10 Tips to Become a Friendlier Spouse

Often people say they want to be a better spouse or have a stronger marriage.  But many times they admit that they don’t know how to accomplish this.  One of the easiest and most effective ways is to be more friendly.  It really is that simple.  Begin to treat your mate as a genuine friend and the levels of bondedness and emotional intimacy will increase dramatically in your relationship.  Below are ten tips to get you started.

Mutual Accountability in Marriage

One frequently overlooked dynamic of successful marriages is mutual accountability between husband and wife.  Indeed, mutual accountability is essential to a healthy, harmonious union.  Many happy couples may naturally employ these principles into their relationship without really realizing it.  Others deliberately make it a point of emphasis in the marriage.  In any case, husbands and wives who are not mutually accountable to one another are generally putting their relationship at risk of harm.

Parent-in-Law Relationships

One aspect of marriage and family life that presents potential for difficulties is the relationship between an individual and the parents of his or her spouse.  The nature of these challenges differs greatly depending on the personalities, family situation, and other circumstances of those involved.  However, there are certainly several areas in which problems are common.  The purpose of this brief article is to identify some of these more common areas and provide some basic principles for navigating through the rough spots of parent-in-law relationships.

Respect in Marriage

Marc and his colleague, Ed, were discussing the business they had to do together the next day. It was going to be an important day and potentially a profitable day for their company. Ed had an idea. “Hey, if everything goes as planned the two of us should celebrate and treat ourselves to a nice dinner after work tomorrow.” Marc was clearly interested in Ed’s plan, but did not commit himself immediately. “Sounds great,” Marc told his friend, “but let me check with Becky first.” Marc could tell what was coming next by the expression on Ed’s face.