Marriage advice coming from successful married couples is always a big help to newlyweds who are encountering difficulty in the early stages of their marriage. Here are some wisdom you can get:

Children are Your Primary Priority This is a bad advice if you are going to put your partner second. Of course, taking care of your children is important, but do not reduce the importance of giving your attention to your partner. Being the best parent doesn’t need you to be a bad husband or wife. Remember, no physical care can substitute the emotional joy it brings to children who see their parent happily in love.

Don’t forget your own needs Not because you are already married, it does not mean you have to devote all your time to him/her. Yes, marriage is a lifetime commitment to your partner and your family, but it doesn’t include ignoring your personal needs to fulfil your family’s. Just like everything, balanced attention to your to your family and yourself makes a happy and fulfilled married life.

Remember the L-Word “Listen”, it’s what you both need. Whenever your partner says something, listen, pay attention and let is sink in first before giving any reaction. Good communication and listening are two important skills you as a couple should develop to keep your relationship healthy.

Live Together But Keep Some Things Separated When you marry someone, you get a complete package. Chances are, you will get something you don’t want included. However, this does not mean that you have to change everything in order to adjust. This is where many couples usually fail. As they try to change in order to keep the relationship going, they lose their own self, which becomes a problem later on in their married life. The advice? Show respect to your partner’s interest and allow him/her to be with his/her friends once in a while. There is nothing wrong with giving spaces to your partner just make sure you both understand that you are doing this to keep the relationship healthy.

Keep things Separated This may sound silly but one reason why most marriage doesn’t work is too much familiarity over your huseband’s or wife’s, losing the sense of what really is “mine” and “ours”. The best thing about marriage is sharing, but this should not be taken too literally as there are some things in marriage that should be kept separated to keep the relationship healthy. Things as simple as having a separate closet or keeping 2 sets of television with separate remote will prove to be very effective later on.

Getting married does not mean that your world will only revolve around him or her. Remember this marriage advice and stay together for the rest of your life.

Andy Jakes is a blogger and marriage counselor. He has been giving marriage advice to couple who seek his help both in the internet and counseling session.