How’s Your Marriage, Really?
A New Retreat Offers Real Support for Couples Navigating Parenthood
With all the focus on baby products and parenting resources, it’s easy to forget that becoming a parent is also a major shift in your relationship. Parenting these days can feel like drinking from a firehose—there’s new gear to buy, podcasts to listen to, classes to sign up for… But in the urgency of life with a little one, when was the last time you took a step back and asked: How’s my marriage? How’s my partner? How are we doing as a team?
We know that children impact relationships. The “mental load” is finally making it into mainstream media and kitchen-table conversations. But who has time to figure out how to improve family systems, let alone keep the love alive between switching the laundry and arranging childcare?
That’s why three parenting and relationship experts—Kate Mangino (Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home), Brian Page (Modern Husbands), and Ashley Brichter (Birthsmarter)—teamed up to create the MOVE Your Marriage weTreat and identified four key areas where partners should strive for alignment:
MONEY
Finances are often the elephant in the room, especially after kids enter the picture. Who’s working? How much is childcare? Can you afford the next big thing—whether that’s a vacation, a house, or preschool?
OPERATIONS
Let’s be honest: parenting involves a mountain of logistics. From scheduling doctor’s appointments to restocking diapers, the workload never ends. It’s time to get intentional about who does what, why, when, and how.
VALUES
You may say you value gender equity, health, or free time—but are those values actually showing up in your day-to-day choices? Defining your family values helps you move from survival mode to intentional living.
EMPATHY
The heart of any strong partnership is empathy. How do you stay emotionally connected while juggling work, childcare, and sleep deprivation?
Ready to dive in?
Check out Brian’s Financial Planning Calculator to weigh childcare costs vs one of you temporarily leaving the workforce.
Kate Mangino’s book Equal Partners explains how inequality happens to us all, and what we need to do to make a change for the better. If you don’t have time to digest a book, you can hear the highlight on her We Can Do Hard Things podcast episode.
The Birthsmarter blog has answers to dozens of questions like: How do I find a lactation specialist? Or, what can I really expect from a c-section? And in this Chill Like a Mother podcast, Ashley shares great information about balanced parenting roles during baby’s first months.
But if you’re looking for more - the MOVE weTreat combines all this and more into one high-impact weekend. Designed specifically for couples with young kids, it’s equal parts strategic planning, personal reflection, and emotional connection—with delicious food, good company, and a big swag bag to boot.
You’ll leave with clarity, a concrete action plan, and most importantly, a renewed sense of partnership.
🗓️ Next weTreat: August 2–3, 2025
📍 W 27th St, New York, NY
💵 Use code HELLOMAMAS for 10% off!
Spots are limited, so if this sounds like something you need, check out the full details here and reach out to Ashley, Kate, or Brian with any questions. Your marriage deserves as much care and intention as your parenting.
Editor’s note: At Hello Mamas, we love sharing relationship tips—but this is not professional advice. When it comes to relationships, do what feels right for you and your partner. We’re here to offer ideas and inspiration.
