The Realization Stage Checklist

Are you in the Realization stage?

You may be in the Realization stage if:

The initial romance and passion of your marriage are waning

You find yourselves negotiating things you never worried about before

You are frequently explaining things about yourself to your partner

You spend lots of time establishing rules for how you'll function as partners

Your partner suddenly seems less than perfect -- you discover he or she has flaws and imperfections just like everybody else

For the first time, you find your spouse irritating, annoying, even boring

You have asked yourself recently if you made the right choice in a mate

You've been married for at least six months (couples may start experiencing the challenges of the Realization stage even sooner, or as long as two years after marrying)