Making Time For Your Spouse
By Cindy Sigler Dagnan
No matter how committed a couple is, a subtle emptiness and a restless void camp out in every relationship when they don't make time for one another a priority.
* Carve out a few minutes every evening. Train your children to understand that Mommy and Daddy need some time to talk without interruptions.
* Consider eating a meal or snack alone together after the children have been served and are in bed.
* If you have teenagers that roam the house freely at odd hours, reserve the family room with the fireplace for the two of you from eight to ten one evening; explain to them that they must stay in their rooms.
* If you can swing it, let a college student stay with your children after the kids' bedtime in exchange for free laundry privileges. Meet together at a coffee house for hand holding and chatting.
* Make a backyard date. Play fort, set up a small tent, spend time on the porch swing, or check out the kids' trampoline.
* Accompany your spouse on their business trip.
* Make your table the centerpiece of family life. Slow down and exchange fast food for family meals prepared together and served together.
* Cut back driving time whenever possible. For every ten minutes spent in an automobile, you reduce the time for relationships by ten percent.
* Plan a "no plans" night. What is it about us that makes us fill all available time with something?
* Set your priorities. Really! Are you having the life you want to live? Or are you settling for the imitation of life that your peers say you need? What is it that matters most to you?
This article is taken directly from Hot Chocolate For Couples: Practical Ways to Sweeten Your Love Life by Cindy Sigler Dagnan, copyright 2010.