Connecting with Your Spouse Throughout the School Selection Journey

Navigating a school change can be stressful—for everyone. Your student suddenly has demands for high grades, interview prep, testing, and extracurriculars. This added stress (and constant conversation topic) can be taxing on a marriage. Read on for more tips below on how to handle conversations with grace and intention.

Some helpful tips:

• Choose one day a week to talk about schools.

• Ask your child about progress in the application process (be conscientious about using age-appropriate language here, for example) to gain an update on how things are going.

• Same should go for your spouse—if it’s a point of disagreement or tension, dedicate one day (or date night) to bounce ideas around when it comes to changing schools or choosing colleges.

• Understand your peoples’ types. And this has to do with the Enneagram. Mirror your language to reflect that of your listener. Incorporate dialogue that elevates the other and emphasizes with their position.

• Download communication tips for each Enneagram type here.