Communication

• Avoid expecting your partner to be a mind reader. You need communication. Pouting and taking offense at perceived slights is manipulative behavior indicative of having unrealistic expectations. Strive for respectful communication. If you want your partner to do something, say the words and come to some form of agreement.
  
  

Household Duties

• Share domestic responsibilities. A fantasy marriage is one in which the house is clean at all times and chores such as washing dishes, clothes and floors are magically completed. Work out who is better-suited for jobs such as balancing the checkbook, paying bills or cooking dinner and finish tasks in a timely manner. Achieving a balance of household work creates goodwill and is part of a healthy, adult relationship.
  
  

Children

• Surrender the dream that having children will improve your marriage. It can be true, but not necessarily. Raising well-behaved children is a joint responsibility and takes work, which can strain relationships. It's crucial to discuss and agree on how children will be raised and disciplined. In a U.S. News & World Report article "Having Children Adds Stress to Marriage," author Nancy Shute advises couples to build in ways to keep their connection positive, such as spending a few moments every day to talk or take a walk.
  
  

Romance

• Realize that all relationships go through stages. Although ideally the initial stages of excitement will last forever, in reality the intensity and frequency of intimacy wanes. Focusing on what you have in common and dealing with problems as they arise are essential to maintaining healthy relationships. Understand that marriage does not bring a happy-ever-after. Constant diligence and compromise are necessary components of all successful marriages.