For many married couples, holiday seasons can bring stress, miscommunication, and hurt feelings into their relationship.
Here are tips and suggestions for surviving the holidays and keeping your marriage together at the same time.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varies
Here's How:
- Talk with one another about your expectations of the holiday season.
- Anticipate problem areas such as finances, time constraints, or in-laws.
- Make some strategic plans for handling these potential hot spots.
- Remember, you can always rent a hotel room. You don't have to stay with extended family.
- Between the two of you, develop a secret code that means 'get me out of here!'
- Make sure you only play non-competitive games.
- Remind folks to not discuss religion or politics.
- To break the routine or when boredom sets in, go on a 'field trip.'
- Don't fall back into the 'child' role when visiting either of your parents.
- Have a guest book so you can remember good times during the holiday seasons.
- Don't over-schedule yourselves.
- Work on creating good memories.
- Start your own family traditions.
- Remember to focus on your relationships and not on getting things done.
- Make time to have fun together!
Tips:
- If there's something you really don't want to do during the holidays, say so.
What You Need:
- Good communication.
- Flexibility.
- Adaptability.
- A sense of humor.
- Patience.
