It's good to have a plan for the rough patches...

...And there will be rough patches.

If you are getting married it is REALLY important to talk over how you are going to handle the bumps in the road that you will experience during your life together. And we really recommend having these talks BEFORE you hit the bumps...it will make them easier to bear if you have a plan.

As a couple, talk about the "what ifs" and go through hypothetical situations to see how you might handle problems together. Hopefully, these situations will never come to pass, but at least the doors of communication will be opened for when problems arise.

Talk about how the two of you might handle the following:

• What if you want to have children but discover you have difficulty conceiving?
• What if one of you loses your job?
• What if you are faced with looking after aging parents?
• What if a drug or alcohol dependency becomes an issue?
• What if one partner gains a great deal of weight?
  
• What if one partner is transferred to a different part of the country or overseas?

This whole issue has come to the forefront for us lately as we have friends who are struggling with some difficult issues in their relationship. Their current trouble may have been made easier to handle had they discussed the situation early on in their relationship, but it was "something we never talked about" and now it's a big deal. A very big deal.

Your relationship is worth it. Talk it out before you tie the knot and have a plan for when trouble hits.

For these and other types of premarriage discussions, take advantage of a premarriage course in your area or go to CouplesQuestions.com for a full, private, online marriage preparation program. You will be glad you did.

Happy Couples, Happy Planet!

Labels: happy unions, premarital 101, premarriage questions

posted by Heather and Dan @ 4:29 PM