Hudson Valley parents have a lot of challenges, here are ways to keep your marriage from being one of them. Keep your marriage alive with these simple tips:
If your nest is already empty and the relationship challenges are mounting, it's not too late to fan the flames that can keep you together. In their book
The Second Half of Marriage, David and Claudia Arp detail the eight primary challenges facing marriages in the empty nest years and how to overcome them.
Every woman must know this...
- Let go of past disappointments, unmet dreams and unfulfilled expectations. Forgive each other and move on.
- Renegotiate your roles in marriage, moving from a child-focused relationship to a partner-focused one.
- Work on communication skills, sharing feelings - including the negative ones.
- Learn how to process anger and resolve conflict. "Old issues though buried, often resurface" during this phase.
- Renew your friendship by putting fun back in your marriage. "We say in our Marriage Alive seminars, 'Fun in marriage is serious business!'"
- Revitalize your sexual relationship. Parents now have more time for romance and intimacy. But only you can make it happen.
- Adjust to changing roles with adult children and aging parents. "The key is to keep the marriage relationship the anchor relationship."
- Grow closer to God. "Research says that as people age they become more interested in spirituality and this can enrich a second half marriage."