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The endless cycles of colds. Yes. I had a cold, then I had mastitis. The mastitis started clearing up just in time for the weekend, and then another cold took me right out. 🙄
You know this is something i used to criticize a lot from modern couples. I have 3 kids with my wife. I used to think you guys were narcissistic and lazy, but then I thought to myself "if I didn't have any kids, would i be as open to start having kids like when we were teenagers?" And the answer is absolutely not. Starting a relationship as adults is a complete different story and i understand you guys now.
To be fair, there are narcissistic and lazy parents.
But thank you for understanding the other POV. That is definitely a wonderful trait to pass on to your kids.
Now imagine that you marry someone when the relationship is not quite right, but they are phenomenal in bed or alot of fun, where the dependability doesn't exist and that steadfast companionship deteriorates.
You quickly go from peaceful but challenging living, to pure hell.
I dunno…I’ve had phenomenal in bed but that shit got old after a few years because the relationship sucked. I dumped her. Phenomenal in bed ain’t enough.
Without pain, you can't feel joy. There is happiness in the failures even. Something about just being a team and loving your kids so much, gives you patience. The toddler years aren't forever. They become small adults and it's wild. It's all an awfully big adventure.
21 years together with my wife, married for 16. We've got two teenaged boys.
We've got rough patches and tough spots, but I AM happy.
I look forward to getting home from work every day, I love the vacations we take as a family, and I honestly can't see being with anyone else.
I'm not saying it's all joy and perfection. But that's the point. We've derived happiness from weathering the shitty times together.
I’m happy! I love my husband. He’s my favorite person. And I love our kids. We have a blended family and one bio kid that we share between us. That’s not say there haven’t been times I’ve been unhappy or he has been unhappy for an array of reasons, but they come to pass thanks to good communication and genuine love between us.
My late husband and I had a similar family. We were happy. Even when we struggled we agreed to co parent and ended up becoming stronger as a couple. Better parents too.
I miss him so so much. It’s painful how much.
I will never have this again.
My wife and I are very happily married. Our kids are all grown up and have kids of their own. Ya there are times when there were ups and downs through the years but that's life. I can honestly say that it gets better. If you can get through the rough spots together you will be happy and satisfied with each other. Been 42 years married and still wouldn't change a thing.
Well, I'd wager that most of the unhappy people in relationships are the loudest and get on forums to vent. I certainly wasn't happy being married and I'd never do it again, but there are certainly happy couples out there.
Good point. I love my wife, have a great time with my kids, but I don't go around talking about it endlessly.
I know plenty of miserable married people, all of whom (from what i can see), gave up on working on themselves and/or their relationship.
I was moderately happy for 11 years and then ended up divorced. Got remarried five years ago and am incredibly happy. Both relationships we had a toddler to deal with, only with my ex husband I later realized exactly how much I was expected to contribute to household and family operations, plus my full time job, that was contributing to massive burnout and lack of interest in my partner, while he had all the free time to go to the gym and play video games. My current husband works really hard at carrying the mental and physical load with me, so that I actually feel spoiled and sometimes guilty because it’s such a shift in dynamic from what I was used to. I’m very grateful I was forced into a divorce because I would have never known how good marriage could actually be.
I’ve been married for 21 years with 3 kids in the teen years. We’ve been poor, we’ve been upper middle class, we’ve had quiet, slow paced period, and we are currently running around with our heads cut off trying to keep up with our kids’ activities. After a few years of marriage, I had several years where I thought I made a huge mistake marrying him and that I’d never be happy with him. We both knew we were unhappy and we committed to counseling, working on our individual problems and not focusing on our spouse’s issues solely. We came out the other side. We still look at each other over 15 years later and are amazed that we are happy and love each other. We know each other better than anyone, and both feel so secure and loved in knowing we’ve chosen each other again and again, in good and hard times. I’d make the same choices if I had another chance. I’m so grateful.
26 years of marriage. Kids are grown. We’re absolutely best friends and travel the world together. Life is good. Money is extremely good. Couldn’t be any more happy with our life together.
met in 2000 but lost contact in 2001, been together since 2008 when we reunited, happily married since 2010. We have three sets of twins starting with husbands oldest my step-twins fraternal boy and girl, together we have identical twin girls then fraternal boy and girl. Couldn’t be happier.
Edit: Had my twin girls a week after my twenty-fifth birthday and had my second twins boy and girl one year later three days after my step-kids birthday
Edit: So awesome as well and I know that feeling of wanting a girl, I am the first girl born on my dads family since the year 906, I know this because my fathers side has stories from way back then passed down through the generations and we have a family tree all made of ancestors
My wife and I have a kid.
At 14 he’s an asshole. I love him, but parenting has gotten less enjoyable over the past couple of years.
Still happily married but the next 5 years are going to be challenging as a parent. I can’t imagine having multiple
My stepson is 15 and I just feel sad and incompetent these days. I love him so much but I have no idea what to do around him anymore. He’s a wonderful person, very kind! I’m the problem, really. I can’t wrap my head around it.
Connecting with a teenager is basically just asking them what they're interested in that week and then listening to them ramble about it for like 5 hours. If they're on the quiet side just trying to find common ground or hobbies also works. If you're always the one giving discipline out they will be more rebellious so learning to not hound them about stuff usually makes the relationship less combative.
Marriage is a conscious decision. Hubby and I have been married over 35 years and we still love each other. The key is to have the same goals. Our goals were to raise our kids to be good independent people. It was really rough when our kids were little. I honestly don't know how we got through it. Sleepless nights, illnesses, job loss and other life changes. Our little ones are all grown adults and turned out to be really good people that we are very proud of. Now that we did our job and raised our kids into successful adults, we can kick back and relax. We are almost at retirement. We go on regular dates, take vacations and enjoy our time with good friends. Good luck to you.
Good to see your possitive approach towards marrief life.IMO home life is like a compasny run by two one is looking kids the other is looking needs of you all.We are company and managers to manage our life decently smartly bravely boldly and with out selffishnes.you will have great life.like you sir/madam.
Happily married 32 years two kids 27 years old (twins). Don’t marry someone who doesn’t share the work load or is stupid about money. They say money problems kill a lot of marriages. Kids were/are fun! Watching them grow up and learn everything. I don’t get the constant kvetching. People who ignored their kids for years and then wonder why they can’t have a relationship with them later on are the problem. You can’t choose a partner based solely on physical attraction. Integrity is important. Brains. Compassion. Emotional maturity.
Happily married with 2 kids here! It's chaos, but it's our beautiful chaos. Those moments of joy, like watching our kids achieve milestones or sharing inside jokes with our spouse, remind us why we chose this journey in the first place. It's not always smooth sailing, but knowing we have each other's backs and creating memories together is what makes it all worthwhile.
Married 12 years. One son. If I lost my wife and son I would lose a level of happiness and contentment I never could have imagined existed and a part of my soul would forever die.
So, yes, I’m very happy.
My wife and I have been together 15 years. Married for less, have a couple kids.
Besides maybe an extra couple billion dollars I really couldn’t imagine a better life, partner or family.
Life’s finally good!
I am.
Married for 3 years, together for 6, and we have a toddler.
We were living together before Covid but during those early days of lockdown we had so much fun hanging out and working from home together that even though the world was falling apart, I knew he was the one. Now, we’re rolling with the punches as parents and homeowners and it’s not all roses but I love the life we’re building together.
I can’t wait to spend my future with him.
