Marriage is for a lifetime!

We all have heard that “Marriages are made in heaven” and a marriage is probably the only relationship which is not by blood but by love. When we see couples drifting apart, single status, no kids, busy careers- How much truth does it holds in today’s world?

Prudential is the first in Singapore who has come up with a Relationship Index to understand where personal relationships stand in Singapore and throughout Asia. These include our relationships with not just our partners but with children, parents, friends, relatives and even colleagues.

While attending the media launch of the Prudential Relationship Index (PRI), I was surprised to see how Singapore ranks inAsia. Singapore ranks 7th out of 10 countries in Asia for relationship satisfaction, with money, children and housework causing the most arguments among couples.

Do you find it surprising like me?

24% of married Singaporeans seriously consider leaving their partners every week.

Marriage is not just saying we are in love but staying in love with the same person and standing with him/her through thick and thin. My husband and I are married for close to 13 years now and have gone through the phase where everything seemed to be out of our reach and we were not sure what tomorrow held for us. Fighting over petty issues can be resolved easily, but fighting for life and surviving again can only be possible with your loved one around.

We are growing beautifully together and are making sure that we don’t have a single day where we have not made each other laugh. We have these endless episodes where I am declared insane because we will end up holding our tummies in laughter.

In our day to day life, what is important to us when we have a bad day, are feeling low or are going through a tough time and we feel that everyone around us doesn’t understand our feelings? The first thought that usually comes to our mind is to speak to one who cares about us – a close relationship or a valued friendship which can bring back that happiness in our life.

         Relationship scores in Singapore-

Are we so connected with the digital world that we get disconnected with real life?

Surely, life is different with/without kids and the same goes for our relationship, expenses and housework. In all these years, whether I was working or staying at home, it never mattered who decides what to buy as we decide on large expenses together most of the time, and either one of us will handle day-to-day expenses.

Housework is tiring especially with kids, and taking care of them is a full-time job as they don’t come with a remote but instead neverending battery life. It all depends on how well couples can cooperate and share the work. In Singapore, there is still an option of hiring a full-time helper, but some countries don’t even have that kind of privilege.

Did you know that the Prudential study shows that the most likely source of arguments between couples are children (46%), money (41%), housework (29%), too much time on the computer or phone (28%) and being inattentive (27%)?

Whether everyone agrees or not, most of us are glued to our TV, phones, or mobile/online games. These are affecting our relationships because they distract us from being fully present when we spend time with our spouses and family.

 32% of Singaporeans say their partners sometimes prefer their mobile phones to being intimate with them. 22% admit that they sometimes prefer their phones to intimacy with their partner. 10% admit to very frequently sending messages to people who are within the same residence as them.

Strong relationships are built on the pillars of these 4C’s – Compatibility, Companionship, Communication and Commitment.

As parents, we often get stressed and upset with our kids, even on small issues. You will be surprised that the figures for parents in Singapore are not too low in this area:

• Singaporeans are the most likely in the region to be upset with their children (47%)
• Singaporeans are most likely to tell their children off (48%)
• Singaporeans are likely to be upset with their children because of housework (67% of Singaporeans tidy up after their children at least once a week with 33% doing so every day and this figure does not change even as children grow older: the proportion of parents who clean up every day after children of 18 years or older is 31%)

How do you feel after reading these numbers?

I felt really bad that unknowingly we are hurting and spoiling our relationship with our kids, we are not setting a good example for them.

The Prudential Relationship Index in Singapore surveyed 500 people, interviewed through online sampling. Respondents were permanent residents of the country, between 25 and 55 years of age, and had a household income of at least S$4,000 a month. The company’s survey of relationships spanned all of Asia; Prudential interviewed 5,000 people in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

More details here

When was the last time you said those 3 beautiful words to your spouse ” I LOVE YOU” or a tight hug? We say it as often as we can every day! It will not just make your relationship better but make your day more beautiful too. 

We will be going LIVE on Facebook with Gurmit Singh who will be hosting the Prudential Relationship Index forum tomorrow, 20 October 2016, 6.30pm sharp over at Prudential Singapore’s Facebook page .

 Do you have any beautiful moments to share with us or any questions or thoughts about the PRI findings? Write to me here in the comments section or the Facebook LIVE video chat tomorrow!

#RelationshipReconnect #RelationshipIndex