1. Have boundaries set around your immediate or nuclear family. Have individual, couples & family time built into your routine and redefined lines of connection with each spouse's family of origin.
This means you have clear boundaries around how much time you spend with your parents/extended family and your spouses parents/extended family. Your couple's relationship and family must be the first priority.
2. Touch each other often. Hand holding, kissing hello & goodbye, laying together, sitting on the couch next to each other. Establish a routine to kiss hello when arriving home and goodbye in the morning when parting for the day.
3. Say I love you to one another. Hearing this is reassuring about the way your partner feels about your relationship. It's a small gesture that can keep your connection alive. Call each other during the day to say it if you miss your chance in the morning.
4. Have regular physical intimacy dates. Having an ongoing sexual relationship in your marriage is important. Maintaining your physical connection gives your marriage staying power
and protects it from the stresses of life.
Create time either spontaneously or planned, to follow through with regular sex and intimacy. Your sexual relationship should be a tension reducer, not a tension producer.
This means you have clear boundaries around how much time you spend with your parents/extended family and your spouses parents/extended family. Your couple's relationship and family must be the first priority.
2. Touch each other often. Hand holding, kissing hello & goodbye, laying together, sitting on the couch next to each other. Establish a routine to kiss hello when arriving home and goodbye in the morning when parting for the day.
3. Say I love you to one another. Hearing this is reassuring about the way your partner feels about your relationship. It's a small gesture that can keep your connection alive. Call each other during the day to say it if you miss your chance in the morning.
4. Have regular physical intimacy dates. Having an ongoing sexual relationship in your marriage is important. Maintaining your physical connection gives your marriage staying power
and protects it from the stresses of life.
Create time either spontaneously or planned, to follow through with regular sex and intimacy. Your sexual relationship should be a tension reducer, not a tension producer.
It's also good modeling for your children to see you being complementary to one another.
6. Regularly give each other small gifts or gestures of loving and caring behaviors. Write your spouse a loving note, get them a special treat from the store or when you go on a business trip.
By paying attention to this you can help your marriage maintain a ongoing connection.
By keeping these times separated, date night can be about connecting, talking and being physical and organizational "business" night can be about problem solving and collaberating as a team during the week.
