Although parenting with your partner can be a deeply meaningful experience, it can also take its toll on your relationship. Hectic schedules, late nights, middle-of-the-night feedings and dozens of other things cause many parents to put their love lives on the back burner. It is important to remember, though, that it is healthy for a child to see his parents fulfilled by a loving and stable relationship with each other. If your relationship has grown stale, these suggestions will help to give it new life.
Step 1
Communicate with your partner. Communication allows you to be honest and open about your feelings, expectations and needs so that you both always know where the relationship stands and how to make it better. Make uninterrupted time for each other every day to talk, listen and laugh.
Step 2
Make time for intimacy. At the end of a long day, it’s tough to get in the mood, but a healthy sexual relationship provides both physical and emotional intimacy to draw both partners closer together. If the end of the day is just not working for you, try to squeeze in a rendezvous first thing in the morning or during the kids’ afternoon nap.
Step 3
Have regular date nights. Getting out by yourselves gives you the opportunity to reconnect with your partner. Even if it’s nothing more than going out for a cup of coffee while grandma watches the kids, your relationship will benefit from regular dates. If weekly dates are not feasible, having dates even once a month can make a huge difference in your relationship.
Step 4
Praise your partner both in public and in private. Let your significant other know how proud you are of him and how much you appreciate having him in your life. Let her know frequently that you think she is special and make sure other people know it, too. This helps to establish a unity between the two of you.
Step 5
Do something new together. Shared experiences—particularly new ones—are relationship strengtheners. Don’t know what to do? Take a foreign language class, get a couples’ massage, take a flight lesson, attend a murder mystery weekend or simply try a new restaurant. The point is to add novelty and excitement to your relationship.
Step 6
Develop your own interests. If you have gotten lost in the shuffle of everyday life, try a new hobby or activity. Not only will this help to rejuvenate you, but it will make you seem more interesting to your partner.
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