We all know the saying “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage.” But what happens after that? The transition from “married” to “married with children” can be tough. Suddenly your time is not your own, you are tired, sleep deprived and pulled in so many directions. Although having children is a big blessing, it is also a huge responsibility and the challenges that come with parenthood can put a strain on the strongest of relationships. In this session, we will explore ways to navigate the challenges and nurture your marriage while parenting.

A recording of a live session at a milad for a wedding. Please excuse the sounds of the toddler who really wanted to be heard :)

In this session we cover a necessary ingredient for a Muslim home - that of sukun or tranquility.

What is tranquility, what are reasons why it is so important, and how do we create sukun within ourselves and in our homes.

Here is a link to the blog posts mentioned in the audio

The Trouble Tree:

https://www.marziahassan.org/blog/do-you-have-a-trouble-tree

The 36 questions that lead to love

https://www.marziahassan.org/blog/The%2036%20Questions%20that%20lead%20to%20love

What makes love last? Is it possible to keep a relationship strong and vibrant over the long term or are we destined to live out our days in boredom and annoyance after the honeymoon is over? 

That is a million-dollar question and researchers have been asking the same question for a very long time. 
The beginning of a romantic relationship is often marked by high levels of passion, joy, attraction, excitement, and novelty. We find everything very exciting. 
With time, however, these feelings and experiences become less intense, rendering the relationship a great deal less exciting. 
This does not only happen in marriage and relationships but in all aspects of our lives. 
Let us take the example of travel: 
When we travel by air for the very first time, we are impressed if they give us earphones and a drink. It feels luxurious to sit in our seat with the stewardess coming around to check if we need anything and if our seat belts are tied. 

After the...

Few things in life can bring us as much joy in life as having fulfilling and close relationships with those who matter most to us – our families. Feeling connected to, being loved and supported by those whom we love has been called akin to experiencing heaven on earth. Maintaining family relationships is not only an integral part of our Deen, it is also a key to having a positive experience in this world. While essential for worldly and ultimate happiness, maintaining a strong family is less than easy in modern society. 

Families everywhere are feeling the stress of conflicting needs and schedules of dual working parents, the shortage of time and the pressures of living in an environment that often contradicts the values they try to nurture at home. Ours is also the first generation to experience the reality of mobile technologies that are always switched on. 

The Internet has expanded our horizons like never before and opened up a world of...

One of the things that sets newly weds apart from couples who have been married for a while is how they respond to a “bid for connection” from their partner. Dr. John Gottman, the renowned marriage expert explains that a bid for connection is any small or big gesture made by one spouse to get the attention or affection of the other. 

Bids for connection are small everyday occurrences like calling your spouse just to check in during the day, commenting on something you read or heard, asking for an opinion or making an affectionate gesture. 

Spouses make these bids for connection many many times throughout the day. Bids can be in the form of questions or everyday comments such as “how do I look”, “did you see that?”, “what did you think of the show”, “it is cold today”. They can also be in the form of a gesture, a touch or simply looking at the other for a response. 

In the beginning, it is...