Way back in elementary school, I learned that when taking a true/false test you must be wary of never and always statements. My teacher said that things usually aren’t that definitive, which is certainly true of real life. And as we head into wedding season, I’m reminded that it is also true of marriage!

Once you start sharing your life, money, space, and home with someone, those old always and never proclamations come into question. Compromise is essential to a strong relationship, which means there are things you have to give on to keep the peace.

So I asked my friends and a few mom bloggers what are some things they said they would never do, until marriage came along and changed all that. Their hilarious confessions are below…along with a few of my own!

Note: These are meant to be lighthearted and fun, but I know that some people reading this have more serious things going on in their relationships. If you find yourself in a marriage where you are the only one compromising or dealing with other serious issues, please seek outside help. There are great professional counselors out there or you can check out my review of the online CoupleWise program here.

Décor Compromises in Marriage

My husband’s bachelor pad was a sports enthusiast’s dream. He used bats, golf clubs, and tennis rackets as décor. Framed Sports Illustrated covers and team blanked adorned the walls. He even put a poker table in his kitchen in lieu of a dining set.

But his shining moment came when he would pull the TV from the bedroom to the living room so that he could simultaneously watch two sporting events at the same time. You know, like when you go to a sports bar. He wanted to eventually get a permanent second television for the living room to avoid lugging one around all the time.

When we got married, the sports décor was either donated or kept in boxes in the garage. And I said I would never have two TVs beside each other. I did not want my living room to remind people of Buffalo Wild Wings.

But if you come in my house right now, you’ll see a television on an entertainment stand and one MOUNTED TO THE WALL above it.

It turns out that there are advantages to being able to watch The Bachelor on the main screen while he enjoys a football game. Since he’s okay with no sound on sporting events, we don’t have to retreat to separate rooms if we don’t want to watch the same thing. He says it’s something every married couple should have.

I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I have come to enjoy the benefits not having to decide who controls the remote.

I could definitely make it look prettier, but you get the point.

I’m not the only one who compromises on household décor.

Elise Johnson told me she never thought she’d hang a deer skull in the master bedroom. She says she made it look really cute and rustic (which I totally believe because she has delightful photos of other DIY projects on her blog).

“I doubt my 20-year-old self even knew what a ‘hunting wife’ was, let alone thought it would be my future!” Elise said.

I don’t believe Elise has clothes hanging from the antlers in her bedroom, but it could be multifunctional décor!

If you are having a tough time getting to sleep tonight, just remember Elise. Then you can count among your blessings that you aren’t sleeping beside an animal carcass. Unless you are sleeping beside an animal carcass. Then maybe I understand why sleep evades you…. Just kidding! (Kinda.)

It’s Okay to Change Your Mind

McKayla at Motivation for Mom said she would never move out of state. Then she met her husband. “I packed my bags and moved out of state shortly thereafter!” she laughed. Hopefully it was somewhere warm!

My friend Anna described expectations versus reality with her comment. “I swore I’d never get a king size bed because I wanted to be able to snuggle all night long. Now I’m like ‘get over on your side so I can sleep like a starfish!’” I love the starfish visual.

Don’t we all want to sleep like a starfish sometimes?

Keep the Mystery Alive with Your Spouse…and Out of the Bathroom

Rigel at Holes in Your Socks confessed, “I said I would never be ‘that couple’ that pees in front of each other in the bathroom.” She now admits that it doesn’t happen often, but definitely has occurred.

I totally relate to this one. Even though childbirth and some hospital stays for my husband have made for some exceptions, I agree that there are some areas where some mystery in a relationship is okay. Like what happens on the toilet.

Some mystery is important in a relationship…especially when it comes to the bathroom!

Angel from The Bluegrass Mom said she would never get irritated about the little things…like pee on the toilet seat. Since marriage, she now says, “Y’all, I don’t get why men don’t wipe their pee up!”

I’m going to say that Angel may be one of the few on this list who still has her never statement intact. Because pee on the toilet seat is a BIG deal! Come on, guys! There is toilet paper right there! Unless, of course, you left the roll empty. But that’s a whole other issue…

Mommy Issues in Marriage

Several of the comments I received related to being a mom or having a mom. I’ll eventually do a post like this on parenting, but here are a few gems that apply to marriage.

Alice, one of my beloved book club members, revealed, “I said I would never be like my mother, yet I found myself cloning her at times. It was not good.”

I think we’ve all been guilty of this from time to time. Hope your husband is a fan of your mom, Alice!

Audrey from Mommy Enlightened said she would never have a house as messy as her mother’s. Evidently, her husband hated how neurotic she was about keeping things tidy. But she has come around some.

“Now I understand and am more comfortable with a messy house. Mostly,” Audrey explained.

My mom’s house is always cleaner than mine, so my husband dodged a bullet there! Sorta?

My friend Shae, a stay-at-home mother of a three-year-old and one-year-old twins, confessed, “I said I would never have kids or be a stay-at-home mom with a minivan.”

Guess how she transports those beautiful children? You guessed it! It’s hard to beat those sliding doors and all the cupholders. You’re living your best SAHM life, Shae.

At least it is a minivan and not a van down by the river…

Dog Days of Marriage

Newlywed Jaclyn admitted, “I said I would never have a dog and never in the house…” She and her husband are currently searching for a Maltese. She’s destined for a whole litter of pups if she relented at this stage in the game!

Perhaps my favorite never statement of marriage came from my friend and fellow adoption travel pack member Karen who displayed her husband’s compromise in grand fashion. “Kevin said he would never let the dog sleep on the bed.” She followed this with some beautiful evidence to the contrary:

Doesn’t look like Kevin is complaining about the dog now…

Kevin thinks she’s just jealous the dog likes him more than her. He may have a solid case, from the looks of it!

I hope this post is a warning to all your single people not to get too caught up in the little things when looking for a spouse. Compromise is always on the table…or on the wall above the television!

I’d love to hear the things you said you’d never do in marriage in the comments below! Stuck in a date night rut? Download my list of 52 Date Ideas here!

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