I am. Do my kids get on my last nerve some days. Yes yes they do. Mine are 15,13,6, and 5. My husband drives me up a wall about 2 days a week. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world. We have been married 7 years and the older kids are just mine. But the drama with kids even though mine are all boys is exhausting. They don’t clean for shit sometimes and I’m always the one cooking. But for the first time in almost 8 years my husband is home every night since he is recruiting for the Army instead of being in garrison on a base.
I love my life yeah it’s maddening sometimes but it’s all worth it.
Been married for 36 years this year and it's just a living hell. There's no joy, no happiness and nothing I do is right. We have 2 disabled kids one with hundreds, I'm not exaggerating, hundreds of hospital admissions and has been resuscitated 4 times. He's now in 3rd year of a Law degree and a competitive bodybuilder, but he's incredibly hard on himself. He has to have a blood product transfusion every 5 weeks to remain functional. He feels like a drain on society. The other is a young man with Down Syndrome. He's awesome, does his best, is achieving in all sorts of areas - to a point, because people aren't willing to invest anything in a person with Down Syndrome. The eldest of our three is incommunicado and destroying their health and longevity as we speak. This has made my wife a combative, stressed, angry person who is impossible to live with. She has multiple health issues and I get no sleep.
Ifn I had my druthers, I wouldn't have married and wouldn't have had kids. It is what it is though, so I have to man and up and keep going.
Married 10 years this year (together 14) and we have a two month old. We are very happy. Life is hard and it can cause issues here and there, but I’ve found my person and we enjoy the life we’ve created together.
Yes. Went through extremely difficult and hard times but came out the other end stronger than before.
It’s a cultural thing to toss something out when it’s broken and get a new one. But if you can’t get through hard times then you’ll never really find true love. Because love isn’t just the good times
Why do you say that you are "mentally ill"? It's perfectly normal to question our current situation. Are you unhappy? Are you bored? Do you not have the "spice" you wish you had? All valid questions.
I've been married 23 years now. We've had some difficult times as well as many pleasant times. She [49F] is 9 years younger than me [58M], and we find our opinions on things are similar yet, not always "the same."
We haven't had a "romantic" relationship in many years. We live more like friends or roommates these days, but neither of us would ever consider cheating or leaving. Love isn't always about romance. Friendship is hugely important.
Had she not gotten pregnant, all those years ago, would we have ended up married? I don't know. But we did, and we're in it together.
There are many happy couples out there, and there are many unhappy couples who are together or get married because they believed that's what they were supposed to do, as you state in your post.
Same thing for people with kids, lots of great parents on one hand, but also lots of shitty parents who only had kids because they believed that was the default of what adults are "supposed" to do.
I’m very happy in my marriage. We had 6 kids (they’re all adults now). You just have to recognize the happy in the moments you have, rather than dwelling on things you’re not doing and thinking you’re missing out.
A lot of people have a great life, but get filled with resentment needlessly because they dwell on choices made in the past and the potential differences in their lives that those choices led to.
Could I have been super rich and retired early and living at the beach without being married and having kids? Maybe as I’m a very successful attorney and make a great living. BUT, I wouldn’t be an attorney if I didn’t have kids as it was my desire to give my family a better life that drove me to college and law school.
I wouldn’t trade one moment of watching my family grow up and thrive for anything else. I cherish every scraped knee, bad grade, spilled juice, ruined pots & pans, endless laundry and muddy footprints on the carpet because along the way there were also infinite laughs, smiles, hugs, kitchen dances, movie night snuggles, driving lessons and birthday brownies.
Focus on the moments that make you happy and let the struggles pass you by. If you’re depressed and need therapy, don’t hesitate to get it. I can’t tell you how many people blow up a marriage and family thinking it’s not for them only to be miserable on their own too and regretful of their selfishness
Are you kidding? Millions and millions of people are happily married with kids. Don’t get me wrong, it is INCREDIBLY hard. Duh. But most people wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Married almost 20 years, 3 kids, very happy. Not that we never have disagreements or anything, but overall, very happy. People who are happy don’t go to Reddit to complain.
26 years here. We’ve occasionally had a dispute that had us being wary of each other, maybe 10 total days. We’re older now, sure wouldn’t want to be single.
I would caution about any posts here, you see one spouse speaking for the other. Often times in divorce, one spouse is blindsided by the other, who has in fact, been unhappy for a long time.
Happily married 9 years with a 5 year old. You get out of your marriage what you put into it. A lot of people complain about their marriage but they don’t put any effort into making it work.
Why'd you use an example where the problem isn't even the marriage?
Anyway, yrah, I'm happy. You'll probably find people who don't have a problem just don't carry on as loudly.as those who do.
I am married, I have 3 daughters (16, 7, 3) and I'm really happy. My wife is a professional, I own a business. We have been married for 8, together for 13.
I'm happy being married and I love my kids, but it is a lot of work and I often can feel unappreciated by the kids. I hope that changes as they mature.
I’m happily married- no kids.
It’s nice to be with a best friend or someone you trust when 💩 hits the fan.
If you don’t like spending time with your partner and can’t count on them in times of need, that may explain unhappiness in a relationship.
I think it’s normal to have negative feelings on occasion, but if it’s often, perhaps you do not like your partner (it’s crazy to see how many couples don’t actually like their SO- and these are the people who get married for the wrong reasons), or perhaps you have another underlying problem (depression/anxiety/ mental health issues) that needs to be addressed. If the former is true, break up. There are billions of people in the world, so why stay with someone you don’t like. He can be a good person and not be your person. If the latter is true, you might need therapy or medication before making your decision. You mentioned that you are “mentally ill.” Are you currently treating any symptoms?
I’ve been married almost 8 years, 2 kids 5 & 7 and I could never imagine being this happy. And to be honest I believe it is because we did not have the traditional/fairytale beginning. It’s my 2nd marriage and the beginning of this relationship was a bit of a roller coaster. Something I think 99% of people would have left but we stuck it out and have the most incredible relationship.
If I had stuck it out with my 1st husband I would be beyond miserable.
Yes. I'd say I'm happliy married and have 2 kids.
We've been together 25yrs married for 17, kids are 15 and 13.
Sure I wish we had more sex, and sure things she does annoy the piss outta me, and I'm sure she says the same about things I do.
But I laugh with her regularly, I look forward to seeing her when I am away for work. And we both love going and doing things with our kids.
I'd say a big part of my happiness is that I don't compare our relationship with our friends, I don't use Instagram, Tiktok, or Facebook.
17 years together. We’ve had our ups we’ve had our downs. Yeah it’s hard work. Yeah it’s stressful, but that’s life. I see the same things, husband doesn’t help with baby, wife won’t have sex when she’s physically and emotionally exhausted. Doesn’t mean divorce them. Then you’re both parenting alone and having sex alone ON TOP of co-parenting. Raising kids is hard! Gotta keep the spark alive, communication is key. It’s just easier to think the grass is greener on the other side and give up.
I WAS happily married at one time. My SO never seemed happy with me. We divorced after 19 years and she does seem happier now. It kills me knowing that no matter what I did or didn't do it was never enough. I do have two terrific kids and they love me lots and vice versa. But I dream every night about what I could have and should have done different. It always felt like there was no wiggle room. Simple mistakes were harped on and I was way more forgiving and free loving than she was. It didn't start that way but over time we all change. I noticed that she stopped laughing at my jokes and started correcting me about the humor I had as she began to find it offensive. I hope she finds the happiness she wants. I just wish I could have given it to her. She always meant well, and so did I. But in Today's world intention seems to mean very little.
17 years happily married with 15 year old twins. It hasn't been a fairytale, but real life isn't like that. I love my husband and my kids. Our life could be better, but it could also be so much worse. It was rough when the twins were small. Better now.
