The farm can be a lonely place sometimes. A farmer might be milking alone for hours, twice a day. Communication isn’t even possible when operating loud machinery. A farm wife might have little kids running around her constantly, but no adult to talk to. Loneliness, lack of communication, and too few opportunities to reconnect with your spouse can lead to lots of tension in a marriage, and sometimes divorce. Be wise and keep your marriage intact by following these suggestions.
Keep an Appointment with Your Spouse
Because the farm can suck up all of your time and energy, you need to be proactive about keeping in touch with your spouse. Treat time together like an appointment, and do everything you can to keep that appointment. Make your marriage a high priority, not a low one. You need your spouse’s support, and you don’t want to risk losing it in the future.
Make Time Away from the Farm
So many farmers can’t find a way to take a break. Or maybe they don’t want to. After all, you farm because you love the work. However, your spouse may not share the exact same sentiments. Taking a break, whether it be a day trip or a week-long vacation, can ease stress and force both of you to relax and reconnect. We know it is difficult to find reliable help to work while you are gone, but going the extra mile to locate that help is worth it for your marriage’s sake.
Avoid Inappropriate Relationships
Some parts of farming can bring a farmer and his hired hand together more often than he is together with his own wife. If that hired hand is a female, make sure the relationship is purely business. Don’t get caught up in her personal life or begin to care more about her than you ought to. If you find your integrity beginning to slip, consider hiring someone else instead. Your relationship with your wife should be more important than your relationship with a hired girl.
Maintaining a good marriage takes hard work. Don’t think it will stand strong if you don’t put in the effort to keep up good communication with your spouse. If you want your farm to remain in the family, you need to make sure there will be a family to hand it down to. Family is important. Contact us to find out more about keeping the farm in the family.
