How’s Your Marriage?
The family unit fundamentally begins with the parents’ marriage. This relationship must be preserved and nurtured at all costs. Attention to the health of the marriage relationship must equal and even at times exceed attention for the child. A child’s general health (emotional, physical, spiritual) can be directly tied to the health of the parents’ relationship. When the marriage suffers, the family unit and the child suffers. One of the most common reasons for a child’s misbehavior is an unstable marriage. If parents are modelling disrespectful behavior towards one another, it should not be surprising when their child behaves disrespectfully toward family members and others. When parents model and display love for each other, the children feel more secure in the family.
If unresolved issues exist within your marriage, don’t ignore them. Aggressively pursue resolution through communication, reading of marriage resources, talking with other couples, and even marriage counseling. You will see your child’s behavior make a sudden turn for the better as your marriage strengthens.