This year, I celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary with my high school sweetheart. We’ve been romancing for thirty-one years this month. We’ve been through a lot, particularly in parenting, finding that parenting teens and tween are the roughest years in marriage.

So here are 25 tips on marriage and parenting I’ve learned in twenty-five years of marriage.

1. Marriage is hard work, so work at it.

2. Parenting is hard work, so work at it, too.

3. Take family vacations for memories and laughter.

4. Let go of expectations on family vacations.

5. Build other things into your family life other than kids’ sports and activities.

6. Don’t let your children take the important place your spouse should have.

7. Your spouse will be with you long after your children are gone, so make that relationship a priority.

8. Don’t let your kids pit you against one another.

9. Parent together. (Read the rest here at 10 to 20 Parenting).