[April Masini, your AskApril]

You have a lot on your plate and you’re probably more tired and torn in different directions than you realize. I think you have to put the blame on the stress in this case. It’s a lot easier to grow apart when you’re trying to do everything and you don’t have time for your relationship the way you once did.

Your feelings for this other guy don’t mean anything except that you’re looking for relief from all your stress and he [i]represents[/i] that relief. He’s a stranger with no strings attached.

My advice is to turn back to your marriage and family and find a way to alleviate some of your stress. This may mean not graduating this year, but instead drawing out your education or postponing your graduation to give yourself a break. It may mean getting help from a paid caregiver or a family member to take on more of the childcare you’ve been giving your daughter. But first and foremost it means finding a way to give yourself some relief and your relationship some attention. Growing apart takes two to do so. Make it your business to grow towards your husband. It’s going to require some hard work because you’re more committed to your schedule right now than you are to your relationship and your husband. Put him and the relationship first, and your education and career second. Understand you can’t do it all in the timeframe you maybe thought you could, but that it’s okay to make an adjustment and slow things down.

I hope that helps. Let me know how things go, and please follow me @AskAprilcom on Twitter and on Facebook at this link: [url][/url]. 😀