Changing relationships: with your partner

If you are a 2-household family, I can tell you that the co-parenting doesn’t stop because the kid leaves for college. You’ll probably be grandparents together one day. What conversations would it behoove you to have with your co-parent?

Trips home? Where does the kid stay during breaks? Who pays for what? Summers?

And if you are married: Mind Your Marriage.

As our kids grow up and prepare to leave the nest, many of us are so focused on their next chapter that we forget to look at our own relationships. But here’s the truth—1 in 4 divorces in the U.S. happens after age 50. It’s called graying divorce, and it’s becoming more common than you might think.

Why? Because when the noise of parenting quiets down, we’re often left staring at a partner we haven’t truly connected with in years. This transition can shake up the foundation of even the strongest marriages. What do we have in common besides co-parenting? Many wake up one day and look at their spouse and realize that so much of the time was spent running the family business, focused on the kids: their activities often drive the family calendar, their wellbeing, wanting to give them want they wanted, often putting the parents’ needs last. And usually mama’s last last…

So here’s your gentle reminder to check in with your partner. Talk. Dream together. Laugh together. Be intentional. Your relationship deserves just as much care and attention as any other part of this midlife shift. If you want to stay married.