6 Tips on How to Stay Together

1. Don't get angry at the same time.

It can't be helped. Whether for reasons that are valid or petty, people get angry. But the key to not letting anger destroy your marriage is to not meet fire with fire. If one person gets angry then the other should calm down. A married short-tempered ice-cream-loving acquaintance of mine often came home angry from a long day's work. As she'd enter the house, she'd say to her husband, "Don't talk to me. I'm not in the mood." The common response of her husband would then be, "Then would you mind having an ice cream cone with me after a quiet dinner?"

2. Don't yell at each other unless the house is on fire

Sometimes it becomes easier to raise your voice at someone you know. Sometimes it is even much easier to lose your patience with someone who is always there. Raising your voice won't help you get your point across unless the house is on fire.

3. Compliment each other.

It's easy to overlook the small things that are nice about your partner because you assume he/ she already knows you think so. During courtship, you must have lavished so many flattering remarks that you'd think the other person would be stupid not to know. Fact is though; it's nice to be buttered up every now and then especially if most of the day was spent doing the laundry or wiping poop off the floor. More often than not, you may end up citing the bad things about your partner. True as these observations may, instead of making "you know what I don't like about you..." your favorite phrase let it be the opposite. Notice the small things about each other and let the other person know. Be generous with praise and stingy on criticism.

4. "I love you" should be the last thing you hear from each other everyday

If you're hoping for your marriage to last, would be worth it to repeat that commitment daily. Some couples reach the point of no communication especially when both have careers and children to take care of. Sometimes talking about how you feel may become a chore, but saying "I love you" and meaning it daily allows you and your partner to remember that promise.

5. Don't let the day end when your conflict has not