Having a baby is normally an exciting and joyful time for a couple, so it might be surprising to find that the first year after baby is also a time of more conflict between partners. In fact, a whopping 92% of parents report increased disagreements during this time - and this was BEFORE the current virus crisis!
Valentine’s Day is supposed to be the romantic day of the year, or so we’re led to believe by card manufacturers, chocolatiers, jewellery shops, florists, restaurants and travel brokers! But why is it, and what does it actually mean to you, your partner and for your relationship? We look at the good and bad in our latest blog!
Most couples with children are in their relationship for the long haul. And just like anything else you rely on for your happiness and wellbeing, if you want your partnership to go the distance, you need to take time to look at it, look after it, maintain it, protect it - and at times even repair it.
Relationship maintenance is like keeping a car in great working order. There’s no better feeling than having things hum along nicely as you’re holding hands and heading to the horizon together. So, using that analogy, we’ve taken the basic requirements a vehicle needs to stay roadworthy and applied it to a relationship.
When we love our partner and baby so much, we naturally want to be the best wife and mother we can be. Many of us leave a career focus behind for a while to do this. But we can also put unnecessary pressure on ourselves (and perhaps our partner) to do more or be more than is really necessary or helpful.
Elly continues her book blog tour for her new edition of Becoming Us with a interview all about guilt. Read Jessica Cowling’s latest article where she asks Elly SIX very important questions about new parent guilt.
With the kind permission of Jessica, Elly is posting it here too!
You’re a few months (or years!) into parenthood and life has changed. Big time. But as your partner calls to let you know he’s meeting his mates for their regular Friday Night Drinks (because he’s “worked hard all week”), you realise things haven’t changed nearly as much for him as they have for you and you can’t help but want to scratch his eyes out. How do you cope with your partner still having an active social life when you’re stuck at home with bub? Should he give it up? Cut back? Or should you just call the babysitter and join him?
Elly continues her book blog tour for her new edition of Becoming Us with a fantastic new blog from Barb Suárez. written just for you!
With the kind permission of Barb, Elly is posting it here too!
As delighted as they are at the prospect of starting a family, many dads-to-be also experience some anxiety, particularly about feathering the new nest. Most couples make a birth preferences plan - it’s a good idea to do a postpartum plan, including finances, as well. This frees you up to make those wondrous first few months as financially stress free as possible.
He wants it - you don’t, or maybe it’s the other way around? Let’s face it, either way, your sex life is likely to suffer when you’ve had a baby – and there are good reasons why. You might not be surprised (and maybe even relieved!) that around 80% of new mothers lose their mojo after they’ve had a baby.
Professionals commonly call it the "transition into parenthood", which makes it sound like you gently stroll into it, but for parents many days can feel more like "Survivor" than a walk in the park!
And "transition" is misleading. Relationship Counsellor, Parenthood Researcher (and mother of three) Elly Taylor discovered that parents go through multiple transitions - and that some are more challenging than others. She created 8 steps to guide parents through them. Find out more below.
