Marriage Check Ins | Episode 238

Welcome everyone and pull up a seat at the table. It’s Lunchtime in Rome. Tonight’s episode 238 is entitled “Marriage Check Ins”.  It’s important to work on our relationships OUTSIDE of conflict.  It’s important to check in with one another on a regular basis.  What should that look like?  What should you go over?  That’s what we’re talking about tonight! 

Pull up a seat at the table and join us!

Growing outside of conflict to avoid conflict

1.  Time

   1. Schedule a time -- don't leave it to chance!

   2. Prioritize the time -- make it "inviolate," as much as possible.

   3.  Protect the time -- from interruptions and distractions.

2. Agenda

   1. Coordinate Calendars - for the coming week.

      1. Kid care/schedule

      2. Work schedule

      3. Social calendar

      4. Next date night

      5. Next family outing

      6. Plan for intimacy (if necessary)

   2. Discuss Goals - monitoring progress and working together

      1. You should have these:

         1. Annual goals

         2. Sub goals broken down by time category

      2. Budget needs/concerns

      3. Household major budget plans/expenditure check in

      4. Extended family plans/issues/progress

      5. Friend maintenance

      6. Personal goals (diet, exercise, project/hobbies)

   3. Discuss Parenting Issues - plan and become united or the kids will "divide and conquer!"

      1. Discipline issues

      2. Time with the family together

      3. Time for kid(s) with each parent individually

      4. Next week parenting adjustments (who needs to step up/needs a break)?

      5. What do the parents need to do to help each kid and THEIR goals?

   4. Listen - give each person a time to vent/share.

   5. Express needs and desires lovingly

      1. What is your greatest emotional need and how to meet them

      2. Where are you hurting and how to comfort you

   6. Express Appreciation - for "who" your spouse is and "what" your spouse has done

Episode Summary

In Episode 238 of "Lunchtime in Rome," the discussion focuses on the importance of investing time and effort into maintaining and improving relationships, whether they be marital, familial, or otherwise. The episode touches upon the financial and emotional costs of not addressing relationship issues, using an anecdote from a training session at the Center for Relational Care to highlight the high costs of marriage counseling compared to the even higher costs—both financial and emotional—of divorce. This serves as a prelude to a broader discussion on the value of proactively working on relationships.