Finding Time for Romance!
Tools for staying in love and helping your children thrive

Finding time to laugh together, talk with each other, and enjoy each other's company came easy when it was just the two of you. But then you had children.

Soon all you laughed about was your toddler's antics and all you talked about was your child's latest accomplishments. Quiet dinners and romantic evenings disappeared in the wake of school projects, potty training, and middle-of-the-night feedings. And juggling work, family life, and household errands now leaves you too exhausted to even think at the end of the day.

If marriage and parenting leave you feeling overwhelmed, you're not alone. Most couples feel the way you do after children arrive. But don't let the pressures of parenthood affect your marriage. Don't let the care you give your children prevent you from caring for each other. Instead, keep your marriage healthy -- and your children happy -- by making each other your top priority.

Small, daily gestures of romance keep parents in love. It's the small things that change how you feel, not the trip to Hawaii. If you're in the kitchen standing at the sink washing bottles at 11 p.m. and your husband comes up behind you and rubs your shoulders for 30 seconds, you feel so connected because that moment happened

A kiss is important because how couples greet each other sets the emotional tone for intimacy for the whole rest of the evening. If you start off with 'What's for dinner?' or 'Did you get the mail?' that sets a different tone.

Always greets your partner, drop what you are doing and greet them when they come home or into the room. Call each other at work every day during a short break. You may have the best conversations on the phone because you have each other’s undivided attention.

Schedule Date nights. When parents schedule time together regularly, they're amazed at how different their lives look afterward. They're much less angry with each other. It really makes a difference. Go out to dinner or get dessert so you can talk instead of seeing a movie. Go for a walk or sit by the lake. A different setting helps you focus on your partner and reminds you, “Oh, that's why I married you!” Go for a hike or bike ride; garden or cook together; share a hobby; look at the stars after kids are in bed. If you can't find a sitter, order take-out for a candlelit dinner or make a special dessert for an in-home date. Do it after children go to bed or enlist kids as servers.

Following these suggestions gives you the tools you need to meet two important goals: staying in love and helping your children thrive. In fact, you'll find the two go hand in hand. Doing what it takes to stay in love with each other will help your children grow up to be happy and successful. And raising children the right way will help you build a love that lasts a lifetime.

Source:
www.marriagemissions.com and
www.marriagebuilders.com