What do you remember most about when you first met your husband or wife? Other than the physical attraction, what impressed you? Was it his or her zest for living? Integrity? A great sense of humor? That love of learning? His or her leadership skills? Or sense of responsibility for the poor or the environment or the members of his or her team? Was it surprising creativity? Great kindness or...
Date Night Ideas for Geek Couples
Date nights can really help a couple with children or busy work schedules maintain the close and stimulating relationship of their dating days. To get the most benefit from a date night, schedule it in advance and create souvenirs while you enjoy it. Both give you more opportunities to savor your time together. And savoring helps it compete better with your negative thoughts about your marriage...
Active, Constructive, Marriage-Strengthening
Help yourself to happier feelings. Tell your spouse about the positive events in your life. Accomplish a goal? Receive an award or promotion? Lose weight? Tell your spouse. Researcher Shelly Gable has found this pays off in increased well-being and a better mood. You can take it to the next level and get greater well-being plus a more satisfying and stable relationship. How? Through active and...
When to Say No to Your Kids
What an awesome responsibility, to become the parent of a child. When you have taken care of feeding them and protecting them from harm, you still want to give them all the love they need and all the advantages you can offer. You teach them to walk, do homework with them, take them to soccer practice, pay for their SAT prep classes. You monitor their television time, show them how to hold a...
Want More Encouragement from Your Husband?
Today, as I ate my salad for lunch, a couple was seated in the booth in front of me. Both were carrying way too many pounds, enough to make it difficult to walk. The restaurant was the sort where every meal comes with enough calories for a family of four. Most of the food there is fried, covered with cheese, and accompanied by fries or a free dessert. She ordered a salad. She was apparently...