As promised here is part 3 and the final part of things to discuss before marriage
Health Issues – any serious issues the other person may need to know about e.g. if you may be unable to have children or have a genetic disorder, then your partner needs to know..
Goals – Do you have the same goals for your life together? If not, are your goals compatible or is it going to prove a problem to reconcile them in your marriage?
Friends – do you like you’re spouse’s friends and do they like yours? If not, then you will need to make times to meet up with your friends when your spouse is not around and vice versa. How will each of you feel about that?
Politics – For some people politics can be a no go area. One family I heard about, are all avid Democrats. To them the worst thing on the world is to be Republican. It could just easily easily apply the other way. A lot depends how strongly committed each person is to one party or the other. If they are a swinging vote and not an avid supporter of one party then it may not present a problem.
Attitudes towards sex. If you choose to refrain from sexual relations till after you are married, this one may not come up till later. But it is something that needs to be discussed. You both need to decide what things are acceptable and pleasurable for you both. It’s no good if one person insists on something that the other person doesn’t enjoy.
Yes, Mick and I did talk about all the things mentioned in these three checklists, mostly before we were married and some in more depth than others. That’s not to say they were discussed once and never referred to again, because the reality is that as you go though married life, circumstances and situations change and children arrive, you will find that sometimes your views and ideas change.
That doesn’t mean you therefore can dispense with talking about these things before marriage. It just means we need to keep talking and communicating and let our partner know if things change.
I’m convinced if people spent more time getting to know each other and less relying on purely physical attraction marriages wouldn’t be in the sad state they are in. What do you think?
Related blogs
Checklist of Things to Discuss before Marriage
Part 2 of Things to Discuss before Marriage
A Destructive Element in Marriage