What have you learned from your parent's marriage ?

Unfortunately my parents had some issues that I am not quite sure about but they left us 4 boys on the side walk for the children's aid society to pick up and split up. So I would say I learned not to leave my family or children for other to raise.

My parents are now 27 years married. They are both still working. One thing I learned from them, now that I am married myself, is that you really have to be bestfriends. This not only strengthen your relationship for the familiarity it gives but also gives room for individual growth. My parents love each other so much and us children see that all the time. :)

I think this is a great discussion! Growing up I could never understand why my parents were not affectionate towards each other. Once I got older, my parents divorced and it became quite obvious my mother stayed with my father only for us children. Unfortunately, my marriage did not turn out the way I wanted, however I learned "not" to do what my mother did. I did not stay with him simply for the sake of my children. I grew up in the type of household where my parents hardly spoke to each other and rarely spent any time together. I do not want my own children growing up wondering the sames things I wondered about. I have separated from my husband and I do believe they are much better off for it. Now, they get the best of both of us, instead of us inadvertantly taking out our problems on them.

What I've learned from my parent's marriage is ending up being the right way how to raise my children. But I did not learn that from them. I learned how NOT to raise your children, how to make them feel unloved, the wrong way to discipline, how to say one thing - do another. You know...that kind of stuff, and much more, too much to mention. It was a horrible marriage to witness. Much anger, yelling, abuse, distrust. YET, for some reason, they're still together after 46 years. With all of that, I now know that it's important to tell your children DAILY that you love them. Don't "assume" that they know or that your actions will tell them. I've learned that they need [and want] to hear that everyday. I've learned that it's important to listen to your spouse and not always be so dictorial. I've learned that there is happiness in forgiveness and more love in trust. I've learned that if you respect each other and respect your children, then it comes full circle.

A lot that I can't say here. It's definitely not the type of marriage I have. My parents were orphants and so they don't have parents to learn from when they were young. I can even say that I am more mature than my mother in my age now, and my husband more open minded than my father in his age now. It has a lot to do with education and environment I guess.