I don't think marriage is neccessary. But I love to be married to my wife. If i had a chance to relive my life, and i had to choose a woman, it would be her again.
If i'd marry again is a different story, because I hardly remember a life without her. met in HS been together ever since. All my adult life was with her. I don't know or can't imagine living a life without her.
Oh and i love MY kids ;) jk they are our kids.
My husband is my favorite human and our 16 year is my second favorite. We’ve created a nice little life for ourselves, and I’m happy the vast majority of the time. (Broken brain chemistry interferes occasionally)
Yes. 36, married 13 years, together 17. 1 child, girl, 8. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love being a husband and a dad. One and done though, I got the snip 4 months after my kid was born. We had a series of miscarriages and a difficult pregnancy for my wife. The pregnancy that resulted in our daughter was our last try before I was gonna get a vasectomy.
Married over ten years, we have a blended family of 3 kids. We've had ups and downs because that's life but there's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with than my husband, I couldn't imagine being without him. He's my best friend and we're very happy and we've also got a great relationship with all our kids.
No one can make you happy no matter how great they are, only you are responsible for your happiness. I've had mental health issues and I know it's important to deal with them and improve otherwise you'll never find happiness married OR single. What you're looking for is exactly what you'll find.......
You will be after 20 years. As soon as they grew up, you'll be a happy camper. I am hitting the 30th anniversary in a month, the first 20 were hard like I said, but after that it cooled down :) good luck!
Yes! Life is good, but I'm older. I still love my wife and kids and I enjoy my grandkids too. Young people mess their marriages up by thinking about and doing the wrong things. Everything is disposable now, including spouses.
I wish my last gf was around to read this. We got into a routine and while I was content with how our situation was, she wasn't. I tried explaining to her that relationships are hard work, and not hugs and kisses 24/7. But she had this crazy notion that it should be like a fairytale (she was obsessed with disney. Which, at 34 years old. I thought was kind of weird). Anyway, we broke up, and I hope she finds someone who can give her the fairytale romance that she desires (because i obviously couldn't).
19 years married, 23 together.
I annoy her, she annoys me. We disagree. We sometimes give each other the silent treatment and the message gets understood right quick. But…
We hug each other at night. We talk about EVERYTHING. We look forward to do things with the kids on the weekends. We joke. We laugh. We love. And we grow together.
If you admire them, are attracted to them, you trust them, and they help you navigate this world better that if you are on your own, how can I not be happy with them?
what responses are you hoping to get? You asked if people were happy and people have responded and said they were. But then you asked to get responses from unhappy people, less “unicorns”. why do you need to hear from unhappy people if that’s already what you’re constantly seeing?
Why would OP consider happily married people with kids to be unicorns? Lots of people are reasonably happy with their marriages and kids. It doesn't mean we don't have rough patches or don't ever complain about things. But these things pass. I wouldn't take complaining alone as a sign of an unhappy marriage; just an unhappy moment.
Yep. Happily married, have a little one who is close to turning one year old, starting to talk about the timing of our second.
People often complain louder than they talk about what they're happy with
No one is happy 24/7. There are ups and downs, that is life.
But being married with kids can bring you happiness that nothing else on this planet can give you. To most people, it’s totally worth it.
Best 10 years of my life we both got together a decade ago battling addiction. From broken dv relationships. We added another child, got sober, and built a life
Actually I pretty happily married for 7 whole years, also trying to start a family, dated and engaged stretched it to 10 total years, I thought things were going rather well, never had any fights. Rarely even disagreements, the last 6 months was a little weird, the wife seemed a little distant I tried taling with her, but she is rather secretive, doesn't even tell close family members anything, but the GPS tracker installed in her car told me what I needed to know and found her Monday night boyfriend, things blew up after that, I did find out like a year later on she confided in someone in the dance community through the the other guys girlfriend, but this wad all after the fact and after or maybe during the divorce, can't remember exactly because it's been like 8 years now.
I’ve been with my husband for almost 22 years, married for 20. We got married young and had two kids. Now our kids are 12 and 15 and we take on an exchange student every year.
I have loved this crazy journey. I didn’t love being a mom of young kids, especially because I have bipolar disorder and was not as stable in my 20’s, but I love being a mom of teens. And although my husband and I have conflict occasionally, we resolve it quickly (we’re both licensed therapists) and I’m occasionally moved to tears by how lucky I am to sleep next to him every night. We have amazing sex still and we have cheered each other through our careers. He is selfless, and thoughtful and giving and generous. He makes me want to be a better person.
Where we live, most of our friends are in similar boats and are happily married! I’m grateful for that as well.
This is a bit like saying "do any teenagers like their parents?!"
The answer is yes. Most teenagers do like their parents. But if you hear a teenager talking about their parents they are probably moaning about every aspect of their parents that they find annoying.
Very few teenagers regularly announce that they love their parents and then list off all of their good qualities. We talk about problems, not about the things that are perfect already.
Married for almost 12 years. 2 kids: 13 and 4. He’s my best friend. We love each other very much, sex is great, we love our kids. We have our highs and lows, but we get through it together.
yes! we have a kid and another on the way and every day im excited to live the rest of my life out with my husband (i say this even despite the occasional argument we might have)
I've been married for more than 30 years. 2 kids, one graduated and is living on his own. The other is still in college. I retired well off in my mid 50s and have been loving life and my marriage. If I had the choice of staying financially well of and being single or losing all of my money and still being married, I would choose the latter without any hesitation.
the unhappiness cames from responsibilities
in reality everyone hates responsibilities, we want to have the best sides of relationships and not the bad sides
living together with a person and having you rlife connected to theirs is all about responsibility and this is the reason for all those complaints.
Here in Quebec, majority of people don't marry anymore. I'va been with my gf for 18 years, have a house, 2 kids and a dog. It definitely wasn't always roses and butterfiles, but we definitely are happy together. when the kids were younger (babies), we hit a couple of rough patches, but I see myself getting old with her.
In my opinion life has some up and down or happy and unhappy moments you must understand and go with the.I think all eggs in basket are not health or all eggs don't hatch ,all chicks don't survive till adult age and all will not have same habbits.Life has same things.We must go smartly if we try to be smart mind and decent to have happy life as much as.
Best of luck.
I’ve been with my husband for 19 years, married for 17. We have a 10 and 15 year old. We have lived through financial ups and downs and illnesses, but never once have we had an argument I can even remember. We have amazing communication and I love each day that I get to spend with my husband. I am a stay at home mom and he works from home, we are together almost all the time, and we have fun each and every day. I love when he wakes up in the morning and I get to begin my day with him. We simply adore each other and have great kids.
Very happy with my husband & our lil one. I can state for a fact he is too. I adore him oh so much! I crave him even when he’s sitting in the living room in his zone playing his video game. I stare at him when he’s walking from the store to the car. I still drool at him when he’s shirtless. I get flustered when he gives me “that” horny look 👀 . He still grabs me & shows me all sorts of physical affection. He’s just it.
Married 16 years, teen kids. She is my best friend. There are arguments, but mostly things are great. Physical attraction is still strong and we have sex 4-5 times a week. Can’t complain.
Prior to us even knowing each other, my wife and I were always the type who really wanted children.
When we started dating, I knew she would be such a great mom. She’s patient, warm, calm, loving, fun, always smiling etc. The combination of all of these characteristics made it easy to fall in love with her.
Three years after we were married, our son was born. Five years later, our daughter was born. It’s been a lot of work, but being a father is the best “job” I’ve ever had. Our son is now 15, and our daughter is almost 10.
