be able to be. If she never has any time for just the marriage, he will
have a tendency to withdraw from the relationship.
Give Mom a break. For all the daily wonders a mother
experiences during the newborn stage, she is also likely to be
exhausted. It will help their marriage if her husband will modify his
work hours so he can come home earlier and on the weekends take
over for her now and then so that she can get a needed break to sleep,
see a friend, or a movie, or do whatever else she needs to feel part of
the world again.
Couples who follow this advice will discover that parenthood
doesn't drag down their relationship but elevates it to a new level of
closeness, understanding, and love for each other.
In this chapter I've tried to give you practical advice to help you solve
some common marital problems. But sometimes, no matter how
diligently you try to end a conflict, it just can't be done. If that's the
case, you are dealing with a perpetual problem. Avoiding or
breaking out of gridlock over such a problem is one of the chief
challenges all couples face. My next principle will show you just how
to save--or protect--your marriage from your irreconcilable
differences.