How Do You Know When To Quit A Marriage?

Do we give up too easily or stay too long?

Have you ever heard someone say, “There are rough patches in every marriage”?

You probably have. You may have even said it yourself at some point.

But how different are those rough patches and what ultimately becomes irreconcilable in a marriage?

Beyond the more obvious reasons for a marriage becoming broken beyond repair such as abuse or adultery — how do we know when to quit? What are the guidelines?

Do we give up too easily in relationships when we don’t see eye to eye or experience too many unpleasant arguments?

Not everyone is willing to admit what their own marriage rough patches are like. We love to speculate about what really goes on inside someone else’s marriage, yet, at the end of the day, we never really know. What could be a breaking point for one couple may only be a bump in the road for another.

For me, personally, it just comes down to knowing what’s worth fighting about in a marriage and what’s not. But this is something you have to learn along the way, after choosing battles that will inevitably be relationship roads to nowhere.

There are indeed many peaks and valleys when you’ve been with someone for a decent amount of time. In my own marriage, most of the disagreements we have are about the kids, money, and the sheer frustration that everyday life can bring.

My husband and I have had many heated discussions about the kids, their behavior, and how we can proceed with any given issue. We disagree on how to handle stuff like this all the time. To me, that’s normal. I wouldn’t even call it arguing. It’s more like talking about the things in life that aren’t pleasurable to talk about but that need to be addressed. As partners and parents, it’s really just wading through constant challenges like mud in order to get to the other side.

For instance, I play a large role in my stepson’s upbringing. Co-parenting a stepchild is complicated and rigged with frequent land mines. I write about many of my experiences as a step-parent because it’s incredibly challenging. Any step-parents out there know this.

My husband and I don’t always see eye to eye on what’s best for my stepson, but since he is such an integral part of my life, I have no qualms in voicing my opinion in regards to what’s best for him. We’ve had intense disagreements about many problems that have come up. It’s unavoidable. But sometimes I just have to let issues go because rehashing them over and over doesn’t do anyone any good.

Money is, apparently, one of the most significant reasons couples split up and I get that. Sometimes we don’t have enough money for all the countless financial demands we face on a daily basis, whether it’s food, bills, fixing cars, insurance, clothes for the kids, school, or random emergencies.

Tension over money can erupt into ugly arguments. The only thing that gets us back to sanity is remembering that we’re both in this together. We have a common goal which is to provide a stable, secure, and loving environment for the children. We also really love each other, even on terrible days.

And then we have sex. Ah, yes. Discussions over how often it’s being done, who initiates it the most, or how to spice it up when it’s dull.

There are times when my husband and I question if we’re keeping the romance alive to the best degree that we can in the midst of all that is raising a family through an epic ocean of responsibilities.

Are any of these issues irreconcilable? Are they worth divorcing over? I don’t think so. But perhaps they are for other couples. Having a difference of opinion about how to raise the kids or how often to have sex are indeed important concerns. But isn’t that the point of a real, long-lasting relationship? To get through the tough stuff together and figure it out?

Maybe some couples just give up on the “figuring it out” part. I get it. Sometimes it feels too difficult.

I don’t know about anyone else, but figuring out differences is how I see a normal couple functioning under the significant pressures of life. Maintaining a well-adjusted, thriving family on top of a relationship is a test a lot of couples end up failing at.

We may falter in our temperaments from time to time and experience those rough patches, but we don’t give up. We keep going. It’s just what we do. We reconcile.

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