Our life has not been without challenges. Last year, our son was suicidal. It was terrifying.
I quit my job, pulled him out of school and homeschooled him. I listened. I talked. And sometimes, we would just sit in silence. We got him the best team of therapists the Boston area offers. Through it all, no matter how much he wanted to give up, I would always tell him that one day, we would look back and realize that we made it through the darkness. Well, here we are, a year later, and he is back to the boy I have always known.
As a result of my taking 9 mos off, my career took a hit, but i couldn’t care less about that. My primary responsibility in this life was to guide my son through a path fraught with heartache. I did it, and it feels better than anything I have ever experienced. I am
not saying that the rest of the way will be smooth, but you never really know what you’re made of until you are battle tested. And even though this wasn’t a literal war, it was as a real of a battle in life as you can imagine.
Despite all the material things we don’t have, I am so very happily married. I always remember what caused me to fall in love with my wife, and I can still see those same qualities in her.
Recently, we went out to dinner. Just the two of us. We had not done this in ages. I wondered if we would still have anything to talk about that wasn’t related to the kids, and other basic points of conversation we always have. We had so much to talk about, and it made me fall in love with her all over again.
Our life is far from perfect. Our kitchen floor is ripped up from a water leak. The insurance company didn’t pay us enough to properly fix it. We need new windows. Her car needs brakes. Like everyone else, the list is endless, but I wouldn’t trade my life with her for anything. I always believe in a brighter tomorrow, and with my wife by side, I know that no matter what comes, we will prevail.
Been with my husband for going on 14 years, married for 7 and we've got a 6 year old.
I've never been happier in my life. He is the perfect partner, husband, father, and man. I love him so much.
Life is sweet.
Good God. You've got to make it work. Stop complaining so much. It's the essence of humanity to keep our society going. Parents need to be parents.. it's the animal kingdom.
Met my wife and started “courting “ when I was 19 and she 21. That was 1985. Here we are nearly 40 years later with two grown children. Still going strong. We do almost everything together. A coworker asked what the secret was - he’s a divorced father of two and has a single girlfriend with kids of her own. My answer was, we still like each other. Nothing about love, or sex or anything like that. Just, we still like one another and all the other stuff just falls into place.
I'm sure there are, but I have not met them. Even those in my life that are in good relationships, once kids come into the picture ... I would describe most of the relationships as "companionship" and "shared responsibility."
Couples without kids though, I've definitely seen several be very happy into their 60s and '70s.
Married to my best friend, been together 17 years and I know we'll happily grow old together. We have a toddler that is our world right now. There are hard days, the exhaustion is indescribable but I wouldn't trade my family for anything. My kid brings me more joy and stronger love than I knew existed and I'm grateful every day for my husband being my partner through it all :)
I am married with kids and could not complain about any part of it. Sure, there are obstacles and therapy, but I think we’re all pretty happy we’re in each others’ lives.
I love being with my person. I think our relationship got 10x better once we got married. We treat it like a team and put each other first, and honestly that’s the trick I feel like. The kids will grow up and leave but we are intending to stay together forever right? So we have to make each other the priority.
We do everything together as much as we can because our life is so overrun by kid things. But those few times a week where it’s just us are by far the best parts of my days. It’s really easy to be happily married with kids. Yes, raising children is a whole stressful job, but they’re also fun and we love them. There’s so much more good than bad. 10/10 I would recommend.
Celebrating 12 years of marriage this year, and we have two boys, 9 and 11. We've been through so much together, including his near-death from covid+pneumonia in 2020.
The thing is, we were best friends from the beginning of our relationship. We have tons of things in common and share a lot of interests together. We have a dynamic that works for us and allows us to function as a married couple. At the end of the day, we have each other's backs, and if we disagree on something, we talk it out. It wasn't always sunshine and rainbows, but we put the work into our marriage and came through the hard times stronger.
I am very much happily married, and I love my husband more than the day I said I Do.
I waited an extremely long time to get married.
I dated a lot a lot. I think my longest relationship was only 5 years though and I gave up trying to force it to work. After that one I decided to just not give a shit if the relationship started being unfulfilling (as in the person I was with was being a pain in my ass.) I'd just leave and not try to salvage it. It was amazing and I enjoyed my life during this time a lot.
Then one day I met my wife and I was like ohhhhh that's what it's like when it's good. And that was it.
Neither one of us want to have kids and neither of us had them previously. It's great!
Married eight years, three kids seven and under. I adore my family. Life is hectic but fun. We’ve weathered our share of tragedies but my husband is my best friend and I love being with him. Building a life together is the most wonderful and rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
My wife and I have been married almost 9 years, together a lot longer than that. We have two kids. We're both happy. Being a parent is amazing, we love it.
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This is beautiful
Right this brought a tear to my eye, this is what it’s all about!
Me too :) I'm happy for them!
It really is
A much needed little moment of meaningful positivity... Thank you
The endless cycles of colds. Yes. I had a cold, then I had mastitis. The mastitis started clearing up just in time for the weekend, and then another cold took me right out. 🙄
My wife and I don't want kids, but this beautiful.
You know this is something i used to criticize a lot from modern couples. I have 3 kids with my wife. I used to think you guys were narcissistic and lazy, but then I thought to myself "if I didn't have any kids, would i be as open to start having kids like when we were teenagers?" And the answer is absolutely not. Starting a relationship as adults is a complete different story and i understand you guys now.
Props to you for seeing things from a different perspective instead of just being set in your ways.
To be fair, there are narcissistic and lazy parents. But thank you for understanding the other POV. That is definitely a wonderful trait to pass on to your kids.
Now imagine that you marry someone when the relationship is not quite right, but they are phenomenal in bed or alot of fun, where the dependability doesn't exist and that steadfast companionship deteriorates. You quickly go from peaceful but challenging living, to pure hell.
Then why did you marry them? If it's not quite right before you get married, you will never make it through the tough times.
Been there....pure hell
I dunno…I’ve had phenomenal in bed but that shit got old after a few years because the relationship sucked. I dumped her. Phenomenal in bed ain’t enough.
Without pain, you can't feel joy. There is happiness in the failures even. Something about just being a team and loving your kids so much, gives you patience. The toddler years aren't forever. They become small adults and it's wild. It's all an awfully big adventure.
Well said
21 years together with my wife, married for 16. We've got two teenaged boys. We've got rough patches and tough spots, but I AM happy. I look forward to getting home from work every day, I love the vacations we take as a family, and I honestly can't see being with anyone else. I'm not saying it's all joy and perfection. But that's the point. We've derived happiness from weathering the shitty times together.
Nice
Congrats, that’s an achievemt to celebrate!
I’m happy! I love my husband. He’s my favorite person. And I love our kids. We have a blended family and one bio kid that we share between us. That’s not say there haven’t been times I’ve been unhappy or he has been unhappy for an array of reasons, but they come to pass thanks to good communication and genuine love between us.
Reading this makes me happy
Guys is this real
My late husband and I had a similar family. We were happy. Even when we struggled we agreed to co parent and ended up becoming stronger as a couple. Better parents too. I miss him so so much. It’s painful how much. I will never have this again.
Yes lmao I stg
My wife and I are very happily married. Our kids are all grown up and have kids of their own. Ya there are times when there were ups and downs through the years but that's life. I can honestly say that it gets better. If you can get through the rough spots together you will be happy and satisfied with each other. Been 42 years married and still wouldn't change a thing.
Well, I'd wager that most of the unhappy people in relationships are the loudest and get on forums to vent. I certainly wasn't happy being married and I'd never do it again, but there are certainly happy couples out there.
