The Telegraph quantifies the secret to a happy marriage: 4 hugs a day 7 evenings in together each month 2 dinner dates a month 2 romantic walks a month 1 visit to a pub or cinema without children or friends…
Money can’t buy me love?: Money matters to your marriage
The New York Times your smartest financial decision is marrying someone who shares your attitudes about money. Tara Siegel Bernard writes (excerpt): “A lot of the debates people have about money are code for how we want to live our…
New rules for falling in love with your spouse: Start getting a better marriage today
Good Housekeeping replaces old marriage myths with “new rules.” Sarah Mahoney notes 5 new rules (excerpt): Sleep on it. Conflicts are best dealt with when you have calmed down and are well rested. A marriage doesn’t run on feelings —…
Save your marriage: Recommit to shared decision making, soft words, lots of listening, and calm emotions
The ABC News Medical Unit shows Madonna and Guy Ritchie leading the way–renewing their vows in an attempt to mend a broken marriage. Dan Childs writes (excerpt): Heitler says that in terms of the success rate she has seen for…
Sex, drinking and friendships: Mixed men messages
USA Today maps out the “rough road to manhood.” Sharon Jayson writes (excerpt): “Guys know they’re supposed to treat women as equals,” says Andrew Smiler . . . . “But we haven’t changed masculinity and we haven’t taught boys and…
My life, my spouse’s fault?: keys to a successful marriage
The Christian Science Monitor shows how putting your marriage first helps the whole family. David Code explains the three keys to a successful marriage and family (excerpt): 1) Recognize that we’ve already chosen the perfect spouse. . . . 2)…
Should I stay or should I go now: leaving my cheating partner or saving my marriage
CNN and LifeWire use the John Edwards confession-Elizabeth Edwards acceptance to look at what to do when your spouse has an affair or your spouse is in love with someone else and how to know whether to and how to…
Living in Unscripted World: Using improv to move conversations and your life forward
CNN and Real Simple help us us think faster and better on our feet through improv (excerpt): 1. The “yes…and” technique The “yes…and” technique gives you the chance to acknowledge what’s been said and then move the conversation to a…
Negotiating with your spouse: children, money problems, differences in sexual desire, and a happy marriage
The Jamaica Gleaner helps set the stage for relationship negotiations with advice from counselor Omar Thomas. Paul Messam lists Thomas’ seven “routes” to an exciting marriage (excerpt): Ensure that you want your marriage to work. This is key. Put yourself…
How to invest for the long run: have fun now and be happy later
USA Today explains investing for the future (in relationships, that is [not how to make money fast or other get rich quick schemes]). Sharon Jayson writes (excerpt): Now research from the University of Denver supports the idea that finding moments…
That’s so Gay: Caring, sharing, treating others as equals
The New York Times helps us understand the key to happiness in a marriage or relationship. Tara Parker-Pope writes (excerpt): “How people care for each other, how they share responsibility, power and authority — those are the key issues in…
Doable togetherness: Best ways to keep intimacy in your marriage
The Philippine Daily Inquirer presents 10 “bite-size efforts [that] go a long way for a happy togetherness.” Anna Sobrepeña’s list includes (excerpt): 1. Keep a weekly appointment with each other. 2. Share thoughts. 3. Read the same page. 4. Speak…
Couples dancing with the stars
The Sturgis Journal illustrates what marriage and dancing have in common, putting commitment in perspective. James and Audora Burg write (excerpt): The late Paul Pearsall, neuropsychologist and best-selling author of 18 books, noted “Marriage, families, all relationships are more a…
How to save your marriage after an affair
The AP and Ithaca Journal discuss marriage after an affair, including the sacrifices required of each spouse to avoid divorce. Melissa Kossler Dutton writes (excerpt): Repairing a relationship requires openness and candor from the person who cheated. “He has to…
Vaccinate your marriage, stop your divorce: Date with dopamine and norepinephrine
The New York Times shows that old dogs can learn new tricks, especially in matters of love and marriage. Tara Parker-Pope writes (excerpt): Rather than visiting the same familiar haunts and dining with the same old friends, couples need to…
Don’t worry, Be happy: You and your spouse bug each other because you’re close!
MSNBC.com and LiveScience report on the study of relationships by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research (Kira Birditt, Lisa Jackey and Toni Antonucci). The conclusion: Marriage–It only gets worse! MSNBC reports (excerpt): “As we age and become closer…
Gibran said, “Let there be spaces in your togetherness”
CNN/Oprah helps us differentiate between fantasy love and real love. Martha Beck writes (excerpt): Want an honest and long lasting relationship? Make sure you and your partner can recite these five statements. I can live without you, no problem ***…
We Can Do It! (with a good marriage)
The Washington Post reports on the study published in Health Psychology that a happy marriage helps relieve a woman’s stress from work–but apparently not a man’s (excerpt): Coming home to a loving spouse and a good marriage helps working women…
Is it better to give than to receive?
The New York Times unwraps the gift within the act of giving. Tara Parker-Pope writes (excerpt): . . . [G]iving gifts is a surprisingly complex and important part of human interaction, helping to define relationships and strengthen bonds with family…
Forgetting your spouse and falling in love with someone else
USA Today showed the power of love through the eyes of retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and her husband, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Joan Biskupic writes (excerpt): “Mom was thrilled that Dad was relaxed and happy and comfortable living here…