My good friend Kristen is credited with one of my all-time favorite quotes, “Newborns do nothin’ for a marriage.” Now, since we’re out of the newborn stage, I like to modify the saying. This month the mantra has been:

Back to school does nothin’ for a marriage.

In our relationship, it seems like my husband and I are either in-synch or we’re not. When life puts all new schedules, completely different routines, and piles of extra bills and paperwork into the mix, trouble’s-ah-brewing, people! And this isn’t a post about the fact that these things are all welcoming invitations to a big, Mags Martyr Party. This post is about how I can completely underestimate the impact that G-Man and I being out of synch has on everything else I do.

With all the chaos and exhaustion of family life, years went by before we realized how incredibly imperative it was for us to schedule weekly time together. And there are periods throughout the year when creating space for our relationship just feels like another frickin’ thing on the to-do list. But if I want to prioritize self-care, time with G is one of The. Most. Important. Things, I can do to take care of myself.

When I start blaming my husband for everything that’s going wrong in my life—that’s an ideal opportunity for me to watch my step and shift my focus from back to school, to back to marriage.

If you liked this post, you might also like Three Day Rule and Reset.