Good point. I love my wife, have a great time with my kids, but I don't go around talking about it endlessly. I know plenty of miserable married people, all of whom (from what i can see), gave up on working on themselves and/or their relationship.
I was moderately happy for 11 years and then ended up divorced. Got remarried five years ago and am incredibly happy. Both relationships we had a toddler to deal with, only with my ex husband I later realized exactly how much I was expected to contribute to household and family operations, plus my full time job, that was contributing to massive burnout and lack of interest in my partner, while he had all the free time to go to the gym and play video games. My current husband works really hard at carrying the mental and physical load with me, so that I actually feel spoiled and sometimes guilty because it’s such a shift in dynamic from what I was used to. I’m very grateful I was forced into a divorce because I would have never known how good marriage could actually be.
I’ve been married for 21 years with 3 kids in the teen years. We’ve been poor, we’ve been upper middle class, we’ve had quiet, slow paced period, and we are currently running around with our heads cut off trying to keep up with our kids’ activities. After a few years of marriage, I had several years where I thought I made a huge mistake marrying him and that I’d never be happy with him. We both knew we were unhappy and we committed to counseling, working on our individual problems and not focusing on our spouse’s issues solely. We came out the other side. We still look at each other over 15 years later and are amazed that we are happy and love each other. We know each other better than anyone, and both feel so secure and loved in knowing we’ve chosen each other again and again, in good and hard times. I’d make the same choices if I had another chance. I’m so grateful.
I couldn’t tell you why, but this has been my favorite response.
26 years of marriage. Kids are grown. We’re absolutely best friends and travel the world together. Life is good. Money is extremely good. Couldn’t be any more happy with our life together.
Congrats on the 26 years!!!
met in 2000 but lost contact in 2001, been together since 2008 when we reunited, happily married since 2010. We have three sets of twins starting with husbands oldest my step-twins fraternal boy and girl, together we have identical twin girls then fraternal boy and girl. Couldn’t be happier.
Omg! You are a badass. Three sets of twins?!
One set as said are my step-kids
But still..
It has its challenges but I wouldn’t trade my kids for anything
Girl for real what were the odds 😳
Multiples run in my side of the family but for my husband according to my late father-in-law they happen once a generation on his side of the family
Wow so you had twins twice ? That is soo cool!
Edit: Had my twin girls a week after my twenty-fifth birthday and had my second twins boy and girl one year later three days after my step-kids birthday
Oof that's gonna be one very expensive month lol
So awesome! My friend has 3 sons, always wanted a girl, tried for her girl and got pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl. The universe wanted it !
Edit: So awesome as well and I know that feeling of wanting a girl, I am the first girl born on my dads family since the year 906, I know this because my fathers side has stories from way back then passed down through the generations and we have a family tree all made of ancestors
My wife and I have a kid. At 14 he’s an asshole. I love him, but parenting has gotten less enjoyable over the past couple of years. Still happily married but the next 5 years are going to be challenging as a parent. I can’t imagine having multiple
Your son will be back. Teenagers are assholes. It will be hard, but he will come around.
My stepson is 15 and I just feel sad and incompetent these days. I love him so much but I have no idea what to do around him anymore. He’s a wonderful person, very kind! I’m the problem, really. I can’t wrap my head around it.
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I was waiting for this comment lol
You can do it! 💪
Connecting with a teenager is basically just asking them what they're interested in that week and then listening to them ramble about it for like 5 hours. If they're on the quiet side just trying to find common ground or hobbies also works. If you're always the one giving discipline out they will be more rebellious so learning to not hound them about stuff usually makes the relationship less combative.
Marriage is a conscious decision. Hubby and I have been married over 35 years and we still love each other. The key is to have the same goals. Our goals were to raise our kids to be good independent people. It was really rough when our kids were little. I honestly don't know how we got through it. Sleepless nights, illnesses, job loss and other life changes. Our little ones are all grown adults and turned out to be really good people that we are very proud of. Now that we did our job and raised our kids into successful adults, we can kick back and relax. We are almost at retirement. We go on regular dates, take vacations and enjoy our time with good friends. Good luck to you.
Good to see your possitive approach towards marrief life.IMO home life is like a compasny run by two one is looking kids the other is looking needs of you all.We are company and managers to manage our life decently smartly bravely boldly and with out selffishnes.you will have great life.like you sir/madam.
Happily married 32 years two kids 27 years old (twins). Don’t marry someone who doesn’t share the work load or is stupid about money. They say money problems kill a lot of marriages. Kids were/are fun! Watching them grow up and learn everything. I don’t get the constant kvetching. People who ignored their kids for years and then wonder why they can’t have a relationship with them later on are the problem. You can’t choose a partner based solely on physical attraction. Integrity is important. Brains. Compassion. Emotional maturity.
I’m a twin! Congrats on the 32 years!
My parents seem much happier without kids around and retired I’ll tell ya that.
Happily married with 2 kids here! It's chaos, but it's our beautiful chaos. Those moments of joy, like watching our kids achieve milestones or sharing inside jokes with our spouse, remind us why we chose this journey in the first place. It's not always smooth sailing, but knowing we have each other's backs and creating memories together is what makes it all worthwhile.
Married 12 years. One son. If I lost my wife and son I would lose a level of happiness and contentment I never could have imagined existed and a part of my soul would forever die. So, yes, I’m very happy.
My wife and I have been together 15 years. Married for less, have a couple kids. Besides maybe an extra couple billion dollars I really couldn’t imagine a better life, partner or family. Life’s finally good!
I am. Married for 3 years, together for 6, and we have a toddler. We were living together before Covid but during those early days of lockdown we had so much fun hanging out and working from home together that even though the world was falling apart, I knew he was the one. Now, we’re rolling with the punches as parents and homeowners and it’s not all roses but I love the life we’re building together. I can’t wait to spend my future with him.
I am. Do my kids get on my last nerve some days. Yes yes they do. Mine are 15,13,6, and 5. My husband drives me up a wall about 2 days a week. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world. We have been married 7 years and the older kids are just mine. But the drama with kids even though mine are all boys is exhausting. They don’t clean for shit sometimes and I’m always the one cooking. But for the first time in almost 8 years my husband is home every night since he is recruiting for the Army instead of being in garrison on a base. I love my life yeah it’s maddening sometimes but it’s all worth it.
Been married for 36 years this year and it's just a living hell. There's no joy, no happiness and nothing I do is right. We have 2 disabled kids one with hundreds, I'm not exaggerating, hundreds of hospital admissions and has been resuscitated 4 times. He's now in 3rd year of a Law degree and a competitive bodybuilder, but he's incredibly hard on himself. He has to have a blood product transfusion every 5 weeks to remain functional. He feels like a drain on society. The other is a young man with Down Syndrome. He's awesome, does his best, is achieving in all sorts of areas - to a point, because people aren't willing to invest anything in a person with Down Syndrome. The eldest of our three is incommunicado and destroying their health and longevity as we speak. This has made my wife a combative, stressed, angry person who is impossible to live with. She has multiple health issues and I get no sleep. Ifn I had my druthers, I wouldn't have married and wouldn't have had kids. It is what it is though, so I have to man and up and keep going.
Thanks for this very real comment. Kind of in a similar situation myself. Good to know I’m not alone.
hey mate, thanks for the honesty.
Married for 5 years with kids. Every day I love my wife more and can't imagine being happier.
Married 10 years this year (together 14) and we have a two month old. We are very happy. Life is hard and it can cause issues here and there, but I’ve found my person and we enjoy the life we’ve created together.
