Are you a family of three (two adults and a child) asking yourselves are we ready for the next one? Many parents feel compelled not to raise an only child, and “dive in” to the next phase of growing their family and have another child.
You may be thinking: Stress is a normal part of life . . . So, what is a little bit more, right?
Does this mean that now we are just a “family” or will we redefine our relationship, keeping up the importance of being a “couple” who have children and want to grow together as a family?
When couples lose sight of their romantic attraction, and resort to being “just parents,” . . . they are on a slide of marital dissatisfaction that increases their risk of being counted in divorce statistics. Based on John Gottman‘s research, marital satisfaction declines after the birth of a couple’s first child.
Many new parents and even those with toddlers and young children are misguided, often told by professionals that feeling estranged from your partner is normal after having children. In some cases moms establish an exclusive bond with their children, leaving dads out. When dads feel “left out” or unimportant the distance grows, and it is hard to decipher who abandoned who.
Responsible parents are like drivers, recognizing when it is time to bring their vehicle or relationship in for a tune up before setting out on a long road trip.
Consider Jump Starts to be your resource for marital maintenance.