7 Tips to Keep Your Marriage Alive After Kids

Love and marriage … and a baby carriage?

Set spouse-time rules. It’s important to set aside “spouse time” without kids, but it’s equally important to set guidelines and rules to ensure you’re connecting emotionally and spiritually. As parents, there will be plenty of times when you need to talk about the kids, but make it a point to have certain occasions where you don't allow "kid talk," and instead, you focus on uninterrupted "adult talk" about each other's jobs, hobbies, and what's going on aside from soccer practice or ballet. Keep in mind that date night doesn’t always have to be a lavish production – find another married couple to swap babysitting responsibilities and take turns watching the kids in each other’s homes. This will allow you to have private time without leaving the house.

Love and marriage … and a baby carriage?

Reflect on your spiritual journey together. Many times we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, and forget to reflect on the journey God has already set in motion for us. Spend time with your spouse remembering and celebrating the milestones in your marriage and times that God answered big prayers for your marriage and family – your first date, your wedding day, birth of each child, etc. Taking the time to appreciate how far you’ve come in your spiritual journey is an easy and rewarding way to reconnect in a marriage. Dig up old home movies, visit the restaurant where you met or go through your child’s baby book together.

Love and marriage … and a baby carriage?

Be intentional about intimacy. Intimacy in a marriage creates spiritual and emotional oneness with your spouse, ultimately bringing your relationship closer to God. To keep intimacy at the forefront of your relationship, set aside specific intimate time, don’t allow children in the bedroom after a certain age, and make it a point to be romantic with each other. Romantic gestures such as sending flowers to work or surprising your spouse with a clean house or completed chore can go a long way. Even sending a simple text letting them know you’re praying about them sets the mood for physical and spiritual intimacy.