The birth of a child has a major impact on marriage – the truth is that things will never be the same. The partners need to get used to the new situation, adjust to having a baby, and find a common perspective on how to raise a child. Couples with young children may often need to put themselves second and attend to the little one’s needs before everything else. Children can make couples stronger, or on the contrary, they can worsen bad situations all the more. If the two spouses don’t share a similar parenting style, decisions related to their children will always be a starting point for fights. Take this How compatible are your parenting styles quiz to find out if you two have compatible parenting styles.
1. Would you mind if you find your partner and your baby watching TV?
A. I may not like it much
B. I feel annoyed but I don’t make a big deal of it
C. I feel frustrated because I had already told them I don’t agree with the baby watching TV
D. I feel angry because they don’t follow my rules
2. Do you and your partner agree on the subject of breastfeeding vs. formula?
A. We definitely are on the same page
B. We agree mostly, in spite of a few discussions
C. Sometimes they don’t support my choice
D. We have completely different ideas
3. Do you often have arguments related to parenting?
A. Never
B. Rarely
C. Sometimes
D. Frequently
4. Do you feel respected as a parent by your partner?
A. Completely
B. Mostly
C. Not as much as I wish
D. Not really
5. Do you agree on your children’s sleeping arrangements?
A. Always
B. Most nights, yes
C. Most nights, no
D. Never
6. How do you solve parenting disagreements?
A. One of us wins and the other is not pleased about it
B. Each one continues to do things their way
C. We have never had such disagreements
D. One of us compromises
7. Do you ever read parenting books or articles together?
A. Yes, quite often
B. Sometimes
C. Rarely
D. My partner won’t agree to do it
8. Does your partner ever do things that shock you as a parent?
A. Never
B. Rarely
C. Sometimes
D. Often
9. How often do you and your partner compromise?
A. We always try to find a middle ground
B. I compromise more than them
C. They compromise more than me
D. No one compromises, and we end up in an argument
10. Your partner wants to name your baby after someone you do not like. What do you do?
A. Tell them about it and try to find a solution
B. I give in. It is not that big a deal
C. I reason with them and convince them to not
D. We end up in an argument
11. Your partner believes in a certain way of disciplining your child. What do you do?
A. I agree with them
B. My techniques can be slightly different, but I respect theirs too
C. I disagree with it, but we can talk about it
D. We will end up arguing about it because I disapprove of them
12. Do you think it would be better if parents were stricter with their children?
A. Yes
B. Sometimes
C. Rarely
D. No
13. Do you and your partner think your children should be allowed to make all their decisions themselves?
A. No
B. Some of them
C. Very few of them
D. Yes
14. Do you wish to set stringent rules for your children?
A. Yes
B. Some important ones
C. Their behavior should be dictated
D. No
15. Do you and your partner agree about the living situation once your children are older?
A. Yes
B. We haven’t talked about it yet
C. We will find common ground
D. No, we disagree
16. Do you and your partner have a common opinion on how involved you want your families in the upbringing of your children?
A. Yes
B. We have not discussed it
C. We have talked about it and have not been able to figure it out yet
D. No
17. Do you and your partner agree on your baby’s bedtime?
A. Yes
B. Sometimes
C. Rarely
D. No
18. Your partner wants your baby to sleep in the same bed as you, up until they are one year old. Do you agree?
A. Yes
B. It is okay with me
C. I do not think it is essential
D. No
19. What would you think if your partner wanted to send children to private school?
A. I would ask them about their reasoning and discuss the situation thoroughly
B. I would agree without thinking too much
C. I wouldn’t understand their decision
D. I would not even consider it
20. Have you and your partner been raised the same way?
A. Yes, and I think our parents would have been friends
B. Mostly yes
C. Not really
D. No, we were raised in completely different ways
