How to Build Trust & Respect in a Marriage
Marriage has its ups and downs, but with sacrifice, mutual respect, commitment and strong communication skills, it's possible to build a successful marriage that's based on genuine love, honesty and trust. When you're married, you often have to put aside your selfishness and pride because you have to consider the needs of your spouse and children.
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Instructions
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Communicate honestly with each other. For example, if you feel that your husband doesn't discipline the children as often as he should, and as a result the children are not respecting you, sit with him and mention that you want him to discipline the children more when they misbehave. Or if you want your wife to make mealtime more interesting, tell her politely that while you enjoy the usual meals she fixes, you want more variety in the meals.
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Sacrifice and compromise when needed. If you normally hang out with friends on most weekends but your anniversary is this weekend, sacrifice your time with the friends and plan some nice activities with your spouse. Or if you want to curb spending on miscellaneous things to save money but your spouse disagrees, compromise by preparing a budget that both of you will be satisfied with.
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Apologize and forgive often. If your spouse apologized to you for saying rude comments to you during a disagreement, forgive him or her and don't bring these actions up in future disagreements. Or if you were wrong for spending more money than both of you agreed to spend for that month, apologize to your spouse and resolve to stick to the budget next time.
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Encourage and compliment each other. If your wife is struggling with a lack of satisfaction at her job and wants to change careers, tell her that you believe in her abilities and that you know she'll succeed in the new career she chooses. Or if you admire the way your husband takes time out to mentor at-risk teens on the weekends, tell him that you appreciate his concern for teens who need extra guidance.
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References
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