My husband and I make a great team, when we communicate.  When the communication is not there, it is a struggle to connect at all.  There are many reasons why marriages don’t work, but one large reason is lack of communication.  This is heightened after children are born.

When a baby is added to the family, whether it is your first or your 5th, the family dynamic changes. There is one more person to feed, one more child to take care of and sometimes that can get overwhelming. Communication, during this time, is needed the most.  Below are a few tips on how to keep the communication open and keep fights to a minimum.

Talk.  All too often parents don’t talk about what they are feeling or going through.  The other partner is not going to read your mind, so talk to them.  Let them know what is going on in your head.

Listen.  Make sure to listen if your partner comes to you to communicate.  Turn off the distractions and truly listen.

Ask Questions.  If you don’t understand ask questions.  “”The only stupid question is the one left unasked” Unknown

Don’t Defend.  Sometimes it feels like we are getting attacked by our partner.  Don’t defend yourself.  Just listen to what they have to say.  When you start defending yourself you loose the listening portion.

For my husband and me, we have an open communication policy.  We  tell each other when we don’t like what the other person is doing, when we are upset, anything we want.  We also don’t get upset at what the other person is saying.  We understand that everyone has a bad day and it is better to communicate that you are upset with something than to resent them for it.

How do you keep the communication open with your partner?

Ashley