How to Balance Marital and Family Life

After years of marriage and additional responsibilities to think about like work, finances, and kids, the marital bliss...

Marriage
March 21, 2025

After years of marriage and additional responsibilities to think about like work, finances, and kids, the marital bliss with a partner may begin to suffer. Upon seeing young couples living in love with each other, you may begin to contemplate how to balance marital and family life so that you can have time to love your spouse.A fantastic way you can employ to get the balancing right is to ensure you create a work-life balance. Although your work may be a significant source of income for the family, it's vital that you always remember to create time for your family too.Similarly, try to plan a family vacation where everyone has no work or school worries. Going on a vacation together is sure to strengthen the family bond more and also allow you to see your partner in their relaxed state where they are at their most beautiful.You should also make sure you engage in physical intimacy with your partner as this will keep your connection stronger despite the busy schedules.If you can create time to be physically active with your partner, both of you will have lasting memories to process during your time apart.You may consider these methods to balance marital and family life:

Don't Put Work Over Family Time

Spending time with your family can give your marriage a great boost because it will help you communicate better with your partner and engage in fun activities with them. If you are serious about learning to balance marital and family life, you have to make sure you don't put work over family time.A great technique to make this work is to plan your schedule around your family time.Take your empty schedule sheet and insert the periods of your family activities.Then, add work time in the remaining spaces.

This will help you maintain the importance of your family activities.Also, you can try to delegate more work in the office. Instead of laboring over the less serious work, you can leave it to your subordinates. Doing this will enable you to focus on high-value work, get more time to spend with your family, and give your subordinates the opportunity to learn more at work.Moreover, be sure to maintain strict adherence to plugging off from work.Try to set a particular time to switch off all work-related processes. Follow that time strictly and you will see how much extra family time you can squeeze from your daily hours.

Go on a Vacation

A vacation can be a smooth way to balance marital and family life. When you go on a vacation with your family, you get to spend time with your kids and make them happy, while also spending time with your partner and strengthening your emotional bond.When you eventually get the itch to travel, make sure you choose the right destination.Be sure to consider everyone's preference before picking the location.Your partner may not like cold areas and your kids may not enjoy tropical places.You would have to make decisions to suit everyone. After picking a suitable destination, ensure you make reservations for all necessary things for the vacation. You can make reservations for the flights, accommodation, places to visit, restaurants to eat at, and even chauffeur services. Planning everything ahead is sure to give you more time to enjoy the trip.Besides reservations, you should also learn the rules of the place you are going to. It will be great to check a travel guide where you can see the important laws to note and the perks you can enjoy in the location.

Engage in Physical Intimacy

Regular physical intimacy can add spice to your marriage as it involves communication between bodies without necessarily speaking. If you want to balance marital and family life, a great place to start is to improve physical intimacy with your spouse.Physical intimacy doesn't have to only be about sex. It can be mundane activities that involve the touching of bodies. You can initiate long walks around the park or block where you hold hands with your partner and just enjoy the moment.And when physical intimacy is about sex, be sure to be available in your full capacity.If you notice that the sexual spark in the marriage has been waning, you can engage in a sexual compatibility test to find out the different fantasies and turn-ons you have. Doing this can help you open up a new level of sexual adventure and interesting conversations.You can equally practice body worship, which involves a complete focus on each other's bodies with the aim of appreciating all the body parts. Engaging in this activity is also beneficial for learning how to pleasure each other and get more connected.

Go on Dates With Your Partner

Keeping the marriage fresh and blissful long after the wedding bells is a goal in every marriage.If you also include the goal to balance marital and family life, going on dates with your partner seems like a no-brainer to engage in for more bliss and balance in your relationship.It's essential that you commit wholly to the idea of going on dates for it to work. If you are not fully committed, you may not be able to add the date to your schedule because of other distracting things that you may justify above your dates.You can get creative with your dates even in the absence of a large purse. Ordering food and eating it outdoors in the park can be an exciting date idea. You may even make the meals at home and drive to far-away locations to enjoy a change of location while spending time with each other.If you are clueless about date ideas for you and your partner, try to search around; there are hundreds of date ideas you can implement. Whatever you pick, make sure the focus is on spending quality time with your partner and communicating with them deeply.

A man holding a woman and kissing her on the cheek

Complete Household Chores Together

Household chores are generally considered to be work that should be done swiftly. However, if you consider the length of time spent on the chores daily, it's evident that doing the chores together can be a great way to spend time with your family and balance marital and family life.Completing the chores together also helps your partner understand that you love them and care about them. And when they realize this, they will also reciprocate the feelings, leading to a more robust marriage.Similarly, completing chores together will have a positive influence on your kids. Since they can see the love involved in the performance of chores, they won't consider the chores as hard work to avoid in the future.Furthermore, spending time together doing chores will enable you to get a deeper sense of belonging to your family. This sense of belonging stems from engaging in the same activity together.

Conclusion

Despite the trials and struggles of life, you can still balance marital and family life by prioritizing your family time, going on a vacation, engaging in physical intimacy, going on dates with your partner, and completing household chores together.

Resources

https://www.mapconsulting.com/don-t-put-your-job-ahead-of-your-family/

https://traveltriangle.com/blog/family-travel-tips/

https://www.marriage.com/advice/family/10-amazing-tips-for-balancing-marriage-and-family-life/

https://www.bustle.com/p/how-can-i-build-physical-intimacy-with-my-partner-8-activities-you-can-do-together-to-feel-closer-3229958

https://foreverbride.com/inspiration/advice/8-ways-date-your-spouse/

Author
Jennifer Luttman, LPC, ACS

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, and owner of Overcomers Counseling. I'm dedicated to helping individuals find strength and healing through life’s challenges. With a deep understanding of mental health and years of professional experience, I specialize in fostering hope and resilience while equipping her clients with tools to thrive. Passionate about empowering others, she creates a safe, supportive space where everyone feels seen, valued, and capable of overcoming obstacles on their path to well-being.

Common Questions about Marriage

Why is it important to overcome overthinking?

Overthinking can have a negative impact on your relationship, leading to feelings of anxiety, insecurity, and low self-esteem. By working to overcome overthinking in your relationship, you will be able to reduce stress and cultivate trust and security with your partner. This can help strengthen the bond between you and create a more positive and meaningful connection.

How do you handle conflicts in an interdependent relationship?


Handling conflicts effectively involves:

  • Approaching disagreements with an open mind and willingness to understand the other's perspective.
  • Communicating feelings and concerns honestly but respectfully.
  • Seeking compromises that address the needs of both partners.
  • Maintaining respect and care for each other, even during disagreements.

Can couples counseling help if only one partner is willing to participate?

While it is ideal for both partners to actively engage in couples counseling, therapy can still be helpful if only one partner is willing to attend. In such cases, the participating partner can learn valuable skills and strategies to improve communication, manage conflicts, and create a more positive relationship dynamic, which may eventually encourage the other partner to join the process.

My spouse and I are having serious marriage problems. What should we do?

If you are having serious marriage problems, you may want to seek professional help. This can be in the form of marriage counseling or therapy. Therapy can also be helpful for couples dealing with marriage problems. This type of therapy is often called couple's therapy.

Do I need a referral from my primary care manager (PCM) for marriage counseling?

For most Tricare plans, you do not need a referral for outpatient mental health services, however, it's always best to check with your specific plan.

What are the common outcomes of EFT couples therapy?

Couples who undergo EFT often experience improved emotional connection, reduced conflict, and a stronger secure attachment. The change process promotes healthier interactions and greater satisfaction in the relationship.