“Our husbands do too, even if they don’t show it.”

“But Mike is an adult! He can handle it if I’m not always available. My kids can’t.”

“Here’s my take on this. When my kids see that Bill is my highest priority after God, they understand that they’re not the center of the world. They see that their parents love and value each other and the marriage. It gives them a strong sense of security, which kids desperately need.”

“But how can I make Mike my priority when I’m so busy with the kids? If we’re actually home when he gets home, I’m either helping with homework, making dinner, or doing laundry.”

“Here’s what I do. When Bill comes home, I greet him with a kiss. At dinner he and I talk for a minute or two before the kids chime in. If he’s late, I sit with him while he eats dinner. The kids know not to interrupt my time with him. I also regularly ask myself: When was the last time I gave Bill my undivided attention? That includes physical intimacy.”

Lynn sighed and said, “I’m so exhausted I can’t even think about that. I need to pray about all this.”

Nurturing our marriages is a gift we can give our children as well as ourselves. In Scripture God makes clear that we are to value and cherish our marriages and our mates. You may need to make some tough decisions, like cutting back on kids’ activities. Pray for guidance on how to proceed.