Marriage is never easy. A good marriage takes work. But there are some things you can do to make it easier on you both if you know what you are doing before you even get married in the first place. We often hear friends wondering where they’re making the right move in marrying their significant other. The New York Times surveyed what critical questions partners should be asking each other before taking the final leap, and this list of 15 questions is what relationship experts came back with:
- Have we discussed whether or not to have children, and if the answer is yes, who is going to be the primary caregiver?
- Do we clearly know each other’s financial obligations and goals, and do our ideas about spending and saving mesh?
- Have we discussed our expectations for how the household will be maintained, and are we in agreement on who will manage the chores?
- Have we fully disclosed our physical and mental health histories?
- Is my partner affectionate to the degree that I expect?
- Can we comfortably and openly discuss our sexual needs, preferences, and fears?
- Will there be a television in the bedroom?
- Do we truly listen to each other and fairly consider one another’s ideas and complaints?
- Have we understood each other’s spiritual beliefs and needs, and have we discussed when and how our children would be exposed to religious/moral education?
- Do we like and respect each other’s friends?
- Do we value and respect each other’s parents, and is either of us concerned about whether the parents will interfere with the relationship?
- What does my family do that annoys you?
- Are there some things that you and I are NOT prepared to give up in the marriage?
- If one of us were to be offered a career opportunity in a location far from the other’s family, are we prepared to move?
- Does each of us feel fully confident in the other’s commitment to the marriage and believe that the bond can survive whatever challenges we may face?
Those that fail to ask each other the above questions may one day find themselves at the center of an explosive dispute — with much graver consequences than if you had fully shared your perspectives on these topics beforehand.
So, if you and your partner are looking to get married, make sure to ask each other this list of questions first, and hopefully, you’ll be able to lay all your cards on the table and clarify any uncertainties between the two of you. If you are able to negotiate and reach a compromise on the above, you’ll be in a great place with your partner.
If these important questions prove helpful to you, share them with your friends, too.
Source: On Mogul