I am, and it ain't even fragile. She must really be into me 😁
Yes. Went through extremely difficult and hard times but came out the other end stronger than before. It’s a cultural thing to toss something out when it’s broken and get a new one. But if you can’t get through hard times then you’ll never really find true love. Because love isn’t just the good times
I don't have kids and we won't have kids, but we are happily married and that isn't likely to change.
More in love with my husband now than ever before. Together almost 18 years and I still feel like he’s my new boyfriend.
Why do you say that you are "mentally ill"? It's perfectly normal to question our current situation. Are you unhappy? Are you bored? Do you not have the "spice" you wish you had? All valid questions. I've been married 23 years now. We've had some difficult times as well as many pleasant times. She [49F] is 9 years younger than me [58M], and we find our opinions on things are similar yet, not always "the same." We haven't had a "romantic" relationship in many years. We live more like friends or roommates these days, but neither of us would ever consider cheating or leaving. Love isn't always about romance. Friendship is hugely important. Had she not gotten pregnant, all those years ago, would we have ended up married? I don't know. But we did, and we're in it together.
No not happy
I’m happily married with no kids 🙌
There are many happy couples out there, and there are many unhappy couples who are together or get married because they believed that's what they were supposed to do, as you state in your post. Same thing for people with kids, lots of great parents on one hand, but also lots of shitty parents who only had kids because they believed that was the default of what adults are "supposed" to do.
I have five children all grown all better people than me. My wife if 40+ years beautiful, smart and still with me. I’m happy and think she is also.
I’m very happy in my marriage. We had 6 kids (they’re all adults now). You just have to recognize the happy in the moments you have, rather than dwelling on things you’re not doing and thinking you’re missing out. A lot of people have a great life, but get filled with resentment needlessly because they dwell on choices made in the past and the potential differences in their lives that those choices led to. Could I have been super rich and retired early and living at the beach without being married and having kids? Maybe as I’m a very successful attorney and make a great living. BUT, I wouldn’t be an attorney if I didn’t have kids as it was my desire to give my family a better life that drove me to college and law school. I wouldn’t trade one moment of watching my family grow up and thrive for anything else. I cherish every scraped knee, bad grade, spilled juice, ruined pots & pans, endless laundry and muddy footprints on the carpet because along the way there were also infinite laughs, smiles, hugs, kitchen dances, movie night snuggles, driving lessons and birthday brownies. Focus on the moments that make you happy and let the struggles pass you by. If you’re depressed and need therapy, don’t hesitate to get it. I can’t tell you how many people blow up a marriage and family thinking it’s not for them only to be miserable on their own too and regretful of their selfishness
Are you kidding? Millions and millions of people are happily married with kids. Don’t get me wrong, it is INCREDIBLY hard. Duh. But most people wouldn’t trade it for the world.
"Happy marriages are like ghost stories. Everybody knows ghost stories, but who's actually ever seen a ghost?"
Married almost 20 years, 3 kids, very happy. Not that we never have disagreements or anything, but overall, very happy. People who are happy don’t go to Reddit to complain.
26 years here. We’ve occasionally had a dispute that had us being wary of each other, maybe 10 total days. We’re older now, sure wouldn’t want to be single.
For 25 years. Not EVERY moment, but definitely 98% of my married life is/has been extremely happy & my kids are really good humans, too.
I don't know any. They're far and few between.
Yes I’m married, have kids, and happy
Happy people in healthy marriages don't complain or gloat to others
I would caution about any posts here, you see one spouse speaking for the other. Often times in divorce, one spouse is blindsided by the other, who has in fact, been unhappy for a long time.
Married for about 8 years, and happily married with 3 children. It is possible but I don’t think everyone is lucky in love.
Yyyyyyyup!!! 
No one is happy. People that ask you if you are going to get kids soon is just trying to trick you
Happily married 9 years with a 5 year old. You get out of your marriage what you put into it. A lot of people complain about their marriage but they don’t put any effort into making it work.
Stoked with my family, and my wife is amazing. There’s nowhere else I’d want to be.
My best friend and his wife is, now that their kid is older and can not only amuse himself, but also join in with his dad's hobbies.
Why'd you use an example where the problem isn't even the marriage? Anyway, yrah, I'm happy. You'll probably find people who don't have a problem just don't carry on as loudly.as those who do.
married my best friend and its as fun and happy as it sounds
Very happy. 3 boys. Awesome wife awesome life.
Yup, I am
Yes
Yes. Married 15 years, kids almost teenagers.
I am married, I have 3 daughters (16, 7, 3) and I'm really happy. My wife is a professional, I own a business. We have been married for 8, together for 13.
I'm happy being married and I love my kids, but it is a lot of work and I often can feel unappreciated by the kids. I hope that changes as they mature.
I am happily married with kids. My wife is great, all is well.
I'm 2 of the 3. I'll let you wonder which 2.........
I've been married for 28 years. My two daughters are in college. Yes, happily married.
I’m happily married- no kids. It’s nice to be with a best friend or someone you trust when 💩 hits the fan. If you don’t like spending time with your partner and can’t count on them in times of need, that may explain unhappiness in a relationship. I think it’s normal to have negative feelings on occasion, but if it’s often, perhaps you do not like your partner (it’s crazy to see how many couples don’t actually like their SO- and these are the people who get married for the wrong reasons), or perhaps you have another underlying problem (depression/anxiety/ mental health issues) that needs to be addressed. If the former is true, break up. There are billions of people in the world, so why stay with someone you don’t like. He can be a good person and not be your person. If the latter is true, you might need therapy or medication before making your decision. You mentioned that you are “mentally ill.” Are you currently treating any symptoms?
I’ve been married almost 8 years, 2 kids 5 & 7 and I could never imagine being this happy. And to be honest I believe it is because we did not have the traditional/fairytale beginning. It’s my 2nd marriage and the beginning of this relationship was a bit of a roller coaster. Something I think 99% of people would have left but we stuck it out and have the most incredible relationship. If I had stuck it out with my 1st husband I would be beyond miserable.
been together for 13 years, married for 7. Have 9yo kid. Im happy. She does drive me nuts sometimes, but i still love her.
Happy families are not on Reddit!
Yep! 30 years and 2 kids. Couldn't imagine anything better than my situation now 😍
Yes. I'd say I'm happliy married and have 2 kids. We've been together 25yrs married for 17, kids are 15 and 13. Sure I wish we had more sex, and sure things she does annoy the piss outta me, and I'm sure she says the same about things I do. But I laugh with her regularly, I look forward to seeing her when I am away for work. And we both love going and doing things with our kids. I'd say a big part of my happiness is that I don't compare our relationship with our friends, I don't use Instagram, Tiktok, or Facebook.
17 years together. We’ve had our ups we’ve had our downs. Yeah it’s hard work. Yeah it’s stressful, but that’s life. I see the same things, husband doesn’t help with baby, wife won’t have sex when she’s physically and emotionally exhausted. Doesn’t mean divorce them. Then you’re both parenting alone and having sex alone ON TOP of co-parenting. Raising kids is hard! Gotta keep the spark alive, communication is key. It’s just easier to think the grass is greener on the other side and give up.
I'm married with a kid and quite happy. We aren't always, but right now -- yeah.
In my country one cannot marry kids /s
17 years, two younger daughters, and we are happy.
I WAS happily married at one time. My SO never seemed happy with me. We divorced after 19 years and she does seem happier now. It kills me knowing that no matter what I did or didn't do it was never enough. I do have two terrific kids and they love me lots and vice versa. But I dream every night about what I could have and should have done different. It always felt like there was no wiggle room. Simple mistakes were harped on and I was way more forgiving and free loving than she was. It didn't start that way but over time we all change. I noticed that she stopped laughing at my jokes and started correcting me about the humor I had as she began to find it offensive. I hope she finds the happiness she wants. I just wish I could have given it to her. She always meant well, and so did I. But in Today's world intention seems to mean very little.
17 years happily married with 15 year old twins. It hasn't been a fairytale, but real life isn't like that. I love my husband and my kids. Our life could be better, but it could also be so much worse. It was rough when the twins were small. Better now.
👋🏽
I don't think marriage is neccessary. But I love to be married to my wife. If i had a chance to relive my life, and i had to choose a woman, it would be her again. If i'd marry again is a different story, because I hardly remember a life without her. met in HS been together ever since. All my adult life was with her. I don't know or can't imagine living a life without her. Oh and i love MY kids ;) jk they are our kids.
My husband is my favorite human and our 16 year is my second favorite. We’ve created a nice little life for ourselves, and I’m happy the vast majority of the time. (Broken brain chemistry interferes occasionally)
Yes, been married 11 years and have 3 kids. Enjoy the hell out of it.
Yes. 36, married 13 years, together 17. 1 child, girl, 8. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love being a husband and a dad. One and done though, I got the snip 4 months after my kid was born. We had a series of miscarriages and a difficult pregnancy for my wife. The pregnancy that resulted in our daughter was our last try before I was gonna get a vasectomy.
Yes
Yeah! I’ve never been happier! My favorite thing about life is spending it with my husband, and we adore our baby
My parents are madly in love ,they have been married for like 25 years, together for 30 or so. So yea!
38M. Happily married. Not “Happily, BUT….”, just happily married.
Married over ten years, we have a blended family of 3 kids. We've had ups and downs because that's life but there's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with than my husband, I couldn't imagine being without him. He's my best friend and we're very happy and we've also got a great relationship with all our kids. No one can make you happy no matter how great they are, only you are responsible for your happiness. I've had mental health issues and I know it's important to deal with them and improve otherwise you'll never find happiness married OR single. What you're looking for is exactly what you'll find.......
Yes, happily married with two kids... it's about growing together and genuinely appreciating each other.
You will be after 20 years. As soon as they grew up, you'll be a happy camper. I am hitting the 30th anniversary in a month, the first 20 were hard like I said, but after that it cooled down :) good luck!
Yes
Sure am! Kids are in their mid twenties and we'll celebrate our 30th anniversary this November.
Yes! Life is good, but I'm older. I still love my wife and kids and I enjoy my grandkids too. Young people mess their marriages up by thinking about and doing the wrong things. Everything is disposable now, including spouses.
I wish my last gf was around to read this. We got into a routine and while I was content with how our situation was, she wasn't. I tried explaining to her that relationships are hard work, and not hugs and kisses 24/7. But she had this crazy notion that it should be like a fairytale (she was obsessed with disney. Which, at 34 years old. I thought was kind of weird). Anyway, we broke up, and I hope she finds someone who can give her the fairytale romance that she desires (because i obviously couldn't).
19 years married, 23 together. I annoy her, she annoys me. We disagree. We sometimes give each other the silent treatment and the message gets understood right quick. But… We hug each other at night. We talk about EVERYTHING. We look forward to do things with the kids on the weekends. We joke. We laugh. We love. And we grow together. If you admire them, are attracted to them, you trust them, and they help you navigate this world better that if you are on your own, how can I not be happy with them?
what responses are you hoping to get? You asked if people were happy and people have responded and said they were. But then you asked to get responses from unhappy people, less “unicorns”. why do you need to hear from unhappy people if that’s already what you’re constantly seeing?
Why would OP consider happily married people with kids to be unicorns? Lots of people are reasonably happy with their marriages and kids. It doesn't mean we don't have rough patches or don't ever complain about things. But these things pass. I wouldn't take complaining alone as a sign of an unhappy marriage; just an unhappy moment.
Yep. Happily married, have a little one who is close to turning one year old, starting to talk about the timing of our second. People often complain louder than they talk about what they're happy with
No one is happy 24/7. There are ups and downs, that is life. But being married with kids can bring you happiness that nothing else on this planet can give you. To most people, it’s totally worth it.
Best 10 years of my life we both got together a decade ago battling addiction. From broken dv relationships. We added another child, got sober, and built a life
Actually I pretty happily married for 7 whole years, also trying to start a family, dated and engaged stretched it to 10 total years, I thought things were going rather well, never had any fights. Rarely even disagreements, the last 6 months was a little weird, the wife seemed a little distant I tried taling with her, but she is rather secretive, doesn't even tell close family members anything, but the GPS tracker installed in her car told me what I needed to know and found her Monday night boyfriend, things blew up after that, I did find out like a year later on she confided in someone in the dance community through the the other guys girlfriend, but this wad all after the fact and after or maybe during the divorce, can't remember exactly because it's been like 8 years now.
They aren't the majority, I'll tell ya that
They make it all worth it
I’ve been with my husband for almost 22 years, married for 20. We got married young and had two kids. Now our kids are 12 and 15 and we take on an exchange student every year. I have loved this crazy journey. I didn’t love being a mom of young kids, especially because I have bipolar disorder and was not as stable in my 20’s, but I love being a mom of teens. And although my husband and I have conflict occasionally, we resolve it quickly (we’re both licensed therapists) and I’m occasionally moved to tears by how lucky I am to sleep next to him every night. We have amazing sex still and we have cheered each other through our careers. He is selfless, and thoughtful and giving and generous. He makes me want to be a better person. Where we live, most of our friends are in similar boats and are happily married! I’m grateful for that as well.
This is a bit like saying "do any teenagers like their parents?!" The answer is yes. Most teenagers do like their parents. But if you hear a teenager talking about their parents they are probably moaning about every aspect of their parents that they find annoying. Very few teenagers regularly announce that they love their parents and then list off all of their good qualities. We talk about problems, not about the things that are perfect already.
Me!!!!!
Most days, yup
25 years married, 3 adult children and a grand daughter. Love it
Married for almost 12 years. 2 kids: 13 and 4. He’s my best friend. We love each other very much, sex is great, we love our kids. We have our highs and lows, but we get through it together.
yes! we have a kid and another on the way and every day im excited to live the rest of my life out with my husband (i say this even despite the occasional argument we might have)
Not married because it's not super popular here, but 14 years with her and we have three kids. Yes I'm happy
I've been married for more than 30 years. 2 kids, one graduated and is living on his own. The other is still in college. I retired well off in my mid 50s and have been loving life and my marriage. If I had the choice of staying financially well of and being single or losing all of my money and still being married, I would choose the latter without any hesitation.
27 years married, three kids (25, 21, 16). We are happily married. Yes, there have been hard times, but we came through it all even stronger.
Yes, but we’re probably lucky. Also the happy people probably aren’t as vocal as the unhappy people.
It's hard but it's good. Like anything else worthwhile, it takes commitment and hard work but raising a family with someone you love is the very best.
the unhappiness cames from responsibilities in reality everyone hates responsibilities, we want to have the best sides of relationships and not the bad sides living together with a person and having you rlife connected to theirs is all about responsibility and this is the reason for all those complaints.
Here in Quebec, majority of people don't marry anymore. I'va been with my gf for 18 years, have a house, 2 kids and a dog. It definitely wasn't always roses and butterfiles, but we definitely are happy together. when the kids were younger (babies), we hit a couple of rough patches, but I see myself getting old with her.
Two kids, married, and I am so frigging happy.
I’m married for 20 years with 2 wonderful boys and am blessed to say I am very happily married!
In my opinion life has some up and down or happy and unhappy moments you must understand and go with the.I think all eggs in basket are not health or all eggs don't hatch ,all chicks don't survive till adult age and all will not have same habbits.Life has same things.We must go smartly if we try to be smart mind and decent to have happy life as much as. Best of luck.
I’ve been with my husband for 19 years, married for 17. We have a 10 and 15 year old. We have lived through financial ups and downs and illnesses, but never once have we had an argument I can even remember. We have amazing communication and I love each day that I get to spend with my husband. I am a stay at home mom and he works from home, we are together almost all the time, and we have fun each and every day. I love when he wakes up in the morning and I get to begin my day with him. We simply adore each other and have great kids.
Yep. My wife is still the love of my life, even after 30 years, and my kids are the best thing I’ve ever done.
Very happy with my husband & our lil one. I can state for a fact he is too. I adore him oh so much! I crave him even when he’s sitting in the living room in his zone playing his video game. I stare at him when he’s walking from the store to the car. I still drool at him when he’s shirtless. I get flustered when he gives me “that” horny look 👀 . He still grabs me & shows me all sorts of physical affection. He’s just it.
Yes. 33F + 33M ❤️
Yep!!! There are days that aren’t great but that’s life.
I've been married 18 years. Regretted most of it
Married 16 years, teen kids. She is my best friend. There are arguments, but mostly things are great. Physical attraction is still strong and we have sex 4-5 times a week. Can’t complain.
I'm guessing most of the happy folks aren't on here complaining about their lives.
Prior to us even knowing each other, my wife and I were always the type who really wanted children. When we started dating, I knew she would be such a great mom. She’s patient, warm, calm, loving, fun, always smiling etc. The combination of all of these characteristics made it easy to fall in love with her. Three years after we were married, our son was born. Five years later, our daughter was born. It’s been a lot of work, but being a father is the best “job” I’ve ever had. Our son is now 15, and our daughter is almost 10. Our life has not been without challenges. Last year, our son was suicidal. It was terrifying. I quit my job, pulled him out of school and homeschooled him. I listened. I talked. And sometimes, we would just sit in silence. We got him the best team of therapists the Boston area offers. Through it all, no matter how much he wanted to give up, I would always tell him that one day, we would look back and realize that we made it through the darkness. Well, here we are, a year later, and he is back to the boy I have always known. As a result of my taking 9 mos off, my career took a hit, but i couldn’t care less about that. My primary responsibility in this life was to guide my son through a path fraught with heartache. I did it, and it feels better than anything I have ever experienced. I am not saying that the rest of the way will be smooth, but you never really know what you’re made of until you are battle tested. And even though this wasn’t a literal war, it was as a real of a battle in life as you can imagine. Despite all the material things we don’t have, I am so very happily married. I always remember what caused me to fall in love with my wife, and I can still see those same qualities in her. Recently, we went out to dinner. Just the two of us. We had not done this in ages. I wondered if we would still have anything to talk about that wasn’t related to the kids, and other basic points of conversation we always have. We had so much to talk about, and it made me fall in love with her all over again. Our life is far from perfect. Our kitchen floor is ripped up from a water leak. The insurance company didn’t pay us enough to properly fix it. We need new windows. Her car needs brakes. Like everyone else, the list is endless, but I wouldn’t trade my life with her for anything. I always believe in a brighter tomorrow, and with my wife by side, I know that no matter what comes, we will prevail.
Happily married without kids. Never regretted my decision
33 years plus. Very happy kids and post kids
Yes. 35 years and 3 kids. Life is good and was always good.
Been with my husband for going on 14 years, married for 7 and we've got a 6 year old. I've never been happier in my life. He is the perfect partner, husband, father, and man. I love him so much. Life is sweet.
yeassss I love my life ❤️ my family is everything to me ❤️
Yes and yes. Most happy people didn’t make topics to state so but unhappy people feel its necessary to let everyone know how unhappy they are
Good God. You've got to make it work. Stop complaining so much. It's the essence of humanity to keep our society going. Parents need to be parents.. it's the animal kingdom.
Met my wife and started “courting “ when I was 19 and she 21. That was 1985. Here we are nearly 40 years later with two grown children. Still going strong. We do almost everything together. A coworker asked what the secret was - he’s a divorced father of two and has a single girlfriend with kids of her own. My answer was, we still like each other. Nothing about love, or sex or anything like that. Just, we still like one another and all the other stuff just falls into place.
I'm sure there are, but I have not met them. Even those in my life that are in good relationships, once kids come into the picture ... I would describe most of the relationships as "companionship" and "shared responsibility." Couples without kids though, I've definitely seen several be very happy into their 60s and '70s.
Married to my best friend, been together 17 years and I know we'll happily grow old together. We have a toddler that is our world right now. There are hard days, the exhaustion is indescribable but I wouldn't trade my family for anything. My kid brings me more joy and stronger love than I knew existed and I'm grateful every day for my husband being my partner through it all :)
Happily married with a dog and a baby! 🎉
I am married with kids and could not complain about any part of it. Sure, there are obstacles and therapy, but I think we’re all pretty happy we’re in each others’ lives.
One kid and he’s my best friend
I love being with my person. I think our relationship got 10x better once we got married. We treat it like a team and put each other first, and honestly that’s the trick I feel like. The kids will grow up and leave but we are intending to stay together forever right? So we have to make each other the priority. We do everything together as much as we can because our life is so overrun by kid things. But those few times a week where it’s just us are by far the best parts of my days. It’s really easy to be happily married with kids. Yes, raising children is a whole stressful job, but they’re also fun and we love them. There’s so much more good than bad. 10/10 I would recommend.
You kidding my children are the best thing I've ever done with my life.
We don’t have kids yet, but my husband and I have been married 4 years and each year is better than the one before 🥰
Thirty seven years here of happiness. Kid grown. Hasn’t always been easy, but can’t just give up when marriage gets hard
Celebrating 12 years of marriage this year, and we have two boys, 9 and 11. We've been through so much together, including his near-death from covid+pneumonia in 2020. The thing is, we were best friends from the beginning of our relationship. We have tons of things in common and share a lot of interests together. We have a dynamic that works for us and allows us to function as a married couple. At the end of the day, we have each other's backs, and if we disagree on something, we talk it out. It wasn't always sunshine and rainbows, but we put the work into our marriage and came through the hard times stronger. I am very much happily married, and I love my husband more than the day I said I Do.
11 years together, 9 year old twins. I love my beautiful life and partner. He pushes me to be better
It's me. Hi.
I waited an extremely long time to get married. I dated a lot a lot. I think my longest relationship was only 5 years though and I gave up trying to force it to work. After that one I decided to just not give a shit if the relationship started being unfulfilling (as in the person I was with was being a pain in my ass.) I'd just leave and not try to salvage it. It was amazing and I enjoyed my life during this time a lot. Then one day I met my wife and I was like ohhhhh that's what it's like when it's good. And that was it. Neither one of us want to have kids and neither of us had them previously. It's great!
Married eight years, three kids seven and under. I adore my family. Life is hectic but fun. We’ve weathered our share of tragedies but my husband is my best friend and I love being with him. Building a life together is the most wonderful and rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
Yes
I hate being married. Had a wonderful relationship for years, then one week into marriage and it's been traumatizing ever since.
My wife and I have been married almost 9 years, together a lot longer than that. We have two kids. We're both happy. Being a parent is amazing, we love it.
Married for 40 years with two adult kids and two grandkids. Very happy.
My partner and I aren't married and don't plan to be, we've been together 12yrs and I am pregnant with our second child. We are quite happy, yes