Chip and Joanna Gaines are HGTV stars, parents of now five as of this past June and entrepreneurs in various areas, but they aren’t slowing down anytime soon.
Amid all that, it can be hard to find the time to devote to one another, but Chip and Joanna have found several important ways to keep their marriage happy and healthy while working with each other almost daily.
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Read on to find out how they do it!
“Two things come to mind. This is really not for everybody so don’t feel insecure or try to force something if it’s not,” Chip explained to PEOPLE at a KILZ Master Class and media tour of the Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco, Texas.
“The negative is if it’s not meant to be, don’t try to force it. It is not for everybody. And don’t worry about it that it’s not for everybody. Who cares. And then the positive is when you decide to go for it, just really weigh on each other’s strengths and try not to cross over into each other’s lanes.”
“That was one thing that I learned pretty early on is that … I am a big creative by nature so I was always stepping in her universe and I was always thankful she wasn’t micromanaging my side of the business so it worked, but I would come in and have these bold opinions about everything,” he continued.
“And then after about a year of sort of wrestling with each other like that, I realized A: I wasn’t as good at it as I thought I was, so that was a problem, and then B: Why not let her really go for it in her way?”
As for working together, Chip explained that setting boundaries helps him and Joanna excel in their various fields.
“And so Jo and I really have created boundaries to some extent for one another and it just helps us both flourish,” he said. “I am her biggest cheerleader when it comes to the things that she’s rocking and rolling in and vice versa in my category. Just encourage one another’s strengths and not be so particular that you constantly butt heads over it.”
The pair also had some advice for other couples who work together.
“Get a mediator, get a designer … If you can’t figure it out bring in someone that will help so you don’t end up ending your marriage,” Joanna suggested. “And allow yourself room to make mistakes. We always allow on every budget, we have a side, 10 percent contingency as I may pick the wrong pink color. Just always have it so it’s not the end of the world and you’re not so stressed out.”
As for Chip though?
“You can either bring in a designer now or you can bring in an attorney later. Your choice,” joked Chip. “And a sense of humor is a big deal for us. We got lucky in that.”
The Gaineses welcomed son Crew in June, making their family one of seven.
Along with Crew, Chip and Joanna are parents to Emmie Kay, 8, Duke, 9, Ella, 11, and Drake, 13, and Joanna told PEOPLE that her fifth pregnancy wasn’t exactly planned.
“When I saw the results of the test, my jaw dropped,” she shared, explaining that she took a test after “feeling a little emotional and crazy.”
She continued, “Chip was in the driveway about to leave when I called him back and said, ‘We’re pregnant!’ He was so excited. We’re both just so excited.”
Now that the Chip and Joanna are officially done with Fixer Upper, they’re focusing more on their family, which has happily expanded with the arrival of baby Crew.
“We had a lot on our plates, and at some point, you have to call those shots when you feel like you need a break,” Joanna explained.
