When two people form a relationship, they generally know that life will not suddenly be smooth and easy. Part of being with someone is to balance strengths and weaknesses, find emotional and physical support, and build a mutual future together. All of these are wonderful ways to get through life with a minimum of angst, but they do not always help when it comes to the modern world. There are any number of ways that tension can be introduced and affect the relationship.
Too Little Time Together
Modern life is filled with activities, and careers have become important for both people in the majority of relationships. Most families have found that living on a single income is not enough to provide for the basics, and they must make good money to afford day care for their children. When all is said and done, taking care of the home, paying the bills, buying food and shuttling the children takes most of their time. Modern couples rarely find more than a few minutes to spare for each other at the end of the day, and it can cause tension between them as they feel ignored and neglected by their partner.
Career Needs
Due to economic forces, many companies place severe demands upon their workers. Moving up within a company takes ambition, but it also takes a great deal of commitment. For some, working long hours is the only way they see to get ahead and earn more money. Other workers look at the trends in areas such as information technology for advancing in a company, and they believe it is best to return to school while they continue to work. It matters little what their choice is because it all takes time away from their personal life, and their partner will need the lack of support as their focus turns away from the relationship. It can create tension between them when one person feels they are carrying the entire burden of keeping up the home and other necessities of life.
Living with In-Laws
Economic upheavals and longevity have made many demands upon couples, and living with one set of parents or having them move in with the couple is often a time filled with tension. Adjustments in life can be difficult, but living with in-laws brings its own set of issues. Parents feel their children should support them in any conflict, and doing so can cause tension with a spouse. Whether the parent it wrong or right, their child will feel torn between supporting their side or that of their spouse. It can break a relationship up entirely if it continues to occur.
Raising Children
Two people who were not raised with the same values often find it difficult to raise children together, and it can cause stress, frustration and tension within their relationship. Children will generally try to play one parent against the other, so having a united front is a necessity. If parents do not agree on how they should raise their children in any particular situation, their disagreement can cause severe tension between them that might derail their relationship permanently.
There are many more ways a couple can find their relationship is filled with tension, but these are some of the basic causes. Taking the time to talk out issues and work towards solutions is the best way to keep a relationship healthy and make home a good place to live.
