Marriage Makeover: "2 Jobs, 2 Kids — Where Does Our Marriage Fit In?"
With two fast-paced careers, a toddler, and another baby on the way, Meghan and Jeremy Wilker have let their marriage drop to the bottom of their to-do list. Can REDBOOK Love Network expert Jane Greer, Ph.D., help them finally make time for each other?
Meghan and Jeremy Wilker are both at the top of their career game. Meghan, 32, runs a company that constructs Websites, and Jeremy, 38, recently launched two companies: one sells fine-art photo prints online; the other is a digital photo lab for photographers. With two great careers and a beautiful family — the Minneapolis couple has a 2-year-old daughter, Trixie, and baby number two is set to arrive in October — the Wilkers seem like they've got an enviable marriage and lifestyle. So, what's their problem? Simply put, they make time for everything except each other. "We're both highly motivated when it comes to our jobs," says Jeremy, "but that means our marriage and fun time get put on hold. On our list of priorities, Trixie is always number one, and numbers two through nine are always work." The couple's lack of intimacy means that fairly typical marital spats — about household chores, say, or who is picking up Trixie from day care — grow out of proportion, driving a wedge between this otherwise in-sync couple.
"Meghan and Jeremy are smart to recognize that ignoring their marriage isn't wise," says REDBOOK Love Network expert Jane Greer, Ph.D., a marriage and family therapist who has been in private practice for more than 20 years. "Just realizing that they need to start making their relationship a priority is the first step to making positive change." While the Wilkers are doing a lot of things right — they rarely argue about money, parenting styles, or child care and often eat dinner together — they're concerned that they'll grow apart if they keep putting everything else ahead of their marriage.
MEGHAN: "I tend to be much more tightly wound than Jeremy. I want things done a certain way on a certain timetable."
JEREMY: "I can tell pretty quickly when she's getting angry — it's a vibe I pick up on, like an electrical disturbance emanating from her. I almost always know what she's upset about, like that I haven't taken the trash out yet, even though I plan to do it."
Meghan and Jeremy Wilker are both at the top of their career game. Meghan, 32, runs a company that constructs Websites, and Jeremy, 38, recently launched two companies: one sells fine-art photo prints online; the other is a digital photo lab for photographers. With two great careers and a beautiful family — the Minneapolis couple has a 2-year-old daughter, Trixie, and baby number two is set to arrive in October — the Wilkers seem like they've got an enviable marriage and lifestyle. So, what's their problem? Simply put, they make time for everything except each other. "We're both highly motivated when it comes to our jobs," says Jeremy, "but that means our marriage and fun time get put on hold. On our list of priorities, Trixie is always number one, and numbers two through nine are always work." The couple's lack of intimacy means that fairly typical marital spats — about household chores, say, or who is picking up Trixie from day care — grow out of proportion, driving a wedge between this otherwise in-sync couple.
"Meghan and Jeremy are smart to recognize that ignoring their marriage isn't wise," says REDBOOK Love Network expert Jane Greer, Ph.D., a marriage and family therapist who has been in private practice for more than 20 years. "Just realizing that they need to start making their relationship a priority is the first step to making positive change." While the Wilkers are doing a lot of things right — they rarely argue about money, parenting styles, or child care and often eat dinner together — they're concerned that they'll grow apart if they keep putting everything else ahead of their marriage.
MEGHAN: "I tend to be much more tightly wound than Jeremy. I want things done a certain way on a certain timetable."
JEREMY: "I can tell pretty quickly when she's getting angry — it's a vibe I pick up on, like an electrical disturbance emanating from her. I almost always know what she's upset about, like that I haven't taken the trash out yet, even though I plan to do it."
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