Water vs. Gasoline is a term frequently used in my work. When asked what happens when you put gasoline on a fire, eyes usually get wide and the response is kind of like duh, the fire greatly increases. The follow up question to that one is what happens when you put water on a fire, and again the response comes with a common sense glare as everyone usually says in unison, "the … [Read more...]
How Do You Feel About Make-Up Sex?
For as long as I can remember, disagreements/arguments with my husband have always ended like this: Husband, thinking it's really over: "I'm sorry." Me, not really over what we were arguing about: "It's okay." Husband, giving me his bedroom eyes: "Come here." Me: "Um...no?" Not that I'm not from the "kiss and make up" persuasion, because I do feel better … [Read more...]
Four Arguments You Need To Quit Having
Conflict is a fact of life in a marriage. If you're a normal couple, from time to time you and your spouse will have disagreements about a whole range of things. Some, if not most of it, will be valid. But other arguments aren't worth the time and energy and are worth solving the first time you encounter them. Here are four arguments you should strike from your list: 1) … [Read more...]
What Must We Teach Our Children About Conflict Resolution?
At one time, whenever my husband and I disagreed my goal was to conduct those conversations in private. I was satisfied with putting on a front around others, especially our children. My concerns were always focused on their assessment of the situation. If they observed us during those moments, our girls might become nervous or even confused. Although our disagreements have … [Read more...]
How to Handle Your Husband: The Mama's Boy
by Desiree Coleman Are you an adoring wife dealing with a man who is suffering from M.B.S. (Mama's Boy Syndrome)? If so, you understand the challenges of having a man who puts his mama first, while you or your family take the backseat. It's a difficult situation, so here are four tips to help you cope: Do a litmus test "“ Not every man who is sensitive to the needs of his … [Read more...]
Is Your Marriage Inspiring Singles to Get Married Or Sending Them In The Opposite Direction?
Not that our marriage should influence others as much as they actually do, but this idea is something to keep in mind. There are singles who have an honest desire to be married. It is quite natural to want to share your life with that special someone. In our lives, I am sure we have relatives and friends that are going to apply some of what they learn from us to their marriage. … [Read more...]
Stop Being Married Children!
1 Corinthians 13:11 English Standard Version When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. As true as this scripture should be, nothing can expose the immaturity behind a grown woman or man quite like marriage. We may be able to go to work and handle conflict with sage wisdom and … [Read more...]
Give Your Spouse The Silent Treatment, The Right Way
I was a repeat offender. Even before my husband and I got married, I struggled with giving him the silent treatment. You know what that is, right? When he would do something that hurt or upset me, I would go silent for days. Some people use the silent treatment deliberately to get revenge on the other person. I think my response was involuntary; it was a defense mechanism. … [Read more...]
How An Argument Brought Me Closer To My Husband
by Amber Wright (www.theyeyodiaries.com) My husband and I had a huge fight recently. Huge. It was one of those cyclical arguments where the point got lost after the first ten minutes, and the other fifty minutes were rounds of jabs, stabs, and cuts (with words, of course). Needless to say, it was ugly! There was no resolution to the argument that night. Sorry, folks. We … [Read more...]
Three Easy Approaches To Conflict Resolution
by Tara Pringle Jefferson Isn't it funny how it's human nature to think our way is the only way and the best way to solve a problem? It's incredible to me that I still, after a few years of marriage, have to take a second to pivot from, "Dude, I'm telling you, I know how to fix it," to "Okay, how are WE going to solve this?" I've read tons of books about compromise, … [Read more...]
Hate Criticism From Your Spouse? Take It Like A Champ
by Tara Pringle Jefferson Now, to be clear, I'm not talking about abusive criticism, but rather comments and concerns raised by your spouse in response to something they perceive as detrimental to the relationship. Got it? The other day, my husband and I got into an argument about something (can't even remember what it was now) and I paused in the middle of it. … [Read more...]
Do You Know How To Fight?
By Tiya Cunningham-Sumter Your wife might drive you crazy and your husband can get on your very last nerve (it happens to all of us at some point), but how you handle the frustrations and disagreements is paramount to the health of your relationship. In my frequent conversations about relationships I often hear a variety of excuses and arguments about what's going wrong, but … [Read more...]