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Many describe the challenges of maintaining a loving relationship and chaos-free household when both partners work long hours and also may travel frequently. Here are some of their road-tested ideas for making such relationships work:

Define Your Roles

Couples don’t have a lot of time to focus on their personal life. So, they should work out an arrangement early on their relationship defining their roles, as in who would be responsible for what: One, could handle the tasks that could be done remotely, like paying the bills; the other could take care of anything that is needed to be done in person. Just being explicit in advance about what your roles are is really helpful. That’s the way to keep things from fall through cracks.

Put the Relationship First

Marriages require a lot of nourishment and care. But for many dual-career couples, “the relationship unfortunately is the thing that gets neglected”. It’s like being in an airplane when the oxygen masks come down. You’ve got to make sure that the relationship is healthy before you worry about other things.

Outsource Whatever You Can

Outsourcing people to get your work done. Like, hire a nanny who can take care of the children as well as help with the grocery shopping, child-chauffeuring, and other routine errands. By having logistical things taken care of on the home front, you would feel like spending more quality time with your family.

Remember That the Laundry Really Can Wait

Lower your standards: live in a small apartment that doesn’t require a lot of upkeep! If the laundry isn’t folded promptly, it’s no big deal! Couples should not hold each other accountable for having a perfect life. Neither should expect the other to make dinner every night.

Keep Rituals

Keep rituals like regular outings giving each other the time and space to talk about big agendas and issues in with lives like- work-life balance, mental and physical health, finances, and relationships with family and friends.

Set Your Limits

One should take a job which has negotiable terms or that doesn’t require being on the field for long hours. You’ve got to define what is important for you and to stick to that.

Have Realistic Expectations

People often think they know exactly what they want in a future spouse, including good looks, brains, earning power, and the disposition to be a good parent. There are a bunch of men who say, I really want to marry someone who is a brilliant [career person], but then when they get married, they also want their spouse to have kids and be a supermom. It’s critical for dual-career couples to have an open dialogue about their expectations before marriage.

Without a doubt, you’ve got to define what is important for you and stick to it.

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