Tips for Helping your Marriage Survive Retirement
Many people look forward to the day they retire, but retirement also brings with it many changes and adjustments. If you are married these adjustments will take place in your relationship. Some couples have drifted apart during their marriage and only realise this when they have retired as they have been concentrating on their careers or families. Couples may discover that they no longer have things in common as they spend more time together. Even couples that are happy may find adjusting difficult.
Communication is Vital
Discuss what you both want from your retirement. One of you may want to travel extensively while the other may want to spend their retirement relaxing at home, playing the actual cash online pokies has to offer. You should also talk about the amount of time you would both like to spend with your family and if you would like to try out new hobbies and interests or maybe do volunteer work.
You should both discuss how much time you would like to spend with each other. You will find out that there are things you enjoy doing together and things you enjoy doing alone or with friends. It is important to work out how much time you will devote to other activities. Having some time apart to enjoy your own interests and activities does not mean that you do not love each other, it is a great way of having a healthy relationship. You should never assume that you would be included in your spouse’s social circles and neither should either of you feel it necessary to spend less time with your friends
Your roles may change. If one retires first that become the primary homemaker and when the other retires these roles may be reversed. It is good to discuss this before either of you retires.
How Roles May Change?
You may also need to change how the household chores are divided up and this will be especially true if one of you has retired but your spouse is still working. If one of you has a supervisory role at work be careful not to bring this role home with, this will just call problems in your marriage.
In most marriages one spouse will take responsibility for managing the finances and while both of you are bringing in an income you may be used to a certain standard of living. When one or both of you have retired income may become limited and you will need to change the way you spend money. It is important that both of you know what is happening with your finances so that there are no arguments concerning money.
Make Time for Each Other
If one of you is still working you probably do not spend much time together and this is especially true if there are still children at home. Once you have retired you will spend more time together and you may begin taking each other for granted. Try to organise a night out or an activity you both enjoy at least once a month, plan a regular date night!
