because we need to teach our
children that our relationships
are more important than
things like work, movies and
sports. We do a very poor job
of this in our society."
Make Sure Your Children
See Your Love for Each
Other
Parents spend 18 to 20 years
preparing their children to
leave home, and parenting
requires sacrifices to properly
care for children. But
investments in a long-term
relationship as a couple can
benefit parents and kids alike,
and make the "empty nest"
seem not quite so empty after
the children leave home.
Start Today
It's never too late to rekindle
love and romance in a stale
long-term relationship,
Billingham says. Start from
where you are, and begin
doing things together that
emphasize and celebrate your
relationship as a couple.
"If the kids don't see an
emphasis on the relationship,
what we model is that the
marriage isn't as important as
work, sports or other
activities, Billingham says.
“When they do see the
emphasis, what we're
modeling is that the marriage,
the committed relationship is
important.
Should You Quit or
Recommit?
Obviously, rekindling
romance is much more
difficult if one of the partners
has fallen in love with
someone else and is
experiencing a new surge of
attraction hormones that is
pulling them away from their
core relationship.
“[Emphasizing the long-term
relationship] is crucial
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