Navigating Expectations In Marriage: 5 Tips

Expectations in marriage: Families are meant to eat dinner together, at least according to my husband. In contrast, I grew up eating whenever and whenever I could. Because our entire family was so busy with work, school, and sports, we rarely sat down to eat supper together.

So, when I married, I took my background into our marriage, and my husband contributed his.

I had finished making dinner and was on my way to my room to do some work and eat when he stopped me.

“Why don’t you join the rest of the family here and eat?”

I came to a halt.

This concept had never occurred to me. I took my food and sat down to eat with our little children. It was strange for me because I generally eat quickly and then move on, but I could see this was significant to my husband, so I stayed.

I have no idea how long my husband had wanted to invite me to dinner. I have no idea how long he must have been frustrated or perhaps resentful. That’s the point: I had no notion about any of this.

We all have various backgrounds and experiences that we bring to our partnerships. As a result, we may have expectations that seem normal to us but are utterly foreign to our partners. If you’re not careful, these concealed expectations might lead to all kinds of fights and problems.

The sooner you realize this, the better, therefore I’ll give 5 techniques for coping with expectations in marriage as well as a few areas where these expectations will arise.

Let’s start with some of the most typical places where our expectations in marriage might wreak havoc.

The day-to-day living

We all have our own views about what a husband or wife should do or how a family should look. Some women believe that their husbands should take out the garbage and mow the lawn, whereas some spouses believe that women should stay at home, cook, and care for their children.

People’s expectations are typically formed by what they see in their own home, so if the husband brought out the garbage, that’s the standard.

Also Read: How To Bring The Spark Back To Your Marriage

Families have evolved so much in the last 50 years that everyone’s expectations have shifted. We now have a large number of women in the labor force, as well as a large number of children growing up in single-parent households.

Secondly, different people have different expectations of children.

The most obvious and significant of the expectations in marriage is whether or not both partners intend to have children.

Unfortunately, I’ve seen marriages fail because of this. People have gotten married without even discussing this topic. After they married, they discovered that they had distinct desires.

The other major concern with children is how you will parent them. Will they be forced to participate in activities such as music or sports, or will you let them choose what they want? Do you expect straight A’s? How are you going to punish them? Any of these can generate serious problems between the parents.

Third, various people want and do different things for major life events.

I’m not a big fan of birthday celebrations, but my husband puts a lot of time and effort into them. He’s prepared with a theme, décor, activities, gift bags, and possibly unique clothing.

What about other celebrations, such as Christmas? Do you get to unwrap a gift on Christmas Eve or do you have to wait until everyone else wakes up on Christmas morning? These large gatherings are stressful and provoke disputes among many people.

If only they knew what the other was thinking.

Okay, now that we’ve covered some of the most typical sources of misunderstandings, let’s look at 5 strategies for avoiding or resolving these disagreements.

1. Discuss and establish life expectations

Most people get engaged and married with no idea what to expect or any kind of strategy in place. It isn’t until a few months in that they realize there is more to it, and difficulties begin to emerge. This happened to me as well, and I honestly wish we had addressed it sooner.

Premarital counselling is an excellent approach to dealing with these expectations in marriage.

Your counsellor is trained and has the experience that will help you both be better prepared for marriage. 

He or she will show you many things you may not have considered and will help you better understand your prospective partner. Then you may talk about any disagreements you have ahead of time and figure out how to cope with them.

2. Don’t keep it all inside and suffer in silence.

Is there anything your partner does that irritates you? Something that has bothered you for a long time but you have done nothing about? I believe we all have something we believe in. But it eventually comes out, and it’s typically in a fit of rage. Don’t just sit there and suffocate. Raise your voice!

There’s a strong probability your partner has no idea what he or she is doing. He or she has no notion you’re upset and want to change, but that won’t happen unless you tell him or her.

The longer you keep it in, the angrier you’ll become, and you could have spared yourself a lot of frustration if you’d just said something.

In summary, don’t just expect your partner to understand your feelings, speak up. These kinds of expectations in marriage destroy homes.

3. Communicate before becoming enraged.

Now, just because you told your husband about the problem doesn’t imply it will be resolved immediately and permanently. Things take time, and mistakes are made. If your spouse offends you, attempt to communicate with him or her before becoming enraged. Again, it could be a simple misunderstanding, or your partner may not even realize he or she did anything wrong.

My terrible habit is leaving my shoes on the floor. I used to enter the door and take off my shoes as a kid. My husband has often informed me that this worries him and that it shows that I don’t respect him. 

I don’t agree with him or understand why he thinks that, but I’ve worked hard to overcome that behavior. I still fail occasionally, but it’s not on purpose. Maybe I had my hands full and was going to put my shoes on in a few minutes. Perhaps I simply forgot. Maybe the youngsters tripped over my sneakers.

In any event, it’s best to talk about it first before leaping to conclusions and being enraged.

4. Think about your spouse’s background.

This particular marriage expectations tip is identical to the one before it. In most cases, it is preferable to be slow to rage and to pause and reflect first. Before you pass judgment or become enraged, consider your spouse’s history and why he or she behaves the way he or she does.

My husband and I had quite different upbringings and childhoods. My parents were extremely supportive, to the point of being spoiled, whereas he grew up with divorced parents and had to work for everything.

Now, my husband enjoys spoiling our children because he wants them to have things he didn’t have, and I am tougher on them because I have seen some of the problems that come with being spoilt.

I’m less likely to condemn him when I consider his past, and I understand why he wants to do things a specific way.

5. Always love.

You married because you were in love, and you should continue to love no matter what happens. Love your spouse even though you are annoyed and he or she makes the same mistakes over and over. Love your spouse even if you don’t comprehend what he or she is doing.

Marriage is difficult, and expectations in marriage are even harder to manage. It’s so difficult that many marriages collapse. Many of them fail because they don’t set expectations early on, don’t talk about issues that arise, and are easily irritated.

Love will get you through difficult times, but more importantly, love will bring you much further with your partner than anger can. Continue to love no matter what, and you’ll be amazed at the results. 

You can learn new skills, change, and develop a healthier marriage no matter where you are in your marriage or what your diverse backgrounds or expectations are. Try some of these suggestions and see how things change. They will make a significant difference!

Frequently Asked Questions About Expectations In Marriage

Conclusion on Expectations In Marriage

Learning how to manage your expectations in marriage is extremely vital, if you actually want to have a successful marriage.

Click here to go to the fantastic world of motherhood.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel here. 

Or join our telegram group here. 

Or send me an email to join our Exclusive WhatsApp Family.

Keep being #fabulous.

I am rooting for you. 

Viv.

Share this