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May is Date Your Mate Month!

By UncategorizedNo Comments

Did you know that May is National Date your Mate Month?

Use this as an opportunity (or an excuse) to step up your dating game. Continuing (and remembering) to date each other is a fun way to stay connected to your partner when you have so many other responsibilities and commitments (children, careers, housework, bills, to name a few). It does require making an effort. You’ll likely need to plan ahead, but hopefully by booking the sitter and marking the date on your calendar you’ll consider yourselves “locked in” to spending this valuable time together.

Hold up! Read More

May 5, 2015
Love0

Arrows of Appreciation

By Uncategorized2 Comments

When there is tension or conflict in a relationship, we are encouraged to speak using “I” statements—“I get worried when I don’t know you’re working late,” or “I wish we could make more of an effort to spend quality time alone.” “I” statements attribute responsibility to the speaker for his/her own perceptions and feelings.

“You” statements, such as, “You never let me know when you’re going to be home late,” or “You spend too much time with your friends,” can put the listener on the defensive from the start. In a way, a “you” statement is like shooting an arrow right at your partner. If it precedes negative, accusatory, or blaming words, they are going to feel the sting and likely react in just as prickly a manner. arrow Read More

April 21, 2015
Love0
The passenger of a car getting angry with the driver

Are you a (Personality) Backseat Driver?

By Relationship Dynamics3 Comments

Do you like your partner’s personality? That might sound like a ridiculous question to some people. “Of course I do! Why would I be with him/her if I didn’t?” Please note that this is not the same as “do you love your partner?” You may (or may not) be surprised to learn that many people spend a lot of time trying to change aspects of his/her partner’s personality or secretly hope that one day their “annoying” traits will magically cease. Read More

April 7, 2015
Love0

Fighting Fair

By UncategorizedNo Comments

Conflict in relationships is inevitable. You can try to avoid it by tamping down negative emotions and brushing seemingly minor issues under the rug, boxing_gloves_fighting_fairbut at some point, they will come back to bite you. Many times this is in the form of a blowup that is completely disproportional to whatever seemed to trigger it. You end up fighting not only about the topic at hand but ten other previously unaddressed issues as well.

As uncomfortable as it can be, the best way to avoid this situation and grow as a couple is to deal with issues as they occur. Studies have shown that it is not whether a couple fights that predicts divorce, but how they fight. Read More

March 24, 2015
Love0

Win-Win Communication

By Uncategorized8 Comments

What is your communication style? Generally, there are four common styles: tin_can_telephone

  1. Passive
    Passive communicators are often unwilling to share thoughts, feelings, or desires in an honest way. This tendency may stem from low self-esteem, but it is also used to avoid criticism or hurting others’ feelings. Being the recipient of passive communicators tend to leave their partner feeling angry, confused, and mistrustful.

Read More

March 10, 2015
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Have you made a CHANGE yet this year?

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As you know, PREPARE/ENRICH is celebrating its 35th Anniversary, but perhaps you are a marking a milestone anniversary this year as well. Anniversaries are times to not only celebrate and reflect on how far you’ve come over the years, but also to establish hopes, goals, and resolutions for the year to come.

The CHANGE Model can help you develop an action plan for your relationship goals with six easy steps: Read More

February 24, 2015
Love0
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