Do You Love Your Kids More Than Your Spouse?

I heard a couple weeks ago that 75% of women say they love their kids more than they love their spouse.

This made for interesting personal reflection and, later, dinner conversation with Eric.

I told him I don't love him more than I love Rooney.

But I also don't love her more than I love him.

It's definitely a different love--a new and exciting love, but I am not really sure how to measure or compare them.

Before we had Rooney, Eric and I discussed our priorities and determined to put our marriage before our children.

It's something I have to think about daily. It's not easy. Rooney has survival needs.

We are falling more in love with her every day. We think she is adorable. She is doing fun, new things all the time. And it takes barely any effort to earn a huge smile from her.

All I can think about when I get off work is going to get her and squeezing her.

Similar to how, after our wedding, I couldn't wait to get off work so I could go home to my husband.

I guess if I think about it really hard, I think it would be harder for me to lose my husband than my child. (Please, God, no no no no no.)

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, again, I'm vowing to myself and Eric to put our marriage before my relationship with my kids.

Because you know what? I want my children to have healthy relationships and marriages someday.

And because if it all goes as fast as they say it will, soon we will be empty-nesters and will have to "go on" with our own lives.

(I actually dream quite often about vacationing to a romantic resort with Eric after our kids are grown!)

It won't be easy. But we had a kid on purpose. And our marriage is pretty healthy.

So I guess for now we'll just try to make it through these years of our lives as intentionally as we can, squeezing in as many date nights as we can.

I wish I had more time in the day for both of them.

It's a juggling act, for sure. And I bet it will get even harder.

How do you do it?