish I had learned earlier on was that emotions and feelings are not the same thing. Knowing the difference between the two can play a pivotal role in reshaping the way we approach and address communication breakdowns with our partners.

Emotions vs Feelings

The terms "emotions" and "feelings" are frequently used interchangeably in society. However, understanding that they are not the same is a game changer. Emotions are the immediate physical responses we experience in reaction to what's going on around us. We experience them as bodily sensations, such as a racing heart,...

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After becoming parents, couples begin to face a lot of challenges around being able to resolve conflict together as a team and ending fights.

They struggle with communicating and the arguments seem neverending because they don't know how to do it successfully and productively, and just end up sweeping it under the rug and then move on with life because there's always some chore to be done or a kid to help.

And then unsurprisingly, the same issue comes back up. So marriage feels more like being in between fights rather than something more positive and enjoyable.

Conflict is meant to be an opportunity to connect and grow with each other and deepen the intimacy you have with each other and strengthen your relationship, but that can't happen unless you have the skills to know how to resolve conflict in a healthier way.

In this week's episode of The Marriage & Motherhood Podcast, I share:

• 3 myths about conflict and the actual truth
• why conflict...

One of the most common things women are telling me these days is that they want to feel more heard by their husbands.

They want to feel like their spouse is listening to them, taking to heart what they're saying, and acting on the feedback they're receiving so that they can feel like they're supported in their marriage.

Feeling heard is needed in order to deepen the intimacy with your partner and knowing how to set the stage for both people in the relationship to feel heard is pivotal.

In this week's episode of The Marriage & Motherhood Podcast, I share:

• What feeling heard means
• Why feeling heard is vital in a marriage
• What happens when we don't feel heard
• 3 things people do that prevents them from feeling heard

Listen here and remember to subscribe, leave a review, and share it if you loved this episode! 

Have you ever thought about how self care impacts how you experience conflict?

Most couples believe that the difference between arguments that end quickly and those that don't depend on the specific issue.

The truth is that we have more control over the likelihood of successful conflict resolution than we give ourselves credit for.

The way we communicate and react to conflict has everything to do with self care.

In this week's episode of The Marriage & Motherhood Podcast, I share:

• what it means if communication feels hard with your partner
• the negative impact the lack of self care has on communication with your husband and kids
• how self care positive affects communication

Listen here and remember to subscribe, leave a review, and share it if you loved this episode!