You’ve seen it on the news… Breaking: Mom in jail for defending her child, and it got out of hand. A fist-fight endured and the parents are now in a hot mess. Watch at 10 for the latest in mom-wrestling!

It happens all the time. Us moms get defensive when it comes to our kids. No one is going to mess with them. No one is going to hurt them. They are under my care and I will do anything to protect them.

This is great. It’s a natural instinct. Mama-bear protecting baby-cub! 

But… Did you know you should be doing this same thing in your marriage?

You might not like to hear this…your marriage takes priority over your parenting! Yes, it is true! Without you making your marriage a priority your children will not be able to look up to what a stable good relationship should look like. It’s our job to raise our children to be strong. We want them to have the ability to maintain healthy relationships with others, including a future spouse, friends, family members and coworkers.

Let me ask you. Why haven’t you done this yet for your marriage? Made your marriage your #1 priority? 

Why haven’t you protected it so greatly that you would lay your life down for your spouse? For your marriage?

Maybe it’s too taboo today to think about having feelings and love greater for your spouse than your children. That you feel your children should be a priority because they are little and helpless. 

Or…could it be that it’s easier for you to focus on your children because they have to do what you say, they really have no choice but to listen to you?

A parent-child relationship is typically one-sided, especially when they are young. It’s not so much of a relationship as it is more of a raising-ship.

Many women (and some men) find that a one-sided type of relationship is easier. In this case, usually only one person is in charge and controlling the other. Many women feel that they should be raising their husbands. You’ve heard it before, “I really have 3 children and one is my husband.” This is not the way to have a long successful marriage! Or treat a spouse. It doesn’t work.

Marriage is a two-sided relationship, where both put in 100%. Marriage takes work and it takes protecting.

Building a relationship and working hard for your marriage is worth more than gold. In a time of crisis, you’ll be thankful that you built and protected your marriage. When your children leave home, you’ll be thankful that you made your spouse #1.

It’s time to protect your marriage now.

Tomorrow is too late…for you, your spouse and your children.

How can you protect your marriage?

1) Make a new commitment to your spouse, to your marriage. Review your marriage vows or make new ones. 

2) Invest in your marriage. (Read, learn, educate yourself on anything on relationships, people skills, marriage)

3) Don’t let anything get in the way of your marriage, not children, not family members, not friends, not church, not work. Nothing! (God should however be the center of your marriage!)

4) Communicate – Learn about each other and how to communicate in each’s Love Language and Personality. 

5) Cherish and respect each other. 

As you implement these 5 steps into your marriage-routine, you will notice a change. A change in you and your marriage. If you have not had the privilege to have a personal marriage mentor in your life, let me be your marriage coach. Marriage is so worth the hard work and effort. After 23 years of marriage, we are proof that protecting your marriage is a choice that you will not regret!

So, let’s change the news to say, “watch out for that wife, she’ll do anything to protect her hubby-